Wealth, Poverty and Welfare

by Sharon Kane and Mark Kirby

Published 10 December 2002
This book explores debates about poverty, wealth and the welfare state from a sociological perspective, explaining the concepts of poverty and welfare, the pattern of their distribution and the causes of continuing poverty. The origin, purpose and future of the welfare state is also discussed, setting British material within a global framework. As with other titles in the series, the text is laced with activities, exercises and sample essay questions.

This accessible text explores the staggering rise in inequality in recent years. It includes recent empirical material on all the key dimensions of inequality, including class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability, and considers both classical and new theoretical approaches to the study of these dimensions of social stratification and difference. The exercises and overall active learning approach offer students ample scope to exercise and develop their sociological skills.