Contemporary Social EvilsWhich underlying problems pose the greatest threat to British society in the 21st century? A hundred years after its philanthropist founder identified poverty, alcohol, drugs and gambling among the social evils of his time, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation initiated a major consultation among leading thinkers, activists and commentators, as well as the wider public. The findings have now been brought together in this fascinating book. Individual contributors range across the political spectrum but the book also reports the results from a web survey and consultation with groups whose voices are less often heard. The results suggest that while some evils - like poverty - endure as undisputed causes of social harm, more recent sources of social misery, such as an alleged rise in selfish consumerism and a perceived decline in personal responsibility and family commitment, attract controversy. |
Contents
views from the online consultation | 27 |
eliciting unheard voices on | 51 |
further views from people in | 65 |
Preface | 85 |
Social evils and social good | 103 |
Distrust | 125 |
The absence of society | 147 |
investing in civil society | 169 |
Five types of inequality | 193 |
Reflections on social evils and human nature | 215 |
How the social evils consultations were organised | 233 |
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Common terms and phrases
adults affluence antisocial behaviour aspirations become benefits Britain British carers CCTV Centre century concern consumer consumerism contemporary social evils coping created culture David Cameron decline discussion drugs and alcohol economic equality ex-offenders example experience family breakdown fear feel felt Ferdinand Mount global greed groups homeless hostel housing human identified immigration income individual inequality institutions issues Joseph Rowntree Joseph Rowntree Foundation Julia Neuberger knife crime Labour lack less living London Margaret Thatcher Matthew Taylor moral moral panics Neal Lawson neoliberal older online consultation organisations parents participants people’s perceived political politicians poor poverty recognised responsibility Richard Layard role Rowntree’s seen sense Shaun Bailey social problems society solidarity talked things today’s truncated opportunities trust unemployed unemployment values violence wealth welfare young Zygmunt Bauman