No Wrong Door conferenceOctober 23rd 2012

Gill Main gm544@york.ac.ukBernie Flanagan - CYCDebbie Adair - CYC

In pairs or small groups, discuss:

What does the word ‘poverty’ mean to you?

What kinds of associations does the word ‘poverty’ have for you?

Absolute poverty – failure to meet basic biological needs Primarily used in the developing world

Relative poverty – Inability to live according to basic social and

cultural norms Dominant in the developed world

In reality, very difficult to distinguish between the two. But the meaning of poverty is highly contingent on space and time – ‘Rich’ in the UK 100 years ago would be ‘poor’ now ‘Rich’ in the developing world would be ‘poor’ in the

developed world

Low birth rate, higher infant mortality rates, higher incidences of illness, disease and accidents in infancy and childhood

Lower educational attendance and attainment – more poor children grow up to be NEET, more have no qualifications.

Higher chance of low-paid work or worklessness in adulthood

Shorter lives – children who grow up in poverty have lower life expectancies than other children

Income poverty Most common conception of poverty Used in most policy and academic studies What most people think of when ‘poverty’ is mentioned

Material deprivation Direct measure of poverty – money is a way of acquiring decent living standards;

material deprivation is a lack of decent living standards Used in some UK poverty measures – combined low income and material

deprivation

Social exclusion Focus on processes involved in poverty – how lack of physical, social and

psychological resources interact Popular term, but lacks consistent and coherent definition and usage

Well-being Very hot topic in policy at the moment! Complete lack of consistent or coherent definition and usage But the idea of a focus on ‘a good life’ rather than physical resources very

appealing to lots of people

What kinds of poverty do you encounter in your day-to-day work with children and young people?

How do you think poverty impacts on the lives of the children and young people who you work with?

What kind of conception of poverty do you think best suits your approach to working with children and young people?

How do you think an understanding of different ways of looking at poverty might inform or change how you work with children and young people?

York has less poverty than most local authorities;

But it is concentrated in certain geographic areas and demographic groups and UK has low social mobility;

Massive challenges: National prediction for future is rise; Economic outlook; Benefit changes; Will policy progress social mobility.

National Strategy; Last government did much through benefit

system and tax credits; This government philosophy is to give families

tools to work their way out of poverty; Locally Strategy: York Fairness Commission; Targeting of support; Work with those most affected; Early Education.

Adult-derived list of items: A family holiday away from home at least one week per

year Enough bedrooms for every child over 10 of a different

sex to have their own room Leisure equipment such as sports equipment or a

bicycle Celebrations on special occasions such as birthdays,

Christmas or other religious festivals Go swimming at least once a month A hobby or leisure activity Friends round for tea or a snack once a fortnight Toddler group/nursery/playgroup at least once a week Go on school trips Outdoor space or facilities nearby where they can play

safely

Child-derived list of items: Pocket money once a week Money to save each month Brand-name trainers An iPod or similar MP3 player Cable or satellite TV at home A garden or somewhere similar nearby to spend

time safely Access to a family car Clothes to fit in with other people their age A holiday away from home for one week each year Monthly day-trips with family

Well-being vs well-becoming Adults tend to think of children as adults-to-be. Children

think of themselves as beings as well as becomings.

Children tend to conceptualise poverty in terms of social exclusion In focus groups, children reported being bullied and excluded

if they lacked the ‘right’ clothes or the ‘right’ shoes Some children felt that clothes and shoes should not matter,

but they also told us that they would bully or exclude their friends if they were not dressed fashionably

Children who did not listen to the same music and watch the same TV programmes as their friends were unable to join in with conversations

Children were sensitive to the needs of their parents as well as to their own needs – things like a family holiday and family day-trips were important because they enhance family relationships by allowing children and parents to spend time together free from day-to-day stresses

Based on your experiences, how do you think children and adults differ in how they understand and experience poverty?

How do you think these differences in conceptions can be used to help inform your work with children and young people?

How do you think policy frameworks (whether nationally, locally, or within organisations you work in) be informed to help reduce the impact of material deprivation on children’s lives?