Policy Press

Rethinking Poverty

What Makes a Good Society?

By Barry Knight

Published

Aug 30, 2017

Page count

184 pages

ISBN

978-1447340607

Dimensions

198 x 129 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Aug 30, 2017

Page count

184 pages

ISBN

978-1447340614

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Aug 30, 2017

Page count

184 pages

ISBN

978-1447340621

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Aug 30, 2017

Page count

184 pages

ISBN

978-1447340638

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
Rethinking Poverty
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In the media

On our blog: 'What’s next for poverty?'

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.

In our society, a wealthy minority flourish, while around one-fifth experience chronic poverty and many people on middle incomes fear for their futures.

Social policy has failed to find answers to these problems and there is now a demand for a new narrative to enable us to escape from the crisis in our society.

With the aim of ending poverty, this book argues that we need to start with the society we want, rather than framing poverty as a problem to be solved. It calls for a bold forward-looking social policy that addresses continuing austerity, under-resourced organisations and a lack of social solidarity.

Based on a research programme carried out by the Webb Memorial Trust involving leading organisations, academics, community activists, children, and surveys of more than 12,000 people living in poverty, a key theme is power which shows that the way forward is to increase people’s sense of agency in building the society that they want.

"Accessible and comprehensive" - Citizen's Basic Income Trust

“This timely contribution offers new thinking into how we tackle poverty as part of a national mission to build a better society.” Dan Jarvis, MP

"Barry Knight offers us a challenging initial plan of how we might raise our eyes and come together to build a good society without poverty. The more people from diverse sectors who respond, the more progress we're likely to make." Professor the Baroness (Ruth) Lister of Burtersett

"Highlights the urgent need for a new approach to dismantling poverty, one that empowers those in poverty to climb out and live a fulfilling life – I urge you to read it!" Lord Bird MBE

Barry Knight is a social scientist and statistician, and Director of the Webb Memorial Trust. Having advised the Ford Foundation and the CS Mott Foundation, he now works with the Global Fund for Community Foundations, the Arab Reform Initiative and the European Foundation Centre. He is co-chair of the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace and is the author or editor of 14 books on poverty, civil society, community development and democracy.

Foreword by Richard Rawes

Introduction

The narrative on poverty has failed

The society we have

The society we want

How do we achieve a good society without poverty?

Who does what to produce a good society?

Towards transformation