Attitudes to Poverty: WMT Notes 1
Posted on 27 Mar 2014 Categories: Uncategorized
The debate about poverty in Britain is stuck. Nearly every week a new report appears setting out some aspect of the problem and how it is getting worse. Reports describe rising debt, reduced benefits, struggles to pay the ‘bedroom tax’, and growing food banks – with many commentators saying that this is only the beginning. Notwithstanding the constant stream of reports, little appears to change as a result.
Part of the reason, according to a new study by the Webb Memorial Trust, suggests that factual reports do little to change anyone’s minds about poverty. A YouGov survey of 2000 adults, commissioned by the Trust in 2013 found three distinct attitudes towards poverty:
- Since poverty is beyond the control of the individual, it is the responsibility of the state, the labour market or some other external agency to deal with it
- Since poverty is within the control of the individual, a new set of attitudes and behaviours on the part of the poor is required
- Since poverty is an inevitable
Posted on 27 Mar 2014 Categories: Uncategorized