Housing And Social Policy: Contemporary Themes And Critical Perspectives (housing And Society)

Housing and Social Policy This book looks at the changing nature of housing policy in the UK and how it relates to the economy and society generally. Contributors to the book consider the effects of market forces and state action on low-income households, different social classes, women, minority ethnic groups, and disabled people. It is argued that housing is a key focus for economic development, for social justice, for everyday lived experience, for class struggle, for gender and racial divisions, for organising the life course, and for physical and social regeneration. A key theme of the book is that, although housing is inextricably bound up with all aspects of our lives, we experience it in very different ways, depending on our social status, our spatial location, and our own physical, mental and financial characteristics. Contributors emphasise not only the differences among individuals, however, but also how the pattern of these differences can be understood through a focus on housing in particular. In this way, what appears to be a uniquely individualised experience can in reality be understood as a product of a complex web of interactions of different kinds, which assumes a relatively concrete shape in the context of housing. Categories of class, gender, race, disability and age are therefore shown to intersect while, at the same time, housing policy itself merges imperceptibly with other kinds of policy, such as economic, family, health, education, crime, and environment policy, under the ‘catch-all’ title of ‘regeneration’. Consequently, both housing experience and housing policy lose their specificity and become generalised as well as individualised. The book contains a number of original findings and arguments, which should be of interest to both housing academics and policy makers, as well as to students of housing and social policy. New material is presented on the nature of housing and social inequality in relation to class, race, gender and disability, and new theory is developed on the causes of housing policy change, the ‘place’ of housing in relation to other policy fields, and the possibilities of transformative residence-based community politics. Peter Somerville is Professor of Social Policy and Head of the Policy Studies Research Centre, University of Lincoln. He has extensive experience of housing as a practitioner, teacher and researcher and has published widely on housing, social exclusion and community development. Nigel Sprigings is Lecturer in Housing at the School of Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Salford. He has extensive experience of housing as a practitioner as well as more recent experience as a teacher and researcher. Both Somerville and Sprigings have taught professional courses for the Chartered Institute of Housing Professional Qualification. Housing and society series Edited by Ray Forrest, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol. This series aims to situate housing within its wider social, political and economic context at both national and international level. In doin