University of the West of England
MODULE SPECIFICATION
(Revised November 2002)
Code: UPSNPL-30-3 Title: Poverty, Power and Participation Version: 1
Level: 3 UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15
Module type: Standard
Owning Faculty: Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences Field: Sociology
Valid from: September 2002 Discontinued from:
Contributes towards: Awards up to BA/BSC (Hons)
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Excluded combinations: None
Learning outcomes:
This module aims to outline social scientific definitions and theories of poverty and exclusion in the UK placing these in their appropriate social, cultural and historical contexts. It aims to communicate to students the continuing importance and increasing incidence of poverty and exclusionary mechanisms in the affluent West, exploring and critiquing a range of methodological and definitional approaches to the study of poverty, exclusionary dynamics and solutions. In particular it will examine the new anti-poverty climate in which a disenchantment with top-down solutions has spawned a plethora of grassroots approaches. The continuing barriers to these forms of participation will be explored and critiqued.
In doing so the module aims to give students the ability to investigate UK poverty and exclusion sociologically; the ability to report empirical sociological findings coherently; the ability to undertake and present independent scholarly work; the ability to apply and critique multi-disciplinary social scientific perspectives to the study of poverty in the UK; and, the ability to use and critique different methods of sociological enquiry coherently and effectively.
In these respects there are a number of identifiable learning outcomes:
1. Demonstrate a familiarity with the principle dynamics and key concepts/theories of poverties and exclusions in the UK (assessment components A and B).
2 Develop the ability to think critically about methodological approaches and definitional concepts concerning poverty and exclusion (assessment components A and B).
3. Develop a critical appreciation of the competing socio-political approaches to poverty and exclusion in the UK (assessment component A).
4. Develop an understanding of the exclusionary mechanisms which operate in relation to identity, for example, feminization and racialization debates (assessment components A and B).
5. Demonstrate an understanding of different approaches to anti-poverty action, in particular the philosophical differences between top-down and bottom-up approaches (assessment components A and B).
6. Demonstrate an ability to research an independent project concerning poverty and exclusion in Bristol. (assessment component B)
(module approved PMC25.01.02)
Syllabus outline:
The syllabus aims to give a holistic overview of poverty and social exclusion in the UK. The syllabus will contain the following 5 elements:
1) Definition and measurement debates:
This section of the syllabus will explore levels of poverty in the UK, asking who are the poor? It will then analyse and critique subtleties within definitional and measurement debates within poverty studies, for example relative versus absolute measures and budget standards approaches versus self-defined relative deprivation indicators.
2) Poverty and exclusion in theoretical perspective
This section will examine socio-political perspectives on poverty. In particular it will contrast New Right theories of individual culpability and state dependency with Neo-Marxist interpretations of exclusionary processes.
3) The dynamics of poverty and exclusion
This section will examine some of the main dynamics of UK exclusions. It will explore sociologically the underclass debate; the relationships between poverty and crime, and poverty and health; homelessness; the culture of poverty thesis versus theories of situational constraint; urban-rural relations and differences in levels of poverty and exclusionary processes; poverty and education; and, media representations of poor people.
4) Poverty and identity
This section explores how different sections of society face different relations to power and differing forms of poverty and exclusion. These lectures will focus, for example, upon feminization and racialization debates (including immigration issues), and the relationships between ageism and poverty, and poverty and disability.
5) Tackling exclusions – poverty and participation :
The final sessions will concentrate on solutions to poverty. In particular the focus will be on top-down prescriptions versus bottom-up grassroots approaches. These approaches will be analysed and critiqued particularly in relation to the new climate of anti-poverty work typified by new forms of methodological approach – emancipatory and participatory research; the new grassroots anti-poverty coalitions; and experientially -based outgrowths of service-user movements.
Teaching and learning methods:
There will be a combination of weekly lectures and seminars. In seminars students will be expected to demonstrate a familiarity with information presented in the lectures and guided reading sources, and the ability to present this information orally and visually. Course materials will be made available electronically as well as in more traditional forms. Students will be encouraged participate in discussion of materials using the intranet conferencing system.
Assessments will be conducted by a formal examination at the end of the course and through a 3000 word independently researched project on poverty and exclusion in Bristol. Guidance and support will be given to students by the teaching team for this project. This aims to foster the development of independent critical thinking so vital to the learning ethos of the module.
Indicative sources:
ATD FOURTH WORLD (1996) Talk With Us, Not At Us. London: ATD Fourth World.
ALCOCK, P. (1997). Understanding Poverty. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
AMIN, K. and OPPENHEIM, C. (1992) Poverty in Black and White. Deprivation and
Ethnic Minorities. London: CPAG.
BARNES, C. and MERCER, G. (ed.) (1997) Doing Disability Research. Leeds: Disability Research
Unit, University of Leeds.
BERESFORD, P. and TURNER, M. (1997) It’s Our Welfare. London: NISW.
BERESFORD, P., GREEN, D., LISTER, R. and WOODARD, K. (1999) Poverty First Hand. London:
CPAG.
BRADSHAW, J. and SAINSBURY, R. (eds.) (2000) Where are ‘the Poor’ in the Future of Poverty
Research? Aldershot: Ashgate.
BYRNE, D. (1999) Social Exclusion. Buckingham: OUP.
CROFT, S. and BERESFORD, P (1993) Getting Involved: A Practical Manual. London: Open
Services Project.
DEAN, H. and TAYLOR-GOOBY, P. (1992) Dependency Culture: The Explosion of a Myth. Hemel
Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
DEAN, H. and MELROSE, M. (1999) Poverty, Riches and Social Citizenship. London: Macmillan.
GLENDINNING, C. and MILLAR, J. (eds) (1992) Women and Poverty in Britain: the l990s. Hemel
Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
GOODMAN, A. and WEBB, S. (1994) For Richer, for Poorer: the Changing Distribution of Income
in the UK 1961-1991. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
GORDON, D. and PANTAZIS, C. (eds) (1997) Breadline Britain in the l990s. Aldershot: Ashgate
HOBCRAFT, J. and KIERNAN, K. (1999) Childhood Poverty, Early Motherhood and Adult Social
Exclusion. London: Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion
HOLMAN, B. (1998). Faith in the Poor. Oxford: Lion
HUTSON, S. and CLAPHAM, D. (1999) Homelessness: Public Policies and Private Troubles
London: Cassell.
KEMPSON, E. (1996) Life on a Low Income. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
KLEINMAN, M.P. (1998) Include Me Out? The New Politics of Place and Poverty. London: Centre
for Analysis of Social Exclusion.
JORDAN, B. (1996). A Theory of Poverty and Social Exclusion. Cambridge: Polity
MEINHOF, U.H, and RICHARDSON, K. (1994) Representations of Poverty in Britain. London:
Longman.
MURRAY, C. (1994) Underclass: The Crisis Deepens. London: IEA.
NOVAK, T. and JONES, C. (1999) Poverty, Welfare and the Disciplinary State. London: Routledge.
OLIVER, M. (1996) Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
OPPENHEIM, C. and HARKER, L. (1996) Poverty: the Facts. London: CPAG.
ROLL, J. (1992). Understanding Poverty: a Guide to the Concepts and Measures. London: FPSC.
ROOM, G. (ed.) (1995) Beyond the Threshold: the Measurement and Analysis of Social Exclusion.
Bristol: Policy Press.
RUSSELL, H. (ed.) (1996) Speaking from Experience. Manchester: Church Action on Poverty.
SMITH, T. and NOBLE, M. (1995) Education Divides. Poverty and Schooling in the l990s. London:
CPAG
TOWNSEND, P. (1979) Poverty in the United Kingdom: A Survey of Household Resources and
Standards of Living. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
WALKER, A. and WALKER, C. (1997) Britain Divided: the Growth of Social Exclusion in the 1980s
and 1990s. London: CPAG.
Assessment
Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 50% B: 50%
ATTEMPT 1
First Assessment Opportunity
Component A
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Examination (3 hours) 50%
Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
1. 3000 Word Assignment 50%
Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)
Component A
Description of each element Element weighting
1. Examination (3 hours) 50%
Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
1. 3000 Word Assignment 50%
SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.
Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………………
(Associate Dean/Programme Director)