The spirit level under scrutiny; centre for social policy seminar

The April seminar of the Centre for Social Policy examined the thesis proposed by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in their book The Spirit Level that the apparent contradiction between the material success and social failings of many modern societies is best explained by inequality in societies rather than levels of poverty per se and that more unequal societies are bad for almost everyone in them, the well off as well as the poor.

 
Professor David Gordon of Bristol University discussed the proposition in the light of his research and showed that while the thesis was attractive, the reality was more complicated. The claim for any causal link was unproven and inequality in income did not always mirror inequality in status. 
 
David Jodrell and Vashti Berry then examined the Spirit Level thesis in the light of the epidemiological studies of the needs of children and families undertaken by the Social Research Unit and showed that while poverty is a risk factor affecting children’s health and behaviour, it is only one of many and that a life chance perspective is likely to be more fruitful.
 
The seminar closed with a presentation by Ewan Anderson on restorative justice, one of the three guiding planks (along with Prevention and Integration) in the proposals of the recent Independent Commission on Youth Crime and Anti Social Behaviour, Time for a Fresh Start – see www.preventionaction.com, and search for 18th November 2010 edition.