Children’s lives have been transformed over the past century. Family incomes haveincreased, children lead more solitary lives, attitudes to childhood have changed, newproducts have been developed and commercial pressures on children have increased.The importance of these commercial pressures...

Despite prolonged economic growth, poverty has become a more notable andnoted feature of Chinese society. The paper examines three phases ofdevelopment since the foundation of the People’s Republic: the central planningera (1949 –1978); the pro-urban growth model (1978 – 1999); and more...

The paper analyses changes in poverty in Britain since 1997. A povertylevel of 60 percent of median equivalised income is used. The first partexamines the changes that occurred between 1996/7 and 2000/1 asshown by the Family Resources Survey, on which government estimatesof Households Below...

Types of capital which determine the ability of individuals, ofcommunities and of nations to avoid poverty and social exclusion areanalysed. This analysis draws on changing explanations of economicgrowth and the recent literature on social capital. Five forms of capitalare distinguished –...

UK government policy encourages mothers of young children in low-income families to enter or return to work, via tax credit subsidies and support for childcare. Maternal employment is seen a central plank in the campaign against child poverty, both because it raises income immediately and...

Regular annual studies made by the Office of National Statistics in the UK areintended to show how far taxing household incomes and giving benefits in cash andkind to households redistributes income from rich to poor. The first attempt to do thisin the UK was made by Tibor Barna for the year...

In this paper we explore the association between family income and children’s cognitive ability (IQ and school performance), socio-emotional outcomes (self esteem, locus of control and behavioural problems) and physical health (risk of obesity). We develop a decomposition technique that allows...

We examine the relationship between common sources of airborne pollution and population mortality in present day England. The current air quality limit values are low by both historical and international standards, and these are set at levels which are believed not to be harmful to health. We...

This paper examines the effects of recent welfare reforms in the US and UK on thewell-being of children in low-income families, looking specifically at the effects onpoverty, family expenditures, and child health and development. The paper finds somecommonalities but also some notable...

This paper examines whether and how socio-economic status is associated withchildren’s behavioural development in today’s children. Using a large cohort ofEnglish children born in the early 1990s we find significant social inequalities inseveral dimensions of child behaviour at age 7. We...