Life in Britain: Using Millennial Census data to understand poverty, inequality and place

Description

The 2001 Census marked the bi-centenary of census taking in the UK. It is the most comprehensive social record of life in this country now available. However, the data are not always easily accessible or clearly presented. This lively, colourful and innovative pack has been designed specifically for use as a teaching aid and learning resource for students of geography, sociology, social policy and related social science disciplines. With new evidence about the nature of social and geographical divisions in British society, it is also an invaluable resource for policy makers and local authority professionals in areas such as planning, education, housing, poverty and social exclusion. The topics selected are central to themes covered both at undergraduate and A-level and focus on the differences between areas within the UK, highlighting the spatial inequalities and gaps in service provision that the census data have revealed. The pack contains a range of valuable learning materials, including: A summary sheet (A4, 2 pages) 10 short reports (A4, 8 pages each): Doctors & Nurses (on illness and the provision of formal care) In Sickness and In Health (on illness and the provision of informal care) Teachers (on qualifications and the provision of teachers) Sons & Daughters (on child and adult educational qualifications) Changing Rooms (on overcrowded and undercrowded households) A Place in the Sun (on holiday, second homes and shared dwellings) The Office (on employment and the distribution of skills) Open All Hours (on people working long hours and no hours) Top Gear (on households with many cars and no cars) Home Front (on children caring for others living in poverty) 5 full colour A2 posters (photos, text and maps depicting life in contemporary Britain and focusing on housing, poverty, employment, education and health) A technical report (giving the background to the project and details of the analyses) (52 pages tbc) The pack is recommended to all those teaching in the social sciences who are looking for a novel way of introducing their students to key social issues affecting life in Britain today.

Ben Wheeler is Research Fellow in the Department of Geography, University of Sheffield. Mary Shaw is Reader in Medical Sociology in the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol. Richard Mitchell is Research Fellow in the Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change, University of Edinburgh Medical School. Danny Dorling is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield.

"Brilliant! I like the style and the content, which dissects and interprets Census data in a way that provides bite-sized chunks ideal for students. The clear layout conveys a wealth of information in an accessible format." Sharon Wright, Department of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling