The Idea of Poverty

DETAILS : 

• Author : Paul Spicker
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rawat Publications
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 January 2007
  
• Edition ‏ : ‎ 2007th
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 175 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8131601676
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8131601679
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 500 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Idea of Poverty, authored by the renowned social policy scholar Paul Spicker and published by Policy Press (in association with the University of Bristol), is a brilliant, highly sophisticated conceptual treatise. Rather than serving as another statistical compilation of global income disparities, this book offers a deep, philosophical, and semantic excavation of what "poverty" actually means, how it is constructed in political discourse, and how different definitions dictate the success or failure of welfare states.

The primary objective of the book is to demonstrate that poverty is not a simple, self-evident material fact, but a highly complex, cluster concept made up of overlapping ideas. Spicker argues that the way a society defines poverty inherently shapes its moral obligations and policy responses. He systematically unpacks the term by dividing its meanings into three broad, interconnected categories:

• Material Need & Lack of Resources: Analyzes the traditional configurations of poverty, examining the concepts of absolute versus relative deprivation, basic human needs, and the structural limitations of setting arbitrary monetary "poverty lines."
• Economic Position and Inequality: Explores poverty as a structural symptom of broader economic systems, mapping out its relationship to low income, resource distribution, class divides, and systemic exclusion from the labor market.
• Social Relationships and Status: Looks at the sociological dimension of poverty, defining it through the lens of social dependency, powerlessness, social exclusion, and the loss of personal entitlement or citizenship rights within a community.

By cross-examining historical social frameworks, ideological debates, and modern welfare systems, Spicker provides readers with a rigorous intellectual toolset to move past political rhetoric, making this volume a mandatory text for students of sociology, public policy, economics, and international development.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Spicker is an Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of Robert Gordon in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is a towering academic authority in Europe regarding the study of poverty, welfare systems, and the mechanics of social security. He has served as a consultant for numerous international NGOs and government bodies, helping shape contemporary frameworks of social risk management.

Spicker’s authorial voice is uniquely characterized by its analytical precision, philosophical depth, and accessible clarity. He excels at breaking down dense, jargon-laden administrative policies into core ethical and logical questions. His other seminal publications—including Poverty and Social Security: Concepts and Principles, The Welfare State: A General Theory, and Social Policy: Themes and Approaches—remain foundational, globally recognized pillars in modern sociological and public policy education.