0-19 Book Review – Discovering child poverty

Discovering child poverty – the creation of a policy
agenda from 1800 to the present 

Lucinda Platt

The Policy Press

 ISBN 1-86134-583-6

Price £13.99

Star Rating 2/5

The child poverty lobby is awash with similar reports and
publications that have been born out of the government’s commitment
to ending child poverty that was announced over five years ago.
It’s for this reason that Lucinda Platt’s new book on the history
of this policy agenda seemed one that was refreshing and
welcome.

Indeed, Lucinda sets out in the introduction the child poverty
agenda and its history. But after that you find Discovering child
poverty often has too much detail and it’s difficult to build up
any passion for its content.

Discovering child poverty is of course meticulously researched
but it does seem more slanted to academics than to a wider
audience, which you would hope, a book of its title would do so.
Even such things as Philippe Aries definition of a child are
interesting but it does feel out of place here.

Discovering child poverty would be very useful to those studying
social policy that want a reference. It does repeat much of what
the child poverty lobby already knows but it is welcome.

Ashley Riley is parliamentary officer of the Child
Poverty Action Group.

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