Eades, Wendy Anne (2018) Flourishing or floundering? Using the capability approach to assess the impact of welfare reform and public sector spending cuts on the human rights and equalities of vulnerable people in the UK. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis explores how the cumulative impacts of welfare reform and public sector spending cuts impact upon the human rights of benefit recipients living in Coventry. Its central premise is the application of the principles of the capability approach to examine whether the ‘Welfare-to- Work’ ideology behind the welfare reform agenda helps individuals to flourish, using qualitative longitudinal research methods to provide a rich insight into the lived experiences of individuals.

Drawing upon qualitative research conducted with benefit claimants in Coventry, this research operationalizes the capability approach to investigate how people react differently and why some developed resilience in the face of changes to benefits and services whilst others struggled. It assesses whether the capability approach is a suitable and valuable framework with which to measure the cumulative impacts of welfare reform policies and austerity public sector cuts on the lived experiences of individuals.

This doctoral research brings together three strands of enquiry to form a unique contribution to knowledge, by examining the cumulative impacts of welfare reform policies and public sector spending cuts in the UK through the lens of the lived experiences of individuals significantly affected by them and using the capability approach to reveal how their human rights have been eroded by the welfare-to-work ideology underpinning the welfare reform agenda. It concludes that the capability approach provides a valuable insight into the cumulative impacts of welfare reform policies and public sector spending cuts, by revealing the effects welfare reform and austerity measures have had on the emotional and agency capabilities of individuals in addition to impacts on their income, health, and housing. It argues that listening to and meeting the needs of those who have suffered most from welfare reform and austerity measures can create a welfare system that encourages people to flourish, rather than flounder.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform J Political Science > JC Political theory
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Public welfare, Welfare state - Great Britain, Welfare recipients -- Great Britain, Human rights
Official Date:	September 2018
Dates:	Date Event September 2018 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Law
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Harrison, James, 1974-
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	348 leaves
Language:	eng

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