The decision to move is influenced and affected by a range of variables both within the context of the family (or individual) and the societal infrastructure within which the family (individual) live.
Typical family (individual) circumstances which influence the decision to move include:
- income level (affordability)
- disposable income or savings available to influnce decison to rent/buy
- jobs
- schools
- desire for facilities such as open space, access to transport and shopping
- class, education, culture and need to be near people of similar backgrounds and interests
- balance of short-term and long-term objectives
Societal factors
- planning regulations
- economic opportunities for landowners and builders
- wealth of area
- physical factors e.g. flood risk, aspect.
- historical factors regarding development of land
- competition for facilities and desrieable locations
- transport links within the city.
People all make individual decisions, but people with similar sets of circumstances often end up making similar decisions. This means that groups of people and famillies with particular characteristics end up living in the same area. This has resulted in similar sorts of areas evolving across the UK and these can often be found in different cities.
Leeds has several distinct areas and groupings across the city from the inner city, the suburbs, to the rural urban fringe.
For a background resource read:
http://www.brixworth.demon.co.uk/leeds/#Leeds
The Urban Geography of Leeds
As geographers we are most interested in the spatial distribution of social welfare.
Social welfare refers to the well being of communities in ways that discrete groups of people, or individuals, have access to job opportnities, housing, health care, education, and a safe unpolluted enviornment in which they have the freedom to practise their culture, religion etc.
Concentrations of groups of people can also be damaging when areas of poor housing also have a shortage of good schools and medical facilities, or when spearation of ethnic groups leads to a lack of communication and growth in hostility between communities. For example the Urban Riots in 1981 in Brixton (London), Handsworth (Birmingham) and Toxteth (Liverpool), and more recently in 2001 in Harehills and Manningham (Bradford). The 1980s disturbances resulted in a Government Enquiry into Social Exclusion chaired by Lord Scarman. (check link)
The background to these problems and the more recent issues of social polarisation due to economic reform are manifest in the societal and political changes which have occurred since 1945.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON SOCIAL WELFARE
At the end of the Second World War, a consensus emerged amongst politicians and leaders of various organisations, including the respective Churches, that social rights had to be extended in order to create a more inclusive society. The post war election saw both women and men, who had been involved in the war effort, change politics by voting outside their "class" for the Labour Party and saw the dawn of the welfare state with changes in both education and welfare provision. This was seen as a new society of equality and citizenship.
By the end of the 1950s rationing had ended and employment was almost at 100%. By the late 1960s policies were being developed to tackle both poverty and social inclusion at both a national and local level. Education underwent a major reform in many local authorities with the abandonment of the three-tiered system in favour a two-tiered comprehensive education system. Emerging racial tensions in some UK inner city areas prompted the Labour Government to introduce an Urban Programme to deal with housing and education, these included the construction of Community Schools with Dual Use facilities such as Leisure Centres, Libraries and Community Centres. The financial crisis of 1976 resulted in many of the reform schemes being abandoned and further unrest saw the election of the Conservatives in 1979.
By the 1980s sections of society were becoming socially polarised (social and spatially) and policies based on income were introduced to address this:
- changes to inheritance tax and capital gains tax
- increse use of indirect taxes
- end of minimum wages and abolition of Wages Councils
- abolition of earnings related unemployment benefit
- deregulation and proviatisation of a wide range of public sector activities (transport and public utillities)
- introduction of 'Right to Buy' in coulcil owned housing
These changes resulted in the the notional spatial divison we come to know as the 'North South Divide' which highlighted the polarisation and social disparities which had grown during the Thatcher era. This resulted in the creation of an even more socially polarised society with several divisions being identified such as 'work-rich' and work-poor households'. The changing patterns of economic reform and restructuring of the first Blair Government, despite their attempts to restructure the economy, still resulted in the creation and fostering of the unemployment trap (individual or groups disconnected from the labour market and dependent on the benefit system).
By the 1990s the concept of social exclusion gained greater acceptance with reform in the use and measure of poverty and deprivation. Today Indices of Deprivation are available for all LSOAs in England based on 2004 data.
In Leeds:
- 20% of SOAs are in the 10% most deprived nationally. This compares with 17% for the Yorkshire and Humber region as a whole.
- 28% of Leeds SOAs are in the worst 20%, the same as for the region.
- Half the wards in Leeds do not have any SOAs in the worst 10% nationally, while 13 wards do not have any SOAs in the worst 20% nationally.
- 5 wards in Leeds have more than half their SOAs in the 10% most deprived SOAs nationally:
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Gipton and Harehills, Killingbeck and Seacroft
and Middleton Park. - 7 wards in Leeds have more than half their SOAs in the 20% most deprived SOAs nationally. The above wards, plus Armley and Chapel Allerton wards.
ACTIVITY:
Within the context of Leeds consider the following social welfare issues and write a synopsis on ONE SCENARIO.
Use the websites below for further information.
In each case you should consider how the geography and social welfare are linked. How do spatial differences between areas and the social groups have an impact on the welfare of the groups?
The links will give you detailed information for your scenarios
Choose ONE of the following Scenarios:
1. In some areas there is a tendency for wealthier families to move to particular areas because those areas have better schools.
- Does this lead to social segregation?
- Who benefits and who loses?
- Can anything be done to address any problems which may arise?
- Does this situation benefit society as a whole in the long-term?
- Is this accentuated when social segregation of schools also involves ethnic or religious segregation?
2. In our society some groups have more access to cars than others. Car rich groups include the rich, men, the middle aged and white. Car-poor groups includeyoung adults, single mothers, the disabled, the elderly and infirm.
- How does this affect the access of different groups to shops as large supermarket chains dominate the retail landscape?
- Does the lack of access to cars lead to a more dangerous environment for some groups?
3. Some estates in cities are seen as concentrations of crime and antisocial behaviour.
- Does the evidence support this?
- What are the possible causes of the problems?
- What solutions have been suggested?
- Are these solutions working?
RESOURCES:
School Intranet: Geog GIS folder L6 CENSUS population and housing data in Leeds Wards
Leeds Economy Handbook: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageidentifier=57D2D01DD38142A580256E00004160E8
http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/citylife/harehills_guide.shtml the website contains anecdotal evedience of deprivation in Leeds. Follow the links to look at other areas of the city.
Leeds Education Links: http://www.educationleeds.co.uk/aboutEL/links.aspx?section=17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harehills: historical and social background on all wards in Leeds.
This website enables you to access information on crime across Leeds: http://www.beatcrime.info/
Strategies for policing in Leeds are outlines here: http://www.leedsinitiative.org/safer/
A good video from Leeds on the Safer Leeds Strategy: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OzdNdvKQ1VI&feature=channel_page
Police video on managing quality of life issues in the inner city: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lObmbJI5vHA&feature=related
Chapletown and Harehills Community website - lots of interesting material here: http://www.chapeltown.org/impact/default.aspx
Housing Structure within Leeds - the ALMOS system of housing management http://www.leedstenants.org.uk/ALMOlinks.htm
Community based housing intiatives in North East Leeds http://www.eastnortheasthomesleeds.org.uk/
Housing Strategies in Leeds http://www.leeds.gov.uk/leedscityregion/docs/Appendix3_Improving_Residential_Offer.pdf
Leeds Council Plans for Housing - http://www.leeds.gov.uk/housing.aspx
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