How Single-Parent Children Speak About Poverty and Social Exclusion: Policy Implications From a Comparative, Qualitative, Cross-National Project

Abstract

This article presents some of the key findings from a comparative, qualitative research study carried out in the United Kingdom, Greece, and Cyprus. The main goal of the study was to investigate single-parent children's experiences and understandings of poverty and social exclusion in their everyday lives and to make relevant policy recommendations. The article highlights children's voices and illustrates the utility of integrating them in efforts to develop sensitive policies which meet their needs as these stem from their own experiences of poverty and social exclusion while also making the case for the utility of comparative, qualitative, cross-national research.KEYWORDS children's voices, comparative research, policy making, poverty, qualitative research, single-parent children, social exclusionMuch of the research carried out on single-parent families has focused on the problems and challenges faced by these families; the voices of the children who belong to these families have largely remained silent. In most studies, I would like to thank and acknowledge the contributions of all the partner organizations and the individuals who worked on the project from which this article drew its material. This project was a collective effort and the insights of all those involved have greatly contributed to the final product; though the ultimate responsibility of what is written here is with me, their significant contributions are reflected in this article.

A rapid review of children and young people's views of poverty and welfare in the context of Universal Credit

“…Three were UK wide (Children's Society and Step Change, 2014; Pople et al, 2013; Save the Children, 2011); eight were undertaken in England (Children's Society, 2017; Fairbrother et al, 2012; Fairbrother et al, 2022; Harvey, 2016; Knight et al, 2018; Martin & Hart, 2011; Ridge, 2009, 2017); one in Northern Ireland (Belfast City Council Youth Forum (BCCYF), 2017), one in Scotland (Elsley, 2014) and one in Wales (John et al, 2013). The studies by Knight et al (2018) and Spyrou (2013) were cross‐national but focused on UK findings.…”

“…Qualitative approaches were used in six studies. Fairbrother et al (2022) and Martin and Hart (2011) used focus groups; Spyrou (2013) employed both interviews and focus groups. Fairbrother et al (2012) used interviews and involved CYP in a debate.…”

“…The Children's Society (2017) and Fairbrother et al (2012) targeted children in receipt of free school meals (FSMs), whilst Elsley (2014) and John et al (2013) targeted schools with high proportions of FSMs. Ridge (2009, 2017) and Spyrou (2013) focussed on CYP in lone‐parent families. Two studies targeted areas of high deprivation determined using Indices of Deprivation, which appears to have been less effective.…”

“…Several studies evidenced strategies CYP employed to protect family finances, from spending their own money on household items (Children's Society, 2017), to not asking for things they wanted but knew parents could not afford (Children's Society, 2017; Ridge, 2017; Spyrou, 2013), and suppressing their needs for clothing and activities (Ridge, 2011). Ridge (2011:76) argued that children were ‘torn between the social and personal imperatives of needing and wanting more and collective familial needs to moderate and constrain their demands’.…”

Handling missing data in numeric analyses

“…Naples, 2003. Other contributions describe larger-scale, multi-disciplinary projects involving several countries and research teams (Bird et al, 2013;Quilgars et al, 2009;Spyrou, 2013;Treloar & Graham, 2003). Taken together, the studies address a number of advantages and problems associated with using cross-national qualitative approaches.…”