Perceptions of poverty and policy preferences: the contribution of Q methodology

Stephen Sinclair*, Neil McHugh, John H. McKendrick, Ruth Lightbody, Laura Robertson, Fiona McHardy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

The nature, causes and consequences of poverty have been debated for many years and remain controversial. However, some degree of consensus is a pre-requisite for feasible, sustainable and effective policy responses to poverty. Research methods which can improve understanding of public attitudes towards poverty and identify potential areas of consensus are particularly valuable. Q methodology is a research tool which has the potential to identify points of consensus and contention in relation to poverty. This article introduces the main features of Q and illustrates its potential value by outlining how it was applied to inform the policy recommendations of a Poverty Commission in a city in Britain. The project identified a number of significant points of consensus and controversy in participants’ perceptions of the consequences of poverty and preferences regarding responses to it. These findings are related to ideas about how the poverty discourse can be framed to cultivate a more supportive narrative of how poverty is understood and addressed.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages13
JournalSocial Policy and Administration
Early online date16 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 16 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • framing
  • public attitudes
  • Q methodolgy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Development
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Public Administration

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