Place-based politics and nested deprivation in the UK: beyond Cities-Towns, ‘Two Englands’, and the ‘Left behind’

Abstract

‘Place-based explanations’ of politics in the UK draw on survey data to tell sweeping narratives about ‘Two Englands’, or of sizeable regions of the country that have been ‘Left Behind’, reinforcing popular accounts of a North-South or city-town divide. We introduce the concept of nested deprivation—deprivation that may occur in just one housing estate or even one row of flats within neighbourhoods that are otherwise affluent. We report on intensive fieldwork in 8 neighbourhoods across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that varied in terms of both their relative affluence and their density of population (including urban, suburban/satellite, market town or rural village). We highlight the three key themes and consequences that emerge for those living in nested deprivation in relatively affluent and geographically dispersed contexts: a) either disconnection from or entrapment within the local economy; b) social isolation and atomization; and c) powerlessness to affect politics. As such, we conclude that ‘place –based’ explanations of rapid and radical changes to political participation in Britain need to take fine-grained geographical distinctions much more seriously. Our study provides evidence that the rising tides in affluent areas are drowning some residents rather than lifting all boats. Where deprivation is dispersed and then nested within mostly affluent constituencies it does not allow for the political mobilisation among communities of interest that is a necessary condition for pluralist representative democracies.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for John Boswell: orcid.org/0000-0002-3018-8791

ORCID for Matthew Ryan: orcid.org/0000-0002-8693-5063

ORCID for Jesse, Shipp: orcid.org/0000-0003-4090-279X

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics