Meg Huby
Biographic Data
| ID | 272865 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Meg Huby |
| GIVEN NAMES | Meg |
| FAMILY NAME | Huby |
| SIGNATURE | HUBY M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of York |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 96 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1984 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Comparative Social Assistance: Localisation and Discretion
Published in 1997, the is the report of a study commissioned by the Department of Social Security (UK). The aim of the study was to provide detailed information about the social assistance systems of four European countries which, to a greater or lesser extent, are delegated to local levels of government. The study distinguished between policy-making, finances, delivery and accountability. The strengths and weaknesses of each system were evaluate…
Decomposing Child Poverty Reduction
European countries vary in the extent to which they succeed in reducing poverty using social transfers. However, we do not have good ways of understanding how these different outcomes are achieved. It is therefore very difficult to learn lessons from abroad. This paper uses micro data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Condition (SILC), and attempts to decompose reductions in child poverty rates and gaps into the contribution made by chi…
Water poverty in England and Wales
Water poverty is conventionally defined as households spending more than 3% and 5% of their net income after housing costs on water. Water bills have risen faster than general prices and faster than earnings since privatisation. In 2009/10, 23.6% of households paying for water in England and Wales were spending more than 3% of their income on water and sewerage and 11.5% were spending more than 5% of their income. The article explores variation i…
The construction and interpretation of vignettes in social research
Vignettes refer to stimuli, including text and images, which research participants are invited to respond. Drawing on a range of social science sources, this paper focuses on two substantive areas concerning the use of vignettes in research. Considered first is the development and construction of vignettes. This section is concerned with internal reliability; research topics; participants; and interest, relevance, realism and timing. Considered s…
Social and environmental inequalities and injustice in the rural uplands of England
Inequalities may lead to injustice, and are recognized increasingly as contributing to a wide range of social problems. The English uplands are characterized by low population densities, few services and low household incomes compared with other rural areas, giving rise to the potential for injustice. We use a dataset combining social, economic and environmental variables to develop a new integrative characterization of rural areas in England. We…
Enhancing the effectiveness of policy‐relevant integrative research in rural areas
There has been much debate about the importance of policy‐relevant research in geography over the last decade. There has also been an increasing recognition by policymakers of the importance of integrative (interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary) approaches to policy‐relevant research. However, geographers have been more reluctant than their colleagues in other social and natural sciences to embrace integrative research collaborations. For integ…
Measuring Inequality in Rural England: The Effects of Changing Spatial Resolution
The sustainability of rural development depends on the distribution of the social and environmental resources needed to maintain and improve the vitality of rural areas. Here we examine the complexity of measuring patterns of distribution using examples of socioeconomic data on rural poverty and affluence as well as data on environmental quality and species richness. We demonstrate how changes in the base spatial units used for analysis have diff…
A Child Well-Being Index at Small Area Level in England
Ecological Citizenship and Ethical Investment
There has been very little debate about the practical forms that ecological citizenship might take. Ethical investment, which seeks to influence companies to adopt responsible policies that benefit society and the environment, has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly in the UK. Dobson has identified four defining characteristics that are used in this article to assess whether ethical investment is an example of ecological citizenship. The …
Meeting need and achieving sustainability in water project interventions
This paper reviews common reasons postulated for the failure of many externally funded projects to improve the water supplies of people in poor rural areas of developing countries. Analysis of survey data from Tanzania shows that villages most in need of water supply improvements are unlikely to benefit from short-term interventions based on ‘dig-install-depart’ models. Excess availability and low value placed on labour in poor village communitie…
The application of vignettes in social and nursing research
The application of vignettes in social and nursing research Aim. The aim of this paper is to review the potential for, and the limitations of, the use of vignettes in research that seeks an understanding of people's attitudes, perceptions and beliefs, particularly with regard to sensitive subjects such as health care. Background. Vignettes, in the form of text or pictures presented to research participants to prompt responses to interview questio…
The Sustainable Use of Resources on a Global Scale
The need to reconcile social and environmental goals for sustainable development still poses problems for policy makers in the richer parts of the world. Using the examples of domestic water and energy, this paper argues that the problems are reflected, and often magnifed, in developing countries. They arise largely from conflicts between the short‐term need to alleviate poverty and longer‐term objectives for environmental sustainability. The dua…
Regional inequalities in paying for water
This paper argues that the current debate surrounding new methods of charging for water from the year 2000 should incorporate issues of social equity and must consequently involve not just the water industry but also central government and the Department of Social Security in particular. The water industry in England and Wales is currently fragmented into almost 30 separate companies, each with its own costs and prices for water services. Average…
Take-up and the Social Fund: Applying the Concept of Take-up to a Discretionary Benefit
Non-application to the social fund can lead to a reduction in the resources available to some of the most vulnerable members of society. This article shows how traditional models of take-up are inadequate for examining why payments from the discretionary cash-limited social fund do not always reach the people for whom the benefit was designed. Nevertheless, it is crucial to examine why non-application to the social fund denies many people even a …
Adapting to the social fund
The introduction of the social fund in April 1988 was surrounded by uncertainties. The change in some awards from grants to loans and the emphasis on discretionary decision‐making within the constraints of a limited budget represented a radical departure from the system of single payments and urgent needs payments which it replaced. These changes had effects on all of the actors on the social security stage. Not only did potential applicants and …
Escaping Financial Dependency in Old Age
One of the principal motives behind pension reform in Britain in the post-war era has been to reduce dependence on means-tested assistance. Alternating attempts have been made to attain this objective through State and occupational collectivism but with only partial success. The present Government has shifted the emphasis away from collective provision towards individual saving promoted in the form of portable pensions. However, recent research h…
Bureaucracies in Retrenchment: Vulnerability Theory and the Case of U.K Central Government Departments 1975-85
This article tests some received ideas on bureaucratic vulnerability to cutbacks, using data drawn from U.K central government departments over the period 1975-85. It looks at vulnerability at the level of programs, of groups within the bureaucracy, and of department, and tests three approaches to explaining vulnerability: party-political influences on political outcomes, the impact of prior history, and the influence of bureaucratic processes. P…
Scale Economies and Iron Laws: Mergers and Demergers in Whitehall 1971–1984
Between 1971 and 1984 there were ten cases of merger or demerger in British central government departments, ranging in importance from the massive DTI demerger into four distinct departments (1973) to the absorption by the Lord Chancellor's Department of the Office of the Public Trustee (1982). By analysis of changes in aggregate indices of ‘top staff‘, ‘middle staff’, ratio of administrative grades to total staff, salary costs relative to total …
Bureaucrats and Budgeting Benefits: How do British Central Government Departments Measure Up
Many economics-based theories of bureaucracy build on the assumption that public bureaucrats reap utility from a large budget. This article examines what evidence may be marshalled for bureaucratic appropriation of budgetary funds, by reference to measurable changes in British central government departments from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, both at the civil-service-wide level and at the level of departments taken separately and severally.…
The construction and interpretation of vignettes in social research
Vignettes refer to stimuli, including text and images, which research participants are invited to respond. Drawing on a range of social science sources, this paper focuses on two substantive areas concerning the use of vignettes in research. Considered first is the development and construction of vignettes. This section is concerned with internal reliability; research topics; participants; and interest, relevance, realism and timing. Considered s…
A Child Well-Being Index at Small Area Level in England
Ecological Citizenship and Ethical Investment
There has been very little debate about the practical forms that ecological citizenship might take. Ethical investment, which seeks to influence companies to adopt responsible policies that benefit society and the environment, has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly in the UK. Dobson has identified four defining characteristics that are used in this article to assess whether ethical investment is an example of ecological citizenship. The …
Bureaucrats and Budgeting Benefits: How do British Central Government Departments Measure Up
Many economics-based theories of bureaucracy build on the assumption that public bureaucrats reap utility from a large budget. This article examines what evidence may be marshalled for bureaucratic appropriation of budgetary funds, by reference to measurable changes in British central government departments from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, both at the civil-service-wide level and at the level of departments taken separately and severally.…
Scale Economies and Iron Laws: Mergers and Demergers in Whitehall 1971–1984
Between 1971 and 1984 there were ten cases of merger or demerger in British central government departments, ranging in importance from the massive DTI demerger into four distinct departments (1973) to the absorption by the Lord Chancellor's Department of the Office of the Public Trustee (1982). By analysis of changes in aggregate indices of ‘top staff‘, ‘middle staff’, ratio of administrative grades to total staff, salary costs relative to total …
Decomposing Child Poverty Reduction
European countries vary in the extent to which they succeed in reducing poverty using social transfers. However, we do not have good ways of understanding how these different outcomes are achieved. It is therefore very difficult to learn lessons from abroad. This paper uses micro data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Condition (SILC), and attempts to decompose reductions in child poverty rates and gaps into the contribution made by chi…
Water poverty in England and Wales
Water poverty is conventionally defined as households spending more than 3% and 5% of their net income after housing costs on water. Water bills have risen faster than general prices and faster than earnings since privatisation. In 2009/10, 23.6% of households paying for water in England and Wales were spending more than 3% of their income on water and sewerage and 11.5% were spending more than 5% of their income. The article explores variation i…
Measuring Inequality in Rural England: The Effects of Changing Spatial Resolution
The sustainability of rural development depends on the distribution of the social and environmental resources needed to maintain and improve the vitality of rural areas. Here we examine the complexity of measuring patterns of distribution using examples of socioeconomic data on rural poverty and affluence as well as data on environmental quality and species richness. We demonstrate how changes in the base spatial units used for analysis have diff…
Take-up and the Social Fund: Applying the Concept of Take-up to a Discretionary Benefit
Non-application to the social fund can lead to a reduction in the resources available to some of the most vulnerable members of society. This article shows how traditional models of take-up are inadequate for examining why payments from the discretionary cash-limited social fund do not always reach the people for whom the benefit was designed. Nevertheless, it is crucial to examine why non-application to the social fund denies many people even a …
Adapting to the social fund
The introduction of the social fund in April 1988 was surrounded by uncertainties. The change in some awards from grants to loans and the emphasis on discretionary decision‐making within the constraints of a limited budget represented a radical departure from the system of single payments and urgent needs payments which it replaced. These changes had effects on all of the actors on the social security stage. Not only did potential applicants and …
The Sustainable Use of Resources on a Global Scale
The need to reconcile social and environmental goals for sustainable development still poses problems for policy makers in the richer parts of the world. Using the examples of domestic water and energy, this paper argues that the problems are reflected, and often magnifed, in developing countries. They arise largely from conflicts between the short‐term need to alleviate poverty and longer‐term objectives for environmental sustainability. The dua…
Escaping Financial Dependency in Old Age
One of the principal motives behind pension reform in Britain in the post-war era has been to reduce dependence on means-tested assistance. Alternating attempts have been made to attain this objective through State and occupational collectivism but with only partial success. The present Government has shifted the emphasis away from collective provision towards individual saving promoted in the form of portable pensions. However, recent research h…
Bureaucracies in Retrenchment: Vulnerability Theory and the Case of U.K Central Government Departments 1975-85
This article tests some received ideas on bureaucratic vulnerability to cutbacks, using data drawn from U.K central government departments over the period 1975-85. It looks at vulnerability at the level of programs, of groups within the bureaucracy, and of department, and tests three approaches to explaining vulnerability: party-political influences on political outcomes, the impact of prior history, and the influence of bureaucratic processes. P…
Bureaucrats and Budgeting Benefits: How do British Central Government Departments Measure Up
Many economics-based theories of bureaucracy build on the assumption that public bureaucrats reap utility from a large budget. This article examines what evidence may be marshalled for bureaucratic appropriation of budgetary funds, by reference to measurable changes in British central government departments from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, both at the civil-service-wide level and at the level of departments taken separately and severally.…
Scale Economies and Iron Laws: Mergers and Demergers in Whitehall 1971–1984
Between 1971 and 1984 there were ten cases of merger or demerger in British central government departments, ranging in importance from the massive DTI demerger into four distinct departments (1973) to the absorption by the Lord Chancellor's Department of the Office of the Public Trustee (1982). By analysis of changes in aggregate indices of ‘top staff‘, ‘middle staff’, ratio of administrative grades to total staff, salary costs relative to total …
Bureaucracies in Retrenchment: Vulnerability Theory and the Case of U.K Central Government Departments 1975-85
This article tests some received ideas on bureaucratic vulnerability to cutbacks, using data drawn from U.K central government departments over the period 1975-85. It looks at vulnerability at the level of programs, of groups within the bureaucracy, and of department, and tests three approaches to explaining vulnerability: party-political influences on political outcomes, the impact of prior history, and the influence of bureaucratic processes. P…
Escaping Financial Dependency in Old Age
One of the principal motives behind pension reform in Britain in the post-war era has been to reduce dependence on means-tested assistance. Alternating attempts have been made to attain this objective through State and occupational collectivism but with only partial success. The present Government has shifted the emphasis away from collective provision towards individual saving promoted in the form of portable pensions. However, recent research h…
Adapting to the social fund
The introduction of the social fund in April 1988 was surrounded by uncertainties. The change in some awards from grants to loans and the emphasis on discretionary decision‐making within the constraints of a limited budget represented a radical departure from the system of single payments and urgent needs payments which it replaced. These changes had effects on all of the actors on the social security stage. Not only did potential applicants and …
Take-up and the Social Fund: Applying the Concept of Take-up to a Discretionary Benefit
Non-application to the social fund can lead to a reduction in the resources available to some of the most vulnerable members of society. This article shows how traditional models of take-up are inadequate for examining why payments from the discretionary cash-limited social fund do not always reach the people for whom the benefit was designed. Nevertheless, it is crucial to examine why non-application to the social fund denies many people even a …
Regional inequalities in paying for water
This paper argues that the current debate surrounding new methods of charging for water from the year 2000 should incorporate issues of social equity and must consequently involve not just the water industry but also central government and the Department of Social Security in particular. The water industry in England and Wales is currently fragmented into almost 30 separate companies, each with its own costs and prices for water services. Average…
The Sustainable Use of Resources on a Global Scale
The need to reconcile social and environmental goals for sustainable development still poses problems for policy makers in the richer parts of the world. Using the examples of domestic water and energy, this paper argues that the problems are reflected, and often magnifed, in developing countries. They arise largely from conflicts between the short‐term need to alleviate poverty and longer‐term objectives for environmental sustainability. The dua…
The application of vignettes in social and nursing research
The application of vignettes in social and nursing research Aim. The aim of this paper is to review the potential for, and the limitations of, the use of vignettes in research that seeks an understanding of people's attitudes, perceptions and beliefs, particularly with regard to sensitive subjects such as health care. Background. Vignettes, in the form of text or pictures presented to research participants to prompt responses to interview questio…
Meeting need and achieving sustainability in water project interventions
This paper reviews common reasons postulated for the failure of many externally funded projects to improve the water supplies of people in poor rural areas of developing countries. Analysis of survey data from Tanzania shows that villages most in need of water supply improvements are unlikely to benefit from short-term interventions based on ‘dig-install-depart’ models. Excess availability and low value placed on labour in poor village communitie…
Ecological Citizenship and Ethical Investment
There has been very little debate about the practical forms that ecological citizenship might take. Ethical investment, which seeks to influence companies to adopt responsible policies that benefit society and the environment, has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly in the UK. Dobson has identified four defining characteristics that are used in this article to assess whether ethical investment is an example of ecological citizenship. The …
A Child Well-Being Index at Small Area Level in England
Enhancing the effectiveness of policy‐relevant integrative research in rural areas
There has been much debate about the importance of policy‐relevant research in geography over the last decade. There has also been an increasing recognition by policymakers of the importance of integrative (interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary) approaches to policy‐relevant research. However, geographers have been more reluctant than their colleagues in other social and natural sciences to embrace integrative research collaborations. For integ…
Measuring Inequality in Rural England: The Effects of Changing Spatial Resolution
The sustainability of rural development depends on the distribution of the social and environmental resources needed to maintain and improve the vitality of rural areas. Here we examine the complexity of measuring patterns of distribution using examples of socioeconomic data on rural poverty and affluence as well as data on environmental quality and species richness. We demonstrate how changes in the base spatial units used for analysis have diff…
Social and environmental inequalities and injustice in the rural uplands of England
Inequalities may lead to injustice, and are recognized increasingly as contributing to a wide range of social problems. The English uplands are characterized by low population densities, few services and low household incomes compared with other rural areas, giving rise to the potential for injustice. We use a dataset combining social, economic and environmental variables to develop a new integrative characterization of rural areas in England. We…
The construction and interpretation of vignettes in social research
Vignettes refer to stimuli, including text and images, which research participants are invited to respond. Drawing on a range of social science sources, this paper focuses on two substantive areas concerning the use of vignettes in research. Considered first is the development and construction of vignettes. This section is concerned with internal reliability; research topics; participants; and interest, relevance, realism and timing. Considered s…
Water poverty in England and Wales
Water poverty is conventionally defined as households spending more than 3% and 5% of their net income after housing costs on water. Water bills have risen faster than general prices and faster than earnings since privatisation. In 2009/10, 23.6% of households paying for water in England and Wales were spending more than 3% of their income on water and sewerage and 11.5% were spending more than 5% of their income. The article explores variation i…
Decomposing Child Poverty Reduction
European countries vary in the extent to which they succeed in reducing poverty using social transfers. However, we do not have good ways of understanding how these different outcomes are achieved. It is therefore very difficult to learn lessons from abroad. This paper uses micro data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Condition (SILC), and attempts to decompose reductions in child poverty rates and gaps into the contribution made by chi…
Comparative Social Assistance: Localisation and Discretion
Published in 1997, the is the report of a study commissioned by the Department of Social Security (UK). The aim of the study was to provide detailed information about the social assistance systems of four European countries which, to a greater or lesser extent, are delegated to local levels of government. The study distinguished between policy-making, finances, delivery and accountability. The strengths and weaknesses of each system were evaluate…
Economics (13 works) · Political science (12 works) · Business (7 works) · Economic growth (6 works) · Law (6 works) · Public economics (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Finance (5 works) · Law (5 works) · Poverty (5 works)