Glasgow's People - Transcending Poverties

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Glasgows People:Transcending Poverties

Report of a Conferenceorganised by

The Royal Society of Edinburgh

20 February 2007

The

oyal ocietyR SofEdinburgh


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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements .................................................................................2

Programme ...............................................................................................4

Foreword ...................................................................................................6

Glasgows People: Transcending Poverties ...............................................7

Appendix One: Speakers Biographies ..................................................22

Appendix Two: Participant List ...............................................................25

Rapporteur: David Rankin

Glasgows People: Transcending Poverties: 20 February 2007

The Royal Society of Edinburgh: May 2007

ISBN: 978 0 902198 30 2

Requests to reproduce all or part of this document, larger print versions or more copies, should be

submitted to:Stuart Brown

The Royal Society of Edinburgh22-26 George Street

EdinburghEH2 2PQ

e-mail: [email protected]: 0044 (0)131 240 5000

Minicom: 0044 (0)131 240 5009

www.royalsoced.org.uk

Opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of The Royal Society ofEdinburgh, nor its Fellows.


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The Royal Society of Edinburgh

wishes to acknowledge the support of

Glasgow City Council

The Herald

Archdiocese of Glasgow

Mr Willie Haughey, The City Charitable Trust

Mr Brian Souter

The Phoenix Car Company


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Sir John Arbuthnott FRSEChairman, Greater Glasgow Health Board

Ian D Baillie CBEDirector of the Board, The Mungo Foundation

Lia Brennan(RSE Staff)

Events Officer

Risn Calvert-Elliott(RSE Staff)

Events Manager

The Most Rev M J Conti FRSEArchbishop of Glasgow

Professor Tom Devine OBE FBA FRSESir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography,

University of Edinburgh

Matthew MarrAdvisor to the Leader of the Council, Glasgow City Council

Cllr Steven PurcellLeader, Glasgow City Council

Professor John Richardson FRSEEmeritus Professor of Classics, University of Edinburgh

Dr Carol TannahillDirector, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

and thank the Organising Committee:


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CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

10.00 Registration and Coffee

10.30 Welcome

Professor Jan McDonald FRSE

Vice-President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh

10.35 Introduction and Overv iew

Sir Muir Russell FRSE

Session 1: The Background

10.45 Will the poor always be with us?

Professor Michael PacioneChair of Geography, University of Strathclyde

11.05 Glasgow in Comparative Context: Old Industrial Places in a Global

Economy

Professor Ray Hudson

Director, Wolfson Research Institute, University of Durham

11.25 Out of the Depths Case Study - Castlemilk

Very Rev. John D Miller

Castlemilk East Parish Church

11.45 Audience Question and Answer Session

12.15 Lunch

Session 2: The Present

Chair: Archbishop Conti FRSE

13.15 Overview

Dr Carol Tannahill

Director, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

13.30 Mental Health

Professor Stephen Platt

Director, Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change, University of Edinburgh

13.35 Parenting and Families

Professor Sarah Cunningham-Burley

Co-Director, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, University of Edinburgh

13.40 Role of EducationProfessor Lindsay Paterson

Professor of Educational Policy, University of Edinburgh


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13.45 Work is better than worklessness and a good job is better than a bad job

Professor Stephanie Young

Senior Director, Skills & Learning, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow

13.50 Area-based Regeneration

Councillor Steven Purcell

Leader of Glasgow City Council

13.55 Panel Discussion

14.15 Audience Question and Answer Session

14.45 Tea and Coffee

Session 3: The Way from Here

15.00 Overview

Sir John Arbuthnott FRSE

15.05 Regeneration Strategy for Glasgow. What are the Gaps?

David Webster

Development and Regeneration Services, Glasgow City Council

15.20 Problems to be radically addressed

Professor Phil Hanlon

Professor in Public Health, University of Glasgow

15.35 Building healthy communities for the future - what we know, what we

dont know, what we think we know and what we ought to know

Professor Mike Kelly

Public Health Excellence Centre Director, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

(NICE)

15.50 Panel/Audience Discussion

16.10 Summation

Alf Young

The Herald

16.25 Moving Forward/Action

Sir John Arbuthnott FRSE

16.30 Close


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Foreword

Glasgow is not only special; it is unique in its history and the combination of factors whichhave made it what it is today. Over the past quarter of a century, it has transformed itself frombeing the industrial heartland of an empire which no longer exists, a monument to a pastperiod of carboniferous capitalism, into a vibrant and economically successful city of thetwenty-first century. Yet despite the vigour and affluence which can be seen on every hand,the conditions of life for the poorest Glaswegians, especially in the big housing schemes,remain obstinately bad, and in some ways have become worse. Much excellent and importantwork is being done, but there remains much evidence of deprivation, especially social, culturaland spiritual. It was this situation, and the conviction that, although economically based, itssolution was not susceptible to purely economic remedies, that led the Royal Society ofEdinburgh to mount the conference of which this is the report.

On the initiative of Archbishop Mario Conti, a Fellow of the Society, an organising committeewas set up, which identified three elements to be addressed in an attempt to identify theunderlying problems:

the context, both historical and geographical the work currently being undertaken ways forward, with particular attention to social, cultural and spiritual needs

The three sections of the conference followed the pattern of these three elements, with

academics, practitioners and policy makers from within Glasgow and beyond contributingtheir expertise and insights at each stage. We were fortunate in having a wide and variedrange of speakers, and it is hardly surprising, given the extent to which they representedpeople who had not only studied but in many cases lived with the deprivation that they weredescribing, that we heard throughout the day not only description and analysis of thesituation but also an array of suggestions for improving it, many of which were taken up bythe speakers in the third part of our conference. Such variety is inevitable when addressingsuch a multifaceted question, and was indeed anticipated in the title of the conference, withits reference to poverties in the plural. More surprising is the extent to which our speakersagreed that, although economic deprivation was a major cause, the poverties which still

plague so many in Glasgow could only be transcended by paying attention to the family andsociety, to education and health, to the ways in which people valued themselves and theothers and the communities in which they lived. In the more radical contributions of our lastthree speakers it was clear that the economic structures of the city were very important,especially in terms of reducing unemployment, but that what was needed above all were waysof changing the ideas of all of us about the values of our culture and society. The challenge isimmense but cannot be ignored, and it is to be hoped that the questions which this meetingraised, not just for Glasgow, will be revisited in the months and years ahead.

John Richardson, FRSEConvener of the Organising Committee


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Introduction and Overview

Following the welcome given by JanMcDonald, the first session was introduced bySir Muir Russell,who commended the Royal

Society of Edinburgh for acting as a catalyst inbringing the delegates and presenterstogether, stating that it was fitting that theSociety be involved in examining the ongoingchallenges of post-industrial cities such asGlasgow in the 21st century. It was high-lighted that Glasgow is not unique in thelevels of socio-economic deprivation thatneed to be addressed, but that there is a needto understand why such issues have arisen

and what these mean in todays reality, inorder that applicable solutions can begenerated for the people of the city. Whilepast attempts to address deprivation might bequestioned in terms of sufficiency andappropriateness, it was noted that Glasgowhas benefited from the establishment of alarge number of voluntary and communitygroups and could be considered a worldleader in efforts to address deprivation. As aresult of such efforts, transformations were

evident in the local economy, in the civic andpersonal infrastructure, in new industrieshaving being attracted to the city, inexpanded retail facilities and in theinvestment made in businesses. Regenerationwas evident in many areas, including thewaterfront, and the image of the city both athome and abroad, has been transformedfrom that of the past.

Yet Sir Muir also considered that it wasnecessary to recognise that for many peoplein Glasgow, such achievements have notbeen sufficient and have not brought thelifestyles, longevity or prosperity enjoyed bymany other communities in Scotland. High-lighting the reference in the conference titleto poverties plural, Sir Muir illustrated how,despite physical regeneration, parts of the citystill experience economic, social, cultural and

spiritual poverty, with many people notbenefiting from the regeneration experiencedby others. Linking the session themes andaddressing both policy-makers and

practitioners, he suggested that closeattention be given to supporting andenhancing the capacities of existinggrassroots organisations when developingnew, or refining existing, approaches. Further-

more, it was suggested that some of the mostsignificant past failures of planning emergedfollowing the implementation of top-downsolutions which involved little or noconsultation with those most directlyaffected. Summarising, Sir Muir stated thatGlasgows problems should not beconsidered intractable, but instead presentchallenges which span the diversity of fieldsin which delegates work, requiring newagendas for working together in new ways,with the expectation that success will only be

judged in the longer term.

Session 1: The Background

Will the poor always be with us?Michael Pacione provided the context for theconference by deploying a historical-geographical perspective, focusing inparticular on the last 30 years. By way of

example, Professor Pacione examinedlongitudinal health data from an area locatedto the east of Glasgow Cross. Drawingattention to high instances of cholera in1832, he noted that the same area was nowfound to exhibit high instances of cancer,heart disease and long-term illness, all ofwhich were above the Scottish average.Although reflecting a change from infectiousto degenerative diseases, it was suggested

that this Glaswegian location has exhibitedsome of the worst health statistics in Scotlandover a period of almost 200 years. Continu-ing, Professor Pacione outlined the contextfor the remainder of the conference usingfive linked themes:

The first, termed the anatomy ofdisadvantage, reflected the fit of povertywithin the broader concept of multiple

deprivation, a concept which was shown tochange over time. For example, as societyadvances and basic physiological needs aremet, growing pressure is placed on meeting


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higher order needs. While commoncharacteristics remain over time, e.g.segregation and stigmatisation of the poor,there has been a changed emphasis over timefrom problems in the urban physical

environment to the urban social environment.

Second, conceptualisations of povertyinclude a range of terms. However, a keydistinction is that between absolute andrelative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to asituation where a familys income isinsufficient to maintain mere physicalefficiency. Relative poverty is a broaderdefinition, which is based on needs being

culturally determined rather than biologicallyfixed, including needs such as job security,work satisfaction, etc. Absolutist approachesimply that poverty can be eliminated; relativistviews accept that poverty will always remain.

The third major theme established thatthe root cause of poverty is economic, and inmodern society stems from three principalsources: low wages earned by thoseemployed in declining traditional industriesor engaged, often on a part time basis, innewer service-based activities; unemploymentexperienced by those marginal to the jobmarket such as single parents, the elderly, thedisabled, and, increasingly, never-employedschool leavers; and reductions in welfareexpenditure in most Western states due togrowing demand and ensuing fiscal crises.

Fourth, the changing geographical

distribution of povertywas examined withreference to indices of multiple deprivation inGlasgow between the years 1971 and 2001.In 1971, major areas of poverty were locatedin inner city areas and inner suburbs withfurther disadvantaged areas found in the EastEnd, Maryhill area, and peripheral housingestates. By 1981, following clearance andredevelopment of some inner-cityneighbourhoods, the foci of deprivation had

shifted to include areas such as Govan,Possilpark and Springburn along withovercrowded, outer estates. The incidence ofdeprivation became marked by a change in

housing tenure, now mainly concentrated inthe public sector. These trends wereconfirmed by 1991 and were reiterated in theCensus data of 2001: poverty and deprivationremain concentrated in particular

environments of disadvantage. Eradicatingpoverty was suggested by Professor Pacioneto require policies which took multifacetedapproaches; which adopted a generationalperspective; which sought to developstrategies to address physical context; thatfacilitated engagement with andreconnection of marginalised people tomainstream society; and which placed mostemphasis on education and training.

Finally, in response to the question: Willthe poor always be with us?ProfessorPacione highlighted that absolute povertycould and often has been eliminated,whereas relative poverty will always remain,suggesting a stimulus for renewed action.

Glasgow in Comparative Context: OldIndustrial Places in a Global EconomyRay Hudson provided further comparativecontext in an historical account, whichexamined industrial decline, poverty,inequality and poor health by placingGlasgows history of growth, decline and(partial) renewal within the broader context oflong-term capitalist development. This tookaccount of Glasgows particular trajectory ofgrowth and decline, but considered it withinthe context of wider capitalist models: anendemic tendency to produce inequalities is

embedded in the capitalist model ofdevelopment. In conjunction, highlightingthe importance of place, such processeshave been expressed in particular ways inGlasgow. The ability of government toameliorate the problems of place and itscapacity to realign economies onto newdevelopment paths is limited. ProfessorHudson postulated a five-stage model ofurban-industrial growth, decline and recovery,

drawing parallels between Glasgow and itsassociation with persistent poverty andinequality with other industrial cities andregions (e.g. in Spain, France and the USA):


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new industries such as chemical plantsand automobile manufacturing emergedand were located in cities, which, alongwith the introduction of the nationalwelfare state, were suggested, to adegree, to have ameliorated poverty andinequality. However, while post-warrecovery led to greater concern withequality and welfare rights, moreprogressive taxes and better educationand housing, poor working conditions(e.g. in coal mining) continued to bedamaging to health. An overall increasein affluence was not seen to translate intobetter health and new diseases andillnesses of affluence emerged.

4. From the late 1950s, secular decline of theold industrial economy led to the closureof mines, steelworks and shipyards. While

this ended many unhealthy jobs, it alsoled to a permanent loss of employment.Instances of poor health remained and ayounger generation suffered from newphysical and mental health problems,often associated with a lack of work. Newpolicies were unable to create enoughnew jobs, while changes in the gendercomposition in the workforce led toincreasing male unemployment.

5. Later, new urban and regionaldevelopment policies sought toencourage enterprise through a switchfrom a manufacturing to a service-based

economy, and through competingglobally for inward investment. Yet jobsin the new economy are oftenconsidered insecure, poorly paid and lowskilled, and result in exposure to high

levels of stress, associated with poormental health. In response, governmentcapacity to effect economic change andreduce poverty has often been limited,particularly given the shift fromKeynesian policies to a neo-liberaleconomy and welfare state.

Concluding, Professor Hudson suggested thatin seeking to transcend poverties in Glasgow,

the role of the Scottish Executive should beconsidered vital, enabling local solutions tobe applied to such problems. However, it wasalso suggested that cities such as Glasgowstill struggle to adapt to new economicrealities. Underlying problems remain andpolicies to address them have beeninsufficient and have potentially exacerbatedcurrent inequalities. Arguing that thesituation should not be considered inevitable,Professor Hudson stressed that in order forpolicies to change and for efforts to be madeto transcend poverties, a sharp and sustainedshift in political priorities is required.

Out of Depths Case Study - CastlemilkThe Reverend John Miller began by drawingattention to the last 35 years he has spentliving and working as a parish minister in oneof the big four housing schemes of Glasgow,namely Castlemilk. In 1955, Castlemilk was

noted to have a buoyant community spiritdespite a lack of social facilities. However,unemployment, the abolishment of the RateSupport Grant and rising crime meant that bythe late 1970s the population had declinedand ties that had bound the community hadstarted to unravel. Regeneration plans in theform of private investment had led to many ofthe remaining tenants being decanted intoother housing, while their own areas and

housing were regenerated. This in turn hadnegative impacts on social conditions andchild rearing, and often contributed to thedeath of elderly relatives due to the

1. Originating during the time of Empire inthe 19th Century, cities such as Glasgowwere considered centres of economicgrowth in an era of carboniferouscapitalism, although development was

always marked by widespread poverty andextreme inequalities.

2. The Depression of the 1920s/30s led to arapid collapse in the economic fortunesof cities like Glasgow, as internationalmarkets collapsed and global marketsslumped. As a consequence, povertydeepened and spread.

3. From the late 1930s, rearmament, thesubsequent War Economy, and later post-

war reconstruction efforts in the 1950s,led to rises in employment. For example,


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disruption associated with relocation.Recounting the atomisation of thecommunity, Mr Miller outlined how newinitiatives (e.g. Safer Cities) and changesmade by creating smaller areas, further

threatened neighbourly spirits. Whileacknowledging that regeneration hasbrought benefits to some residents, it wasindicated that many of the residents on thescheme still lack employment.

Questioning what has gone wrong with theplanned regeneration, Mr Miller drewattention to the structural changes that havetaken place, the reduction in employment

and the associated decline in traditionalcommunity leadership roles. Attempts toaddress these issues were coordinated underthe auspices of a Scottish Office initiative:New Life for Urban Scotland. This involvedthe development of a partnership approachinvolving the providers of resources fromacross sectors in coordinating efforts tomaximise effectiveness. Although over 80community organisations were in operation

in Castlemilk at the time of the partnership, itwas suggested that limited effort was given totapping into their potential. Major power-and resource-holders such as localgovernment and private developers were notfelt to engage with the community and,therefore, local priorities were often ignored.

Notwithstanding the improvements that havebeen made to the housing stock withinCastlemilk, statistics indicate that poverty is

endemic, that unemployment is rife and thatthere is widespread and persistent use ofillegal drugs. Overdoses and deaths fromheroin which were once rare are nowcommonplace. A further consequence of theincrease in use of drugs, is the associated risein violence, graphically illustrated in themurders of two young men in November2006. Continuing, Mr Miller drew attentionto the vagaries of life lived on social welfare

and the higher costs met by those on benefitfor basic provision of services such aselectricity and gas. Another example, thistime of funeral costs, stressed how meeting

the costs of a relatives burial can lead tofurther indebtedness for already cash-strapped families.

With regeneration continuing, the disparities

that exist between some residents ofCastlemilk and others appear to grow, high-lighted by the development of new propertiescosting 240,000, built alongside the housesof people who display some of the worsthealth statistics in Britain. Drawing attentionto the positive community spirit that remainsin areas such as Castlemilk, Mr Millerrecounted an instance where neighbours gottogether to arrange a collection to subsidise

the funeral of a fellow resident. It seems thatthe community spirit in Castlemilk may still bestrong if only it can be used to positive effect,as viewed in Mr Millers summary of thecommunity fundraising effort: In the pooreststreets of Castlemilk every funeral receivesthis kind of response, for everyone knows theneed. Concluding, Mr Miller highlightedthat while residents of Castlemilk may bematerially poverty-stricken, the opposite was

true in relation to their spirit.

Question and Answer Session

Following this contextual and historicaloverview, the audience was invited to raisediscussion points to be addressed by thepanel of presenters. The key points raisedwere as follows:

What is the value placed on working inthe community when spending cuts are beingimplemented that impact on the capacity todeliver such work? What focus is given to examining thetop-down policies that are implemented toimpact on deprived communities, whenevidence has shown that many of thesepolicies do not work and indeed when muchof the current malaise can be attributed tothese very systems?

Addressing the second point, panel membersacknowledged that high level policy-drivershave sought to boost competitive practices


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with the assumption that trickle-down effectswould reduce inequality. While such policieshave not produced the desired effect, it wasacknowledged that an enormous politicalchallenge remains to prioritise factors

continuing to produce such inequalities. Inresponse to the first point, considering thevalue placed on work undertaken in thecommunities, and discussing how the numberof agencies now operating in Castlemilkcurrently numbered nine or ten, Mr Miller wascritical of the existing funding system.Acknowledging the rapid response that thevoluntary sector can often give to addressinglocal needs, he linked the decline in number

of organisations and groups with a lack ofsecurity of funding. This has meant thathighly qualified staff often spend substantialamounts of their service-delivery andmanagerial time completing forms thatprovide only year-to-year funding.

Further points were invited, which included:

Seeking comparative evidence, a

delegate queried whether there was anyevidence of solutions where the wealthgap had been reduced in otherlocations or cities. In conjunction,another delegate suggested that areturn to progressive taxation wouldbenefit areas such as Castlemilk.

Highlighting the increasing coveragegiven to affluence and its associatedproblems, a delegate queried whether itmight be necessary to re-evaluate what

is considered to be important within oursociety.

Linking these two points, anotherdelegate queried whether there wasmerit in seeking to simplify theexamination given to the causes and tothe solutions to poverty. Such movesmight see greater effort being given toincreasing the minimum wage, tocurbing top levels of pay in society, to

reversing the trend of decreasing publicexpenditure, to rethinking our attitudeas a society to going to war, and to giveserious consideration to the scrapping

of the Trident nuclear deterrentprogramme. Further moves mightaddress the balance of power betweenthe private and public sector, bettermanagement in the NHS and enhanced

provision of investment in stateeducation.

In response, it was suggested thatcomparative evidence is hard to provide, inparticular due to differences in politicalsystems between the UK and examples thatdo exist such as those in the United States. Inconjunction, the panel suggested that thecauses of poverty and the application of a

simple solution might depend on thedefinition applied, although it was reiteratedthat poverty and deprivation are widerproblems than simply access to money. Ascausal factors are multiple and varied,solutions might also be complex.Furthermore, it was suggested that thepresent neo-liberal political framework is, likeother models before it, amenable to change.Continuing, it was suggested that great value

is placed on community development projectsby the communities in which they are based,but that there are limits to the impacts oflocally-delivered work without wider systemicchange. Acknowledging that a lot can bedone at a local level if the appropriatestructures are in place, it was suggested thatthere is a need for a new model of economicdevelopment. Drawing on the example of afood project in Italy, it was suggested thatmore effort could be directed to joining up

the local and supra-local agencies whendelivering services.

A further point the panel was asked toconsider wasthe position that might be takenby local government to address the winlosesituations presented by globalisation, and thepolicy effort required to capture andunderstand local values and social priorities,particularly when connecting micro and

macro approaches.

Responses from the panel focused on thepotential need to rethink mainstream


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economic development in order that theresponses to poverty become moreheterogeneous and imaginative. Althoughlocal government was suggested to have arole, this should be set within a larger

context. In addition, while solutions need tobe imaginative and while local communitiesnecessarily have important roles, it isunrealistic to expect that poor communitieswill pull themselves up: there is a need fordownward support and assistance. ProfessorPacione introduced the concept of aided self-help, whereby disadvantaged localcommunities are supported by appropriatestrategies that enable them to mobilise their

human resources to overcome poverty.

Session 2: The Present

The second session was introduced byArchbishop Conti, who began by makinglinks between the mornings focus onhistorical and contextual features and thesecond sessions focus on the Present, inparticular looking at what actions have been

taking place and are currently underway toaddress poverty and inequality issues. In hisintroduction, the Archbishop highlighted theneed for a coordinated approach betweenstatutory and voluntary sectors, andrecognised that poverty in a relative sensemay always remain.

OverviewCarol Tannahill started from the premise thatour least healthy communities are unlike ourmost healthy communities in every way.Poverty indices (e.g. employment, access toservice, environmental indicators) werecompared, which highlighted the contrast inpovertyaffluence that exists between well-off areas of Glasgow such as Newton Mearnsand areas of high deprivation such asDalmarnock. Such disparities were suggestedto illustrate that singular approaches such asproviding new jobs or improving housing

would be unlikely to close the inequalitiesgap. Further evidence was presentedshowing clear and steady gradients of poorerhealth across social groups. In Glasgow, the

situation is becoming steadily worse whenmoving from the least deprived to the mostdeprived areas: the effect is one of relativeposition, not one confined to the extremeends of the spectrum. However, despite such

evidence, the manner in which health servicesare delivered is not skewed in the direction ofareas of highest deprivation.

In other examples, income gradients wereshown to parallel health gradients, andsocieties with a greater income inequalitywere shown to have poorer levels of overallhealth. While Scotlands overall lifeexpectancy increased between 1991-2001,

figures for Glasgow indicated that its lifeexpectancy was not increasing to the sameextent, and indeed that gaps were wideningbetween some poor and affluentcommunities. A recent report from the MRCSocial and Public Health Services Unit(University of Glasgow) suggested that this isresulting from increases in suicide andchronic liver disease in poorer communitiesand from the fact that falls in the incidence of

heart disease deaths are occurring morequickly in affluent communities. In addition,high levels of violence are evident inGlasgow, with one third of Scottish murdersoccurring in the city. Relating the incidenceof violence to deprivation and highlightingthe team culture of violence, Dr Tannahillidentified the sense of belonging that gangviolence can create, which provides a sense ofself-importance and worth, otherwise lackingin some parts of poorer communities.

More optimistically, data were presented onsocial capital. Areas with high levels of socialcapital generally enjoy social and economicbenefits and are also found to be morehealthy. Glasgow is considered to have agenerally strong degree of social capitaloverall, although it is lower among youngeradults and in poorer communities. However,data signifying levels of social and civic

participation indicated that memberships ofclubs and religious organisations is declining,which results in reduced opportunities forpeople to work together to effect change in


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their communities. Bonding social capitalwas much stronger in Glasgow thanbridging social capital (links between peoplewho are different from each other).

For Glasgow, the rising importance of relativepoverty was acknowledged, along withchanges over time in its effects on health.Highlighting the historical transition frominfectious diseases being the major causes ofdeath to an increased incidence ofdegenerative diseases, Dr Tannahill drewattention to the current rise in socialepidemics, including mental health problems,addictions and violence. Continuing, Dr

Tannahill argued that this evidence suggestedthe need to move from an emphasis onmaterial and physical environment solutions,through medical and technical solutions tothose which seek social and culturalresponses to the health challenges, inparticular psycho-social factors: social status,poor social affiliations and early childhoodinfluences on life. More broadly, whole-population problems such as alcohol abuse,

obesity and mental health problems whichaffect all communities need to be addressed.

Summarising, Dr Tannahill stated: If we keepdoing what weve always done, well getwhat weve always got. In this vein,problems remain despite the plethora ofpolicies targeted at deprived communities. Indetermining what strategies come next, it wassuggested that everyone needs to feel valuedand respected, be in a position to develop

friendships and to have the advantage of anearly childhood that provides a basis forenhanced self-confidence.

Mental HealthStephen Plattgave an overview of the linksbetween poverty and mental ill-health,drawing on nine large-scale studies, whichexamined the relationship betweenpsychiatric disorder and socio-economic

disadvantage at an individual level. Eight ofthese studies showed a relationship betweenlower socio-economic status and a higherprevalence of anxiety and depression.

Increased risk of experiencing anxiety/depression has generally been found to be1.5 - 2 times higher for the mostdisadvantaged groups, with the strongestassociations found in respect of poor

education, lower income/poorer standard ofliving and unemployment. Professor Plattsuggested that these findings illustrate thatpoor mental health and its resolution is aboutmore than just worklessness.

In the UK, data taken from the Health Surveyfor England indicates that a higherpercentage (20%) of those in the lowestincome quintile have a positive GHQ-12

score, compared with 9% of those in thehighest income quintile. These findings weresupported by other data drawn from theBritish Household Panel Survey, which againmade the link between mental health, lowincome, poverty and material living standards.In Scotland, GP consultations for anxiety anddepression are twice as high in the mostdeprived areas, there are marked gradients forhospital admission rates for schizophrenia,

and suicide is three times higher in deprivedareas, with the gap noted to be rising. InGlasgow, admission to psychiatric hospitalsand numbers of suicides are significantlyhigher than in Scotland as a whole, withhigher instances of deliberate self-harm alsolinked to socio-economic deprivation. High-lighting the greater impact of the 1970seconomic shock on an industrialised city suchas Glasgow, Professor Platt suggested thataddressing these issues requires major

inequalities first to be stabilised, thenreversed.

Parenting and FamiliesSarah Cunningham-Burley discussed researchinto poverty, parents and families, drawing onfindings from three studies. These included:findings exploring the life of people living ona low income; studies of resilience indisadvantaged communities; and introductory

data from a longitudinal study. Theexperience of living on a low income hasbeen suggested to challenge peoples self-esteem and self-confidence. Seeking to


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maintain a sense of self-respect, parents inthis study were found to prioritise spendingon children, often going without or goinginto debt to enable their children to partici-pate effectively in normal social life, e.g.

Christmas. Financial and material supportprovided by families and friends ran parallelto the provision of supportive relationships,although people felt ambivalent about askingfor support more widely.

In the second study examining resilience andsocial capital, people in deprived areas werefound to attend to both positive and negativeaspects of their community. For example,

parents sought to prevent childrenexperiencing threats (e.g. alcohol and drugs)while at the same time identifying positives oftheir communities (e.g. good neighbours).Parents revealed their aspirations for children,but lacked the resources to be able to meetthem. Parenting styles related to resiliencehave been found to minimise the risks and tosupport the development of children.

Initial research in the final study, taking in thewhole of Scotland, identified the inter-relationship between age of parenthood anddeprivation: younger mothers were found tobe more deprived, have lower levels ofeducational attainment, less contact withservices and engage in more healthdamaging behaviours (e.g. reduced instancesof breast-feeding).

Summarising, Professor Cunningham-Burley

suggested that this study highlights importantsecular trends in relation to parenthood thatintroduce further cultural divides associatedwith child-rearing and deprivation.

Role of EducationLindsay Paterson discussed the role ofeducation in overcoming the effects ofpoverty, arguing that some research runscounter to conventional wisdom. Five points

were made: There are clear economic benefits of

participating in advanced education,tempered with the knowledge that the

rewards of such education and trainingvary by industrial sector.

General education is mostly as effective,in terms of benefits, as vocationallyspecific education. However, general

education increases flexibility ineconomic life and widens opportunitiesto a greater extent.

Widening participation in generaleducation has positively impacted ongender, religious, ethnic and social classinequalities. However, educationalparticipation is not sufficient andreforms have only been moderatelyeffective at reducing inequalities.

Further action to address inequalitiesnecessitates encouragement of universalparticipation at successively moreadvanced levels.

General education is good for individualstudents and for society, but, contrary topopular belief, there is nostraightforward causal relationshipbetween the general level of educationand economic development in a society.

There are queries to be raised regardingwhether the debate surrounding theeconomic consequences of education isbased on a misunderstanding of therelationship between poverty andeducation. Concluding, ProfessorPaterson stated that a good, critical,general education also encourages thedevelopment of liberal values andinvolvement in socially worthwhileactivities.

In summary, education is considered theprize, which escaping from poverty canbring.

Work is better than worklessness and agood job is better than a bad jobStephanie Youngspresentation discussedwork and worklessness in Glasgow, andbegan with an examination of recent

increases in employment and the creation ofnew jobs. Although the employment rate hassubstantially increased, it remains lower thanthe Scottish average. In addition there are


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several geographically concentrated pocketsof poverty which remain. Three factors wereintroduced which underlie the continuingexistence of poverty: There remains a significant number of

workless people: high numbers ofpeople on Incapacity Benefit andIncome Support

There is a significant number of peoplewho cycle in and out of the labourmarket, possibly related to a lack ofperceived financial or psychologicalbenefit between working a dead-end

job or receiving benefit. In-work poverty causes problems for

people/families on low incomes: wagesin the areas that make up the mostdeprived 15% of Scotland are 40%lower than those in the rest of Scotland.In-work poverty was also suggested tobe psychosocial in nature.

Outlining what is required, Professor Young,drawing on a series of findings from otherresearch, suggested that Glasgow requires

both more jobs and, crucially, more goodjobs, i.e. better paid or those providing amore worthwhile experience. Barriers to suchchange are both economic - availability andtype of jobs, and institutional - arising fromorganisational cultures and public sectorstructures. As a solution, it was suggestedthat whilst growing the economy is primarilya macroeconomic challenge, more localpolitical responses can create an environmentwhere business flourish, people are valued

and skills are acquired. Such moves wouldtackle low paid jobs and seek to join uppublic sector interventions to addressworklessness.

Summarising, Professor Young reiterated theneed to move people into work and to movepeople into good jobs that are reasonablypaid.

Area-based RegenerationSteven Purcell discussed the changes that hadtaken place in Glasgow, focusing on the shiftfrom an emphasis on area-based regeneration

in the last decade to the current emphasis onthematic and social regeneration.Highlighting recent improvements, CouncillorPurcell identified new jobs, houses, schoolsand leisure facilities, which were in evidence

across the city. These were brought about asa result of government investment and privatesector inputs, with the role of the voluntarysector in Glasgow being especially noted.However, in acknowledging the sustainedand deep-rooted problems of long-termpoverty that a number of people in Glasgowexperience, it was suggested that there ismuch more to be done.

Discussing a poverty of ambition, it wasindicated that some families now include athird generation who have never worked,whilst a number of communities are affectedby drugs and alcohol problems. Such malaisewas acknowledged to damage the widercommunity. Yet, positive changes have beenmade in a number of areas. In education, thisincludes rebuilt/ refurbished schools, newinvestment in primary schools and higher

than average investment in Sure Startprogrammes. The establishment of theGlasgow Housing Association has providedfor spending on revitalising homes, whilstScottish Executive schemes were suggested tohave enabled the provision of moreaffordable housing. Meanwhile, reviews ofsocial policy seek to inform future thinking onsocial regeneration in Glasgow. In this vein,work was continuing to build communityinvolvement in structures such as community

planning and community health partnerships,leading to resources being devolveddownward to allow greater prioritisation tobe given to addressing local needs.

Drawing attention to reforms made to careeradvice programmes and reductions in theuptake of welfare benefits, Councillor Purcellfelt that significant steps forward had alreadybeen taken and that there was an optimism

felt across Glasgow. Such aspiration wassuggested to have been reflected in thecurrent cultural and sports strategy.Highlighting a perceived increase in local


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confidence, Councillor Purcell stated thataction in the next decade would be asambitious as the last. Advocating an openeconomy, acknowledging the challenges of aworld-wide economy and with the help of the

audience, Councillor Purcell aimed forGlasgow to continue to flourish.


After providing a summary of the session,Archbishop Conti called for questions fromthe audience. There were many diverse andwide-ranging points raised, which included:

A delegate, recently returned to the city,questioned what might be done toaddress lost values and what emphasiswas being placed on the value of lovefor the city of Glasgow, in particularhighlighting problems associated withthe increase in dirt and the way in whichyoung people treat the city.

Another point queried the lack ofprivate sector representation at the

conference, with another delegateasking the panel to reflect on whethercurbs were needed to reduce thedisparity between salaries for high andlow income earners.

More broadly, a delegate suggested thatif transformational change was neededto engage disaffected young people,there was a need for a paradigm shift inhow society measures, identifies andrespects success so that non-traditionallearners can be better encouraged toparticipate.

A further query asked the panel toconsider Glasgow City Councilsresponse to debates about globalisationin relation to poverty.

Councillor Purcell responded by highlightingthe high levels of civic pride evident amongthe people of Glasgow, suggesting that more

work to address the environment is needed inthe future. Acknowledging their absence, herecognised the inputs of the private sector inother forums and stated that private sector

support of the job market was key to successin the city. In terms of measuring educationalsuccess, Councillor Purcell acknowledged aneed for a cultural change for valuing,recognising, and celebrating success and a

need to link this back to aspirations of thepeople. On the final point, he highlightedthe need to consider survival as a race, thevalue placed on an open economy and thelinks between Glasgow and Edinburgh as oneeconomy helping to shape a sustainablefuture for Scotland.

Calling for more audience points, ArchbishopConti sought to draw attention to the title of

the conference, suggesting that it wasdeliberately chosen to be ambiguous;transcending poverties includes theeconomic, the cultural and the political.Continuing, Archbishop Conti asked theaudience to consider the analyses in thesecond session and how, given the panelsinsight, they might stimulate suggestions asto how ways forward might be developed. Inresponse, a delegate raised the following

point:

Drawing attention to earlier statementswhich inferred relative poverty to beinevitable, an appeal was made to thepanel to reject this inevitability, with thefocus instead being directed towardsseeking clarity about both the causesand consequences of poverty. Bysuggesting that there is a need toaddress both, the panel was asked to

consider the priorities for an incomingScottish Executive in May when seekingto tackle poverty.

Responses from the panel suggested that anysimplification of the issues would fail toaddress the problem. Moving away frommanifesto-like responses would instead focuson whole-system and societal responses inorder to enhance the value placed on, and

respect given to, all groups in society. Thissystemic point was reinforced when attentionwas drawn to the negative impacts that poormental health has on other features of an


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individuals life, suggesting again the need foran inclusive response to improveopportunities and an equalising of chances toparticipate in society.

Several panel members called for more effortto be given to providing good jobs, coupledwith more investment in community learningand an emphasis on supporting peoplethrough training and qualifications whenthey enter the workplace and once they are init. It was also suggested that future work isrequired to promote education, to addressearly years provision, to speed up the reformof welfare and to develop links between

culture and employment strategies. Severalmembers of the panel highlighted the limitedfiscal powers held by the Scottish Executiveand that attempts to address poverty shouldfocus on lobbying for devolved fiscalresponsibility and tax redistribution.

Session 3: The Way from Here

The introduction to the third session was

given by Sir John Arbuthnott.

Regeneration Strategy for Glasgow -What are the Gaps?David Webster began by examining the gapsin the regeneration strategy for Glasgow,focusing on two issues: the break-up of thefamily and the role of the male; and theimbalance between the east and west of thecity and the untapped regenerationpossibilities this presents.

First, the societal consequences of changes tomale and female employment patterns werehighlighted. In Glasgow in 2001, exceptingstudents, almost one third of adult malesaged 16 to 48 were not in employment; afigure higher than anywhere else in the UK.The decline of male employment in post-industrial Glasgow is associated with higherinstances of non-intact families and lone-

parents, in comparison with the Scottishaverage. As a consequence of low levels ofadult male employment and participation infamily roles, Mr Webster suggested that

Glasgow experiences higher instances ofchild poverty, adult mortality, addictions,homelessness and violence, and lower levelsof happiness. To overcome such problemsand to impact on poverty, it was suggested

that more effort be given to rebuilding therole of the father and supporting for disad-vantaged young men.

Secondly, looking at recent figures from the2006 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation,an east-west divide was shown with a strongimbalance of poverty evident in the east. Thisdivide was suggested by Mr Webster to be atits starkest since the first figures were

produced in 1971. Whereas it was accurateto say that the West had pockets ofdeprivation, there were only pockets ofprosperity in the east. In highlighting thisnegative picture, it was suggested that thedata also present an opportunity. Forexample, the east and north of the city hadbeen industrial and the loss of industry andincrease in derelict land offereddevelopment potential. This potential is

reflected in transport enhancements whichare intended to improve the locationaladvantages of the east end, including theeast-end regeneration route, linking the M80and M74. In addition, further work wasaddressed toward the bid for theCommonwealth Games in 2014, whichwould bring regeneration to the Dalmarnockand Bridgeton areas in the east.

This presents a big agenda, but when looking

at examples from other cities, it wassuggested that developments should aimfarther than currently envisaged. Forexample, while London has successfully bidfor the Olympic Games, east London also hasthe Thames Gateway project to promote theareas redevelopment. Mr Webster suggestedthat further work should build on that alreadyunderway on current road transport routesand on new railway links to Airdrie and

Bathgate, focusing on areas that are alreadyof high quality in the built environment suchas the conservation area, Parkhead Cross.These might act as a positive


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counter-magnet for economic development,to radically change peoples perceptions ofthe east and north of the city.

Problems to be radically addressed

Phil Hanlon sought to develop new ideas byexamining radical issues that might beconfronted, starting from the premise thatthere are three U-turns that need to be madein order to transcend poverties.

The first, suggested to be more a swerve thana U-turn, concerns the need to better under-stand current research on the nature of well-being. Based on learning from evolutionary

psychology, it is suggested that humansderive different advantages from bothpositive and negative feelings, requiring bothat different times throughout our history. Thepower of positive psychology was suggestedto extend our human repertoire, causingothers, the enthusiasts, to help create andshape new ideas, enabling us to broaden andbuild upon responses. Negative feelings arelinked, as they provide a counterweight to

positive drives, enabling wider considerationto be given to the challenging and intractableproblems we face.

Secondly, adapting a line made famous by BillClinton, and considering theinstitutionalisation of inequalities in aneo-liberal economy, embraced throughindividualism, consumerism and materialism,Professor Hanlon suggested that, It is theculture, stupid. Crucially, at present, this

culture has led to various levels of discontent,as illustrated in data from a number ofwestern continents, which show that whileGDP has risen over time, the initial rise inwellbeing, whilst at first paralleling GDP, hassubsequently discontinued, flattened, and hasnow gone into decline. Affluenza,considered a virus of affluence is attributedto much current malaise. Identifying theorigins of such problems to be cultural

suggests that a change is needed in ourculture. Introducing work on Tipping Pointsand relating this to wellbeing, ProfessorHanlon suggests that it is an individuals

inner work and feelings that create a culturepromoting relationships with others. Whenconsidering the need for a cultural change,Professor Hanlon indicated that currentunhappiness was experienced by groups from

across Scottish society, suggesting that suchissues themselves are an epidemic of concern,raising hopes that such a groundswell mightlead to change taking place.

Thirdly, considering how such change mightbe brought about, two forces which areknown to be influencing our future wereintroduced: climate change and peak oil.Peak oil refers to the finite amount of oil that

the planet contains, and the knowledge thatas we move to access and use the second halfof this oil, it will become increasingly expen-sive. It was suggested that climate changeand the combined pressures of our need toreduce the use of carbon and the price ofcarbon-based energy will transform our lives.Several options for directing future effortswere mooted, which included: the potentialfor waging further wars, engaging in efforts

to protect our species, or continued denial,for example building more motorways, ex-tending airports, and planning as if the cur-rent status quo will persist. Suggesting thatwe should prepare now for this change,Professor Hanlon postulated that futurecarbon rationing might provoke a sharedcommunity spirit akin to the era of rationingduring and after World War II. Invoking sucha spirit with respect to external threats, heconsidered that inequalities could be made

less severe: we might all derive health ben-efits from being less subject to consumerism,materialism and individualism.

Building healthy communities for thefuture - what we know, what we dontknow, what we think we know and whatwe ought to knowMike Kellybegan by positing questions aboutour ability to take an evidence-based

approach to transcending poverty: what dowe know about the mechanisms that linkpoverty, community and health; do we knowenough to build for the future in a better way


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than we have done in the past; and, howmight we link the cultural, the spiritual andthe social together? Highlighting theaccumulated evidence, Professor Kelly statedthat there are longstanding associations

concerning health inequalities and povertywith community, geography, housing and thebuilt environment more generally, and thatthese associations are graphically evident inGlasgow. Examining Glaswegian life-expectancy and infant mortality over the lastdecade, it was shown that rates ofimprovement have been greater and faster inmore advantaged groups. Similarly, data oncancer rates show clear gradients by

geography, related to areas of deprivation.Thus, the gradient in health continues towiden despite state efforts to tackleinequalities in health.

Despite such descriptive links, Professor Kellybrought to the fore the limited evidence base(< 0.4% of academic papers) of interventionsproven to reduce health inequalities. Lessunderstood still is the precise nature of causal

pathways between dimensions of inequalityand health outcomes. In addition there isalso uncertainty concerning how differentdimensions of inequality (e.g. social class,age, gender, geography) link together andhow the effects interact, resulting in a dearthof theoretical and empirical work, despite theabundance of descriptive work. Furthermore,the ways in which different segments of thepopulation respond to the same interventionmay be different (e.g. rates of smoking which

follow the social gradient). Why this shouldbe the case is not clear, as the mechanismswhich underpin such social variation are littleunderstood; effects are not universal.In order to advance the discussion and toseek new solutions, Professor Kelly drewattention to the relationship between thesocial and the biological, and to whatconstitutes proximal, intermediate and distalcauses. Yet, drawing on personal experience,

he indicated that this relationship, whichcrosses traditional boundaries, is oftenconsidered anathema to scientific disciplinesincluding sociology, psychology and

medicine. Seeking to develop new models,he suggested there is a need to developplausible pathways that take into account thebiological, sociological and psychologicallevels of explanation currently on offer.

A potential way forward was presented bydrawing on research into lifecourse andlifeworlds. The lifecourse approachexamines the accumulated effects on thehuman body of social position and transitionsacross the lifecycle, contrasting with themajority of cross-sectional approaches toresearch that are currently undertaken. Alifecourse approach takes in critical points

from conception, to birth, the early years,school, transitions to work or unemployment,parenthood and later parenthood. Globalstudies indicate that critical points in thelifecourse, which are very highly sociallypatterned, operate as gateways or forks in theroad, which set in train patterns that mayendure and have very long lasting effects.Such lifecourse approaches also follow quitedistinct patterns for different social groups.

Professor Kelly then linked these approachesto the idea of lifeworlds, popularised inGerman philosophy and comprising the lociof experience: social, psychological andphysical. Represented by a series of spheres,the centre of an individuals lifeworld involvescontacts with closest associates, families,friends, etc. with successive spheresrepresenting extremes of the lifeworld, whichinclude the things a person comes into

contact with less and less frequently. Toappreciate the impact of lifeworlds, there is aneed to focus on the epicentre to gain anunderstanding of how cause works. Theepicentre of the lifeworld is where we live ourlives socially, physically, intellectually andspiritually and is also the point at whichstressors are moderated, mediated or exacer-bated. With this in mind, social disadvantageis characterised by the inability or lesser ability

to control the lifeworld, while socialadvantage is characterised by the ability tobetter control the lifeworld.


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When seeking to transcend poverties, it wassuggested that there are four types ofresources that help to control the lifeworld.These include: technical resourcessurrounding skills, money and access to

resources; enhancements to interpersonalrelationships, affected by housing, transportand ease of communication; intra-personalskills, which include the ability to deal withthe emotions of life and its psychologicaldistress with equanimity or otherwise; andmeaning - providing for a meaningfulexistence and having an ability to control it.

Concluding, and offering a causal hypothesis,

Professor Kelly suggested that the trajectorythrough the lifecourse, mediated through thelifeworld, is how structural factors influencehealth. Building better communities for thefuture must start with lifeworlds and thelifecourse.


After a comprehensive summary, which

revisited the main points of the presentations,the following points were raised byconference delegates: Whether there are any other ways of

looking at evidence-based medicine inrelation to poverty.

An observation that the main barrierappears to be political will, and thatcurrent politics and their systems are notfit for purpose. In order to addresspoverty it will be necessary to re-engagewith communities to encourageindividuals to take account of their rolein society.

Referring to the conference title, andrelating to earlier points, a delegatehighlighted how references totranscendence and spiritualitysuggested a need for society to engagein the deeper questions in order toaddress these problems. In response to

a related comment, Archbishop Contihighlighted that the title of theconference was deliberately ambiguousrather than vague, and was intended to

include all aspects of poverties. Heraised concerns as to the focus onbiological solutions, suggesting thatrelationships within poorer communitiesbe enriched through engaging in

opportunities and working acrosssectors.

A delegate highlighted the lack ofrepresentation at the conference ofgroups from poor communities, andthat without further work to empowersuch groups to bring forth solutionsfrom within these communities, it wouldbe unlikely that appropriate solutionswould emerge. Additional comments

recognised the difficulty both inbringing forth these voices and in theneed for those in the room to relinquishtheir hold on power.

Commenting on the Castlemilkexperience, a delegate queried the needto expand work that seeks to buildcapacities within deprived communities.Further efforts were needed to join uphousing, welfare, health and education

to overcome piecemeal responsesstemming from work delivered fromcurrent funding silos.

Following earlier discussion, a delegatediscussed the need for greater fiscalautonomy for Scotland. Highlightingthe limited powers of the ScottishExecutive to raise taxes, the questionerqueried the remit of the conference andwhether it would be effective for theRoyal Society of Edinburgh to call for

raises to taxes and redistribution ofwealth.

Finally, a lady from Easterhousedescribed how, while the daysproceedings had been helpful, much ofthe language that had been usedsignified to her how little had changed.She suggested that rather thandiscussing how people from schemessuch as Easterhouse experienced

poverty or inequality, conferencedelegates might instead refer to thesituation as one of social and economicapartheid.


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Summarising the question and answersession, Sir John Arbuthnott suggested thatpeople might contact the Royal Society afterthe conference had concluded in order tohelp inform the development of an action

plan, based on the presentations and pointsraised by the audience.

Summation

Alf Young provided a summary of the daysproceedings and began by drawing attentionto the final point made in the previousquestion and answer session. As such, hesuggested that the conference seemed to be

comprised of a conversation amongacademics and practitioners, but that thisdoes not seem to deal with the issues in thelanguage of the people in the communitywho are most directly affected. Drawingupon an earlier theme, he stated that theproblem of poverty is not solely the problemof Glasgow and instead is a world-wideproblem, which raises questions regardingthe forum in which such matters should be

discussed. He highlighted how the morningsanalyses had led to a personal feeling ofdepression as he considered that few newideas had emerged, albeit that absolutepoverty seemed to have been addressed.Furthermore, he considered that questionsremained to be asked about the people whohad moved on from communities such asCastlemilk, how their lives had changed andwhat mechanisms might have made their livesdifferent.

Discussing efforts to abolish relative poverty,Mr Young stated that working to addressthose on the disadvantaged side of theeconomic distribution would necessitate thatefforts also be applied to those at the moreaffluent end of the scale. In drawingattention to what he considered a sub-themeof the conference regarding arguments forchange in fiscal policies and overthrowing the

current neo-liberal capitalist system, MrYoung stated that while he might harboursuch dreams, the reality he perceived wasthat: It aint going to happen. Bringing to

the fore examples such as the consumeristmodels of Hong Kong and China, whichmight be considered the new beneficiaries ofthe neo-liberal system, he argued that nogovernment which attempted to promulgate

such ideas would get elected.

Instead, Mr Young suggested that the futuremight more closely resemble that which wasdescribed by Phil Hanlon. He reiterated thatthe push to increase GDP and materialgrowth among major political parties inwestern countries had not led toimprovements for citizens in wellbeing, orimprovements in inner spiritual life.

Continuing, he stated that Tipping points,accelerated by climate change, were wherechanges were most likely to take place, notthrough taxing the rich until the pips squeak.Suggesting that the rich within society mightseek to emulate the philanthropy of previousgenerations entrepreneurs, Mr Young pro-posed that those in receipt of large citybonuses might consider doing somethingworthwhile with their money, by putting

some of it back into communities. Heconcluded by arguing that such changewould not occur by overly focusing onde-industrialisation, where this has left societyand the tragedy of people left behind.Acknowledging that economic apartheidmight well be a term that could be applied,he considered that more focus needs to begiven to what works and to what isdeliverable, rather than simply focus onraising taxes, reiterating once again that this

wasnt going to happen.


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APPENDIX ONE

SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHIES

Professor Michael Pacione MA PhD DSc

Chair of GeographyUniversity of Strathclyde

Michael Pacione was educated at the University of StAndrews and the University of Dundee, receiving anMA Honours degree in Geography in 1970 and his PhDin 1973. In 2002 he was awarded the Higher Doctor-ate degree of DSc by the University of Strathclyde inrecognition of his original and distinguished contribu-tion to learning in the field of Urban Geography.Professor Pacione has held academic positions inQueens University, Belfast; the University of Guelph,Ontario; and the University of Vienna. Currently heoccupies the Chair of Geography at the University ofStrathclyde in Glasgow.

Professor Paciones principal research work is in thefield of Urban Geography. An applied or problem-oriented perspective informs much of his research thatfocuses on the problems, policy and planning of citiesin the contemporary world. He has published twenty-five books and more than 100 research papers in aninternational range of academic and professionaljournals. His most recent books include Glasgow: theSocio-Spatial Development of the City(1995); Britains

Cities: Geographies of Division in Urban Britain (1997);Applied Geography: Principles and Practice (1999); and

Urban Geography: A Global Perspective (2001, 2005).

Professor Ray HudsonDirector, Wolfson Research Institute and Professorof Geography at the University of Durham.

Trained as a political-economic geographer, ProfessorHudson holds the degrees of BA, PhD and DSc fromthe University of Bristol and an Honorary DSc fromRoskilde University. He is the author or editor of 20published books, 60 refereed journal articles and over50 book chapters. His most recent books are: Produc-ing Places (Guildford, 2001); Placing the SocialEconomy(with Amin and Cameron, Routledge, 2002);Economic Geographies, (Sage, 2005). He has beenVice-President, Chair of Conference 2000 and Chair ofthe Research Division, of the Royal Geographical

Society, 19992004 and was President of the Geogra-

phy Section of the British Association for theAdvancement of Science in 2002. He is currently anelected Fellow of the British Academy, an electedAcademician of the Academy of Learned Societies forthe Social Sciences and, until recently, was a memberof the Economic and Social Research Council Trainingand Development Board and Specialist Advisor to the

UK Parliaments House of Commons Select Committee

on Coalfields Regeneration. In 2005 he was awardedthe Victoria Medal of the Royal Geographical Society inrecognition of his research work.

Very Rev. John D MillerCastlemilk East Parish Church

For the past thirty-five years John Miller has beenMinister of the Church of Scotlands Castlemilk EastParish in Glasgow. He and his wife Mary have lived ina local authority house in the parish, and their childrengrew up there, going to the local schools. Mary wasone of a small group of mothers who in 1974 foundeda local parent and children organisation called theJeely Piece Club. In 2001 John was appointedModerator of the Church of Scotlands General Assem-bly. Following that year in office he has been back inthe parish.

Dr Carol TannahillDirectorGlasgow Centre for Population Health

Carol Tannahill grew up in Glasgow, graduated BA inHuman Sciences from Oxford University, and MPH andPhD in Public Health from the University of Glasgow.She is currently Director of the Glasgow Centre forPopulation Health, a research and development centrewhich was established in 2004 to generate freshinsights and evidence for action to improve health andtackle inequality. She is also one of the principalinvestigators in GoWell: a large-scale evaluation of thehealth and wellbeing effects of communityregeneration in Glasgow.

Carol previously held the posts of Director of HealthPromotion and Executive Board Member of GreaterGlasgow Health Board, and then Senior Adviser inHealth Development in the Public Health Institute ofScotland. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of PublicHealth and an Honorary Senior Lecturer with theUniversity of Glasgow.

Carol has contributed to a range of international,national and local public health developments,including being the first Chair of the Scottish HealthPromoting Schools Unit, member of the Advisory Groupto the National Programme for Improving MentalHealth and Wellbeing, and Temporary Adviser to the

WHO Centre for Urban Health.


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Professor Sarah Cunningham-BurleyCo-Director, Centre for Research on Families andRelationshipsUniversity of Edinburgh

Sarah Cunningham-Burley is Professor of Medical and

Family Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, whereshe has worked since 1990. She is based in theDivision of Community Health Sciences (Public HealthSciences section) within the College of Medicine and

Professor Stephen Platt is Director of the Research Unit

in Health, Behaviour and Change (RUHBC) at theUniversity of Edinburgh. Previously he was Director ofResearch and Evaluation at the Health Education Boardfor Scotland and senior non-clinical scientist in twoMedical Research Council units (Medical Sociology andEpidemiological Studies in Psychiatry). Trained insociology and social policy, Stephen has conductedresearch using theoretical, conceptual andmethodological tools from other disciplines, includingpsychiatry, economics and epidemiology. His currentresearch interests include: social and cultural aspects ofsuicidal behaviour; evaluation of complex interventions

for health improvement and reduction of healthinequalities; smoking and socio-economicdisadvantage; investigating the health impact oforganisational change and restructuring; andsupporting practice and policy development relating topublic health.

For nearly 30 years Stephen has pursued a researchinterest in mental health and suicidal behaviour,co-authoring many academic books and articles onsocial, epidemiological and cultural aspects of suicideand deliberate self-harm. He served on the planninggroup which developed the consultation draft ofChoose Life, A National Strategy and Action Plan toPrevent Suicide in Scotlandand recently led a researchteam which conducted an evaluation of the first phaseof Choose Life.

Stephen is also involved in policy development andanalysis relating to public mental health and mentalhealth improvement. He was one of the authors ofWith Health in Mind(2002), an influential publicationwhich helped to shift the debate about mental healthin Scotland from the treatment of mental ill-health(service agenda) to the promotion of positive mental

well-being in the community (public mental healthagenda). Stephen is a member of the NationalAdvisory Group to the Scottish Executives NationalProgramme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being.

Professor Stephen PlattDirector, Research Unit in Health, Behaviour andChangeUniversity of Edinburgh

Veterinary Medicine and also at the Centre forResearch on Families and Relationships (CRFR), whereshe is one of its co-directors.

She has been conducting research in the sociology ofhealth and illness and family sociology for many years,

mostly employing qualitative methods. Her researchinterests include young people, children and health;families, relationships and health, sociological aspectsof genetics and health; public engagement in science.She has recently conducted research on the experienceof young people affected by parental substance misuseand also on the experiences of caring and providingamongst mothers on low income (both funded by theJoseph Rowntree Foundation). She is also involved inteaching undergraduate medical students and post-graduate public health research students; she alsosupervises several PhD students.

Professor Lindsay PatersonProfessor of Educational PolicyUniversity of Edinburgh

Professor Paterson has written on many aspects of the

sociology of education in particular on the effects

of social disadvantage and on the expansion of higher

education and he has written widely on Scottish

politics and culture. He is Editor of the quarterly journal

Scottish Affairs.

Professor Stephanie YoungSenior Director, Skills & LearningScottish Enterprise Glasgow

Professor Young has worked for Scottish EnterpriseGlasgow, Scotlands largest regional economicdevelopment agency, since 1998. Her work on learningand skills encompasses a broad range of learningfutures; worklessness and workforce developmentissues including: the development of a new strategy;Modern Apprenticeships; leading the National andGlasgow Construction Skills Action Plan, and wider

efforts on behalf of Scottish Enterprise to develop theconstruction industry. Previously she led thedevelopment of the Skills Strategy for the Clydeshipyards and Scotlands Literacy and NumeracyStrategy. She is currently working on joint projects withScottish Parliament Futures Forum, the OECD and witha range of partners through the EU 6th FrameworkResearch Programme.

She is a member of the Scottish Construction Forum;Glasgow Employers Coalition; CRAD&LL; GlasgowWelfare to Work Forum; a member of the SteeringGroup for the DWP City Strategy and NEET Action

Plan; and a Board member of the Scottish Networkfor Able Pupils (SNAP).

Stephanie is a graduate of Edinburgh and Leicester


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David WebsterDevelopment and Regeneration ServicesGlasgow City Council

David Webster studied Economics at Queens College,Cambridge and Management at the University ofGlasgow, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute ofHousing and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow inthe Department of Urban Studies, University ofGlasgow. He has worked at the Board of Trade,London School of Economics, London BoroughsAssociation and Centre for Environmental Studies, andis currently Housing Strategy Manager with Glasgow

City Council. He has published widely on housing,labour market and urban regeneration issues and beenan adviser to the House of Commons Environment,Social Security and Scottish Affairs Committees.

Professor Phil HanlonProfessor of Public HealthUniversity of Glasgow

Phil Hanlon was educated in the West of Scotland andgraduated in medicine from Glasgow University in

1978.

Following a period when he gained clinical experiencein adult medicine and general practice, he took up a

Universities, a Visiting Professor at the University ofGlasgow and a Fellow of the RSA. She began hercareer working as a Marketing Executive in the knit-wear industry, and in 1986 moved into the field ofeconomic development.

Her current interests include learning futures, the roleof cultural innovators, personalisation and co-creation

in learning and the writing of a book on Adam Smith.

Councillor Steven Purcell

Leader of Glasgow City Council

Steven Purcell was elected Leader of Glasgow CityCouncil in May 2005 (age 32). Since becomingLeader, Councillor Purcell has changed the citys focustoward social renewal and economic growth, witheducation and getting people into work a key featureof his leadership.

He has helped deliver a 1 billion reform of publicservices within Glasgow, bringing together variousagencies and 6000 staff to improve local services. Thisinitiative covers economic development, healthimprovement, tackling worklessness and communitysafety.

Councillor Purcell lives in his native Yoker in Glasgow.

research post with the Medical Research Council inThe Gambia, West Africa. On returning to the UK hecompleted a period of training in public health, afterwhich he was appointed to the post of Director ofHealth Promotion with The Greater Glasgow HealthBoard. In 1994 Phil moved to become a Senior Lecturer

in Public Health at the University of Glasgow and waspromoted to Professor in 1999. Between January 2001and April 2003 Phil undertook a secondment toestablish the Public Health Institute of Scotland.

Current research interest include culture and health,uses of integrated public health data and evaluation ofcomplex public health interventions.

Professor Mike KellyPublic Health Excellence Centre Director

National Institute for Health and ClinicalExcellence (NICE)

Professor Mike Kelly is Director of the Centre of PublicHealth Excellence at NICE. He originally graduated inSocial Science from the University of York, holds aMasters degree in Sociology from the University ofLeicester, and undertook his PhD in the Department ofPsychiatry in the University of Dundee. Before joiningthe new NICE, he was Director of Evidence andGuidance at the Health Development Agency. Profes-sor Kelly has held posts at the Universities of Leicester,Dundee, Glasgow, Greenwich and Abertay. He nowhas an honorary chair in the Department of PublicHealth and Policy at the London School of Hygiene andTropical Medicine, University of London.

Professor Kelly is a medical sociologist with researchinterests in evidence based approaches to healthimprovement, methodological problems in publichealth research, coronary heart disease prevention,chronic illness, disability, physical activity, healthinequalities, social identity and community involvementin health promotion.

Alf YoungAssistant EditorThe Herald

Alf Young is assistant editor at The Herald, responsiblefor comment and analysis. He also writes three regularcolumns each week for the paper on business, eco-nomics and politics. He has been a journalist for nearlythirty years, having previously been a teacher, lecturerand political researcher. Originally from Greenock he ischairman of Riverside Inverclyde, the urban regenera-

tion company on the Lower Clyde and a season ticketholder at Greenock Morton, now promoted to Division

One of the Scottish Football League.


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APPENDIX TWO

PARTICIPANT LIST

Mr Doug AdamsGreater Glasgow & Clyde Health BoardGlasgow

Dr Syed AhmedConsultant in Public Health Medicine and ClinicalDirector, NHS Greater Glasgow and ClydeGlasgow

Ms Rosie AndersonGlasgow

Mr Ian AppletonArchitectEdinburgh

+Sir John Arbuthnott MRIA FRSEChairman, Greater Glasgow NHS BoardGlasgow

Mr Stewart AskenManager, Rough Sleepers InitiativeHamilton

Mr Ian BaillieThe Mungo FoundationGlasgow

Mrs Maureen BainStudent, University of PaisleyPaisley

Mr Hamish BattyeHead of Planning and Health Improvement

SE CHCP,Glasgow

Mrs Eileen BaxendaleCastlemilk Community ChurchGlasgow

Mr W BeattieJustice of PeaceKilbarchan

Mr Keir BloomerChief Executive, Clackmannanshire CouncilClackmannanshire

Dr Graham Blount

Parliamentary Officer, SCPOEdinburgh

Miss Evelyn BorlandHead of Planning and Health Improvement,North Glasgow CHCPGlasgow

Mr Jim BoyleProgramme CoordinatorOxfam UK Poverty Programme

Glasgow

Miss Biba BrandRegional Manager, Scottish Drugs ForumGlasgow

Mr Jack BrannanRetiredKinloch Rannoch

Mrs Maureen Brogan

J & P BroganGlasgow

Rev David BrownPriest, All Saints ChurchGlasgow

Mr Paul BrownPrincipal Solicitor, Brown & Co Solicitors at LegalServices Agency LtdGlasgow

Ms Anne BryceProject Lead ISPINHS Greater Glasgow and ClydeGlasgow

Ms Vicki BrysonHead of Client Services, Nation 1Glasgow

Revd Mary BuchananEcumenical Officer, United Reformed Church

Glasgow

* Denotes Speaker / + Denotes Chairman


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20 February 2007

26

Sister Ann BuckeridgeDaughter of Charity of St Vincent De PaulEasterhouse

Miss Grace Buckley

Justice and Peace Commision, Archdiocese ofGlasgow

Mrs Lisa BullenPlanning Manager, Communities ScotlandGlasgow

Ms Annie CampbellProject Manager, The Mungo FoundationGlasgow

Ms Louise CarlinScotland Country Programme ManagerOxfam UK Poverty ProgrammeGlasgow

Mrs Anita CarnochanTeacher, North Lanarkshire CouncilNorth Lanarkshire

Mr John CarnochanViolence Reduction Unit, Strathclyde PoliceGlasgow

Sister Eileen CassidySisters of Notre DameGlasgow

Revd Alastair CherryModerator, The Presbytery of GlasgowGlasgow

Sister Margaret ClarkSisters of Notre Dame

Glasgow

Mrs Jennifer ClementVice-Convenor, Church and Society, ACTSInglewood,Alloa

Professor John Coggins FRSEVice-Principal for Life Sciences and MedicinesUniversity of GlasgowGlasgow

Dr Graham ConnellySenior Lecturer, University of StrathclydeGlasgow

+The Most Rev M J Conti FRSE

Archbishop of Glasgow, The Curial OfficesGlasgow

Mr Ronnie ConveryArchdiocesan Director of CommunicationsGlasgow

Mr David ConwayCPHM, Information ServicesEdinburgh

Mr Dan CoughlanWeaverBarmulloch

Dr Frank CraigBusiness Adviser, Institute for EnterpriseGlasgow

Mr Jim CrichtonHead of Mental Heatlh, West CHCP ModularBuilding, Gartnavel Royal MuseumGlasgow

*Professor Sarah Cunningham-BurleyCo-Director, Centre for Research on Families andRelationships, University of EdinburghEdinburgh

Sister Helen DarraghSecretaryGlasgow

Mr Alan Davidson

Principal Officer, Glasgow City CouncilGlasgow

Mr Steven DaviesFunding and Strategy Manager GeDC LtdGreater Easterhouse Development Company LtdEasterhouse

Ms Pam DawsonScottish Centre for RegenerationGlasgow



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Mrs Kathleen DeaconDevelopment Co-ordinatorGlasgow Homelessness NetworkGlasgow

Mr John DickieHead, Child Poverty Action Group in ScotlandGlasgow

Mrs Caroline DicksCommunity Regeneration ManagerCommunties ScotlandGlasgow

Ms Amanda DobbratzSRC President, Glasgow School of Art StudentsAssociationGlasgow

Rev William DonnellyParish Priest, St Andrews ChurchBearsden

Mrs Margaret Doran

Glasgow City Council Education ServicesGlasgow

Mr Bob DowChairperson, Educational Institute of ScotlandGlasgow

Dr William DuncanChief Executive, The Royal Society of EdinburghEdinburgh

Mr Paul EdeStudentWhiteinch

Ms Pauline EdmistonCo-ordinator, Transformation TeamGlasgow

Mr James EganHead of Policy and Practice, Scottish DrugsForumGlasgow

Ms Jackie Erdman

Inequalities Manager, GC and C NHSGlasgow

Miss Lesleyanne GemmillArea Manager, Rough Sleepers InitiativeHamilton

Dr Paul GilfillanResearch Fellow, University of GlasgowGlasgowDepute Director

Ms Gillian ForresterSupport Worker, The Lilias Graham Trust,Stirling

Miss Claire Frew

Development CoordinatorGlasgow Homelessness NetworkGlasgow

Dr Hildebrand FreySenior Lecturer, University of StrathclydeGlasgow

Ms Frances GallagherEducation Improvement Service, EducationServices, Glasgow City CouncilGlasgow

Mr David GilmourFinance Director, Anniesland College

Glasgow

Dr David GordonHead of Public Health Observatory DivisionNHS Health ScotlandGlasgow

Mr Kenny GormalDevelopment OfficerDevelopment and Regenerations Services,Glasgow City Council

Glasgow

Cllr Irene GrahamCouncillor, Glasgow City CouncilGlasgow

Mr Andrew GrantManaging Director, Nation 1Glasgow

Dr Linsay GrayResearch Associate, MRC Social and PublicScience UnitGlasgow


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20 February 2007

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Mrs Elizabeth GuestEdinburgh

Mr Andrew GuestEdinburgh

Ms Honor HaniaDuntocher

*Professor Phil HanlonProfessor in Public HealthPublic Health Institute of Scotland, University ofGlasgow

Mr Thomas HarriganInter-faith Liaison, Glasgow City CouncilGlasgow

Sister Phylliis HoeyKirkintilloch

Miss Shona HoneymanSenior Development OfficerGlasgow City CouncilGlasgow

*Professor Ray HudsonDirector

Wolfson Research Insitute, University of DurhamDurham

Ms Frances HumeTraining DevelopmentFICSGlasgow

Mr Neil HunterJoint General Manager, Glasgow AddictionServices,

Glasgow

Ms Isla HyslopHead of OD, Gartnavel Royal HospitalGlasgow

Dr Helene IrvineConsultant in Public HealthNHS Greater Glasgow and ClydeGlasgow

Dr Lewis Johnman CBE TDRetired Medical PractitionerStraven

Mr Iain JohnstonDevelopment Worker, Parish Development Fund,Church of ScotlandEdinburgh

Ms Martina Johnston-GrayDevelopment Co-ordinator LearningGlasgow Homelessness NetworkGlasgow

Rev Dr Martin JohnstoneExecutive Director, Faith in Community(Scotland)Glasgow

Mrs Lorraine Judge

GOALS Director, GOALS PROJECTUniversity of PaisleyPaisley

Mr Edmund JurczykGlasgow

Sister Lilias Clare KaneBon-Secours de ParisLangside

*Professor Mike KellyPublic Health Excellence DirectorNational Institute for Health and ClinicalExcellence (NICE)Glasgow

Mr Jim KellyThe Mungo FoundationGlasgow

Mr Peter KellyDirector

Poverty AllianceGlasgow

Mr John KerrChairman of GEDC LtdGreater Easterhouse Development CompanyEasterhouse

Ms Cath KrawczykProject Co-ordi

Documents

Glasgow's People - Transcending Poverties