Contemporary social evils

<p>Which underlying problems pose the greatest threat to British society in the 21st century? A hundred years after its philanthropist founder identified poverty alcohol drugs and gambling among the social evils of his time the Joseph Rowntree Foundation initiated a major consultation among leading thinkers activists and commentators as well as the wider public. The findings have now been brought together in this fascinating book.<br />Individual contributors range across the political spectrum but the book also reports the results from a web survey and consultation with groups whose voices are less often heard. The results suggest that while some evils - like poverty - endure as undisputed causes of social harm more recent sources of social misery such as an alleged rise in selfish consumerism and a perceived decline in personal responsibility and family commitment attract controversy. </p>