Building Better Societies

Rowland Atkinson is Chair in Inclusive Societies, in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Sheffield. His research crosses urban studies, sociology, geography and criminology and looks at different forms of exclusion and inequality. Among other interests his work has focused on questions of wealth and poverty in societies and the often invisible harms generated by social inequality in urban settings. Rowland lead the first study of gated communities in the UK as well as the first key study of the rich in London and continues to work to connect the lives of the affluent to social problems, he is the author of (with Sarah Blandy) Domestic Fortress.Dr Lisa Mckenzie is a research fellow at the London School of Economics & Political Science, working as part of the Great British Class Survey Team. Her previous research focused upon the poor working class and her current research interests relate to the precarious and vulnerable nature of particular groups in our society through insecure housing, work, social benefits, health care, and education. She is author of the bestselling Getting by: Estates, Class and Culture in Austerity Britain (Policy Press, 2015).Professor Simon Winlow, is at the Centre for Realist Criminology, Teesside University. He has research expertise in both sociology and criminology and has published widely on violence, criminal markets and cultures, and social, political and economic change.

• Who would not be For Society? ~ Rowland Atkinson, Lisa McKenzie and Simon WinlowPart 1: ProblemsThe social question and the urgency of care ~ Iain WilkinsonBetter politics - narratives of indignation and the possibility of a prosocial politics ~ Keith JacobsValuing and strengthening community ~ Lisa McKenziePart 2: IdeasConfronting the roots of violent behaviour ~ Anthony EllisIn defence of the public city ~ Martin CowardArtfully thinking the prosocial ~ Deborah Joy-Warr, Gretel Taylor and Richard WilliamsRe-visioning exclusion in local communities ~ Kate Pahl and Paul WardPutting ‘the social’ back into social policy ~ Steve Corbett and Alan WalkerPart 3: FuturesProgress through protest ~ Sam BurgumCities, crises and the future ~ Sophie Body-GendrotPolicy steps towards a better social future ~ Michael OrtonThe (in)visibility of riches, urban life and exclusion ~ Rowland AtkinsonThe uses of catastrophism ~ Simon WinlowConclusion: Thinking the Prosocial ~ Rowland Atkinson, Simon Winlow and Lisa Mckenzie

"This fantastic collection provides a trenchant critique of contemporary society and outlines solutions to challenge the power games of those sowing the seeds of social injustice. A must read for anyone with a heart." Mark Doidge, University of Brighton "This is a profoundly important book. How might public sociology be conducted in bleak times and in the face of fragmented publics? The authors begin the necessary task of building a sociology of new possibilities. Recent events make this necessary reading" John Holmwood, University of Nottingham "We've been told we don't need experts but we need them more than ever. This rich collection of thought-provoking pieces about the importance of our social world can be a catalyst for debate and dialogue among all those committed to building a better world." Kate E Pickett, University of York "Enriches and enlivens, bringing detail to generalities and radical, exciting alternatives to exhausted narratives." Zoe Williams, the Guardian