Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study
This article reflects on the use of macro social theoretical perspectives to explain micro social issues. It uses social housing allocations as a case study of the issues that arise in such explanations. There has been a number of important social theoretical examinations of social housing allocatio...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2016
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35791/ |
| _version_ | 1848795161804406784 |
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| author | Bevan, Chris Cowan, Dave |
| author_facet | Bevan, Chris Cowan, Dave |
| author_sort | Bevan, Chris |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This article reflects on the use of macro social theoretical perspectives to explain micro social issues. It uses social housing allocations as a case study of the issues that arise in such explanations. There has been a number of important social theoretical examinations of social housing allocation schemes in recent years, spanning socio-legal studies. In contrast to those other studies, we argue that “cookie-cutter” theory is insufficient because they can overlook other positions and counter-factual scenarios. We draw on a sample of local authority allocation schemes to reflect on the increasing category of excluded households which we term “unhouseables” (an expression which is commonly used by housing officers) – those households which are excluded from appearing on such schemes because of their former housing deviance or some other disqualification. We offer a set of reflections grounded in our data, which focus on sustainability. Thus, rather than point to particular rationalities or the like, we point to particular housing issues as explanatory factors – including the declining stock and financial “competitiveness” of social housing management – as well as a rise in punitiveness. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:27:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-35791 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:27:42Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-357912020-05-04T17:31:50Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35791/ Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study Bevan, Chris Cowan, Dave This article reflects on the use of macro social theoretical perspectives to explain micro social issues. It uses social housing allocations as a case study of the issues that arise in such explanations. There has been a number of important social theoretical examinations of social housing allocation schemes in recent years, spanning socio-legal studies. In contrast to those other studies, we argue that “cookie-cutter” theory is insufficient because they can overlook other positions and counter-factual scenarios. We draw on a sample of local authority allocation schemes to reflect on the increasing category of excluded households which we term “unhouseables” (an expression which is commonly used by housing officers) – those households which are excluded from appearing on such schemes because of their former housing deviance or some other disqualification. We offer a set of reflections grounded in our data, which focus on sustainability. Thus, rather than point to particular rationalities or the like, we point to particular housing issues as explanatory factors – including the declining stock and financial “competitiveness” of social housing management – as well as a rise in punitiveness. Wiley 2016-01-15 Article PeerReviewed Bevan, Chris and Cowan, Dave (2016) Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study. Modern Law Review, 79 (1). pp. 76-101. ISSN 1468-2230 Allocation Qualification Social housing Arrears Anti-social behaviour http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-2230.12167/abstract doi:10.1111/1468-2230.12167 doi:10.1111/1468-2230.12167 |
| spellingShingle | Allocation Qualification Social housing Arrears Anti-social behaviour Bevan, Chris Cowan, Dave Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title | Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title_full | Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title_fullStr | Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title_short | Uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| title_sort | uses of macro social theory: a social housing case study |
| topic | Allocation Qualification Social housing Arrears Anti-social behaviour |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35791/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35791/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35791/ |