Despite strong and sustained economic growth in the period prior to the onset of the global financial crisis, increasing numbers of national and international studies have shown that inequality, poverty, and social exclusion have remained widespread and resistant to change. This has led to calls to understand better the determinants of poverty, its relation to inequality and exclusion, and the role that social security and other policies can play in addressing these issues. This book brings together contributions from many of the leaders in the field, to examine the nature of poverty and to establish patterns, to identify underlying causes, and to propose remedies that are applicable to a broad range of countries. The book applies the latest comparative data to examine recent trends in countries of the EU and the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. It focuses on: how income inequality and poverty vary within and between countries, the gender dimension of poverty, the
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