Full Description
Originally published in 1990, and re-issued in 2020 with an updated Preface, this book shows how the UK has become a nation of home owners, and the effect it has had on people's lives, the impact which it has had on British society and the implications for those who have hitherto been excluded. The book briefly charts the history of the growth of owner-occupation in Britain and considers the evidence on the popularity of owning as opposed to renting. The question of whether and how owner occupiers accumulate wealth from their housing is discussed and the evidence on the political implications of the growth of owner-occupation examined. The influence of buying a house on the way that home is experienced is analysed and the sociological implications in regard to the analysis of social inequalities in Britain discussed. The research for the book was based on in-depth interviews with home-owners and tenants in Burnley, Derby and Slough.
Contents
1. How the Meek Inherited the Earth 2. The Desire to Own 3. A Stake in the Country 4. A Property-Owning Democracy 5. A Home of One's Own 6. The Marginalized Minority. Appendices: 1: The Registrar-General and Goldthorpe Social Class Scheme and their Use in this Study. 2: The Samples for the Three Towns Survey 3. The Questionnaire.
