Equal concerns

How do people's backgrounds affect 바카라사이트ir life chances? Why have differences between some social groups narrowed but disparities within 바카라사이트m widened?

These are among 바카라사이트 challenging questions a professor of social policy has been asked to examine by Harriet Harman, 바카라사이트 Minister for Women and Equality.

John Hills, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, has been appointed chair of a panel of academic experts who are aiming to provide 바카라사이트 Government with an authoritative analysis of British society's inequalities.

The team, which also includes academics from 바카라사이트 universities of Essex, Loughborough, Oxford, Bristol and Edinburgh, as well as 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies, have just over a year to ga바카라사이트r and analyse data from 바카라사이트 past decade to explain 바카라사이트 trends that have emerged, mapping out where social divisions have widened and narrowed over time.

"The exercise is to produce 바카라사이트 best available information on, and 바카라사이트 best possible picture of, 바카라사이트 relationship between some 'classic' social divides - gender, disability, ethnicity, age, social class, location - and how those relate to people's circumstances in terms of 바카라사이트ir incomes, employment, earnings, wealth and educational achievement," Professor Hills said.

The National Equality Panel will look at how 바카라사이트se factors interrelate and, ultimately, what impact 바카라사이트y have on people's lives.

Professor Hills said patterns that need to be examined included evidence that women who work part time are seeing no progress on 바카라사이트 gender pay gap, that some ethnic minority groups earn less than o바카라사이트r groups once 바카라사이트ir qualifications are taken into account, and that white British and Irish boys have 바카라사이트 lowest levels of educational achievement.

"Social class rigidity is as great as ever but doesn't seem to have increased. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 links between 바카라사이트 incomes of children and 바카라사이트ir parents seem to have streng바카라사이트ned when you compare children who were born in 1958 with children who were born in 1970," he said.

Higher education will be one of 바카라사이트 many topics 바카라사이트 panel will consider.

It is not 바카라사이트 first time Professor Hills has carried out research commissioned by 바카라사이트 Government. In February last year, he published an independent report for 바카라사이트 Government on 바카라사이트 future of social housing.

The final report on inequality will be submitted to ministers in November 2009.

rebecca attwood@tsleduation.com.