First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This text examines the domestic circumstances and responsibilities of women caring for children in Britain in the context of social trends that are making poverty and hardship increasingly common experiences for mothers.

""Thoroughly updated and revised, this new edition of "Understanding Health Inequalities," edited by Hilary Graham, remains a welcome and timely contribution. Replete with thoughtful essays on health inequities analyzed in relation to societal structure, social position and geography ... the volume provides important insights into how class, racial/ethnic, gender, and spatial health inequities are produced - and how they can be rectified. The world economic crisis launched by the implosion of unregulated financial markets in the fall of 2008 only serves to underscore the volume's central conclusion: that government regulation and intervention, premised on a commitment to equity, is essential for tackling health inequalities. Health professionals, students, and any and all working for healthy and sustainable ways of living will benefit from this collection."
Nancy Krieger, Harvard School of Public Health, USA"

"Understanding Health Inequalities second edition" provides an accessible and engaging exploration of why the opportunity to live a long and healthy life remains profoundly unequal.

Hilary Graham and her contributors outline the enduring link between people's socioeconomic circumstances and their health and tackle questions at the forefront of research and policy on health inequalities. These include: How health is influenced by circumstances across people's lives and by the areas in which they live How health is simultaneously shaped by inequalities of gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic position How policies can impact on health inequalities All the chapters have been specially written for the new edition by internationally-recognised researchers in social and health inequalities. The book provides an authoritative guide to these fields as well as presenting new research.

"Contributors
Karl Atkin, Mel Bartley, G. David Batty, David Blane, Bo Burstrom, Danny Dorling, Anne Ellaway, Hilary Graham, Barbara Hanratty, Kate Hunt, Saffron Karlsen, Catherine Law, Sally Macintyre, James Nazroo, Naomi Rudoe, Bethan Thomas, Rachel Thomson, Margaret Whitehead"

"With the compelling evidence that more redistributive universal welfare benefits and education provide the main escalator to reducing inequalities, this is a timely and thought-provoking book for all those concerned to reduce our societies' embedded structural inequalities, cumulative disadvantages and health inequalities." Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health "Unequal Lives is the book that we have all been waiting for. In this skilfully crafted volume, Hilary Graham makes the vital connection between health inequalities and social inequalities in a way that opens up new understandings of both concepts and consequences for policy. Scholarly yet accessible, this is a 'must read' book for researchers, policymakers and practitioners alike." Margaret Whitehead, WH Duncan Professor of Public Health, University of Liverpool, UK"The book has high educational value and is worthy of being considered as a resource for students in relevant courses. It will also be helpful for policymakers, clinicians and social workers, especially those settling and the changes in health outcomes are being observed. The author should be congratulated for bringing clarity to a complex, interlacing and intricate relationship of social and health sciences." Nilamadhab Kar, MD, DPM, DNBConsultant Psychiatrist, Wolverhampton City PrimaryCare Trust; Resource Person, Quality of Life Researchand Development Foundation, UK and Consultant Psychiatrist, Mental Health Directorate,Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, Steps toHealth, Showell Circus, Wolverhampton, UK. What is meant by health inequalities and socioeconomic inequalities?What evidence is there to support the link between socioeconomic status and health?Why do these links persist over time, between and within societies, and across people's lives? What part do policies play in the persistence of social and health inequalities? Unequal Lives provides an evidence-based introduction to social and health inequalities. It brings together research from social epidemiology, sociology and social policy to guide the reader to an understanding of why people's lives and people's health remain so unequal, even in rich societies where there is more than enough for all. The book introduces the non-specialist to key concepts like health inequalities and health inequities, social class and socioeconomic position, social determinants and life course, as well as to the key indicators of health and socioeconomic position. It provides a wealth of evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in health at both national and global level, and explores how these inequalities persist as countries industrialise, patterns of employment and family life change, and chronic diseases emerge as the big killers. Consideration is given to policy and its impact on inequalities within the UK, Europe and beyond and an assessment made of health inequalities throughout the life.This new book from best selling author Hilary Graham is of particular interest to students in sociology, social policy, health studies, health promotion and public health as well as to social work and community nursing students and those working in the health and welfare fields.