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Kavanagh et al: British Politics 5e

Chapter 05

The structure and evolution of British society

Census 2001
www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/census2001.asp
The census is conducted every ten years across the UK and the last available data is from 2001. This site allows you to explore the data collected in England and Wales (there are links to census data in Scotland and Wales). As a snapshot of the social structure, the census cannot be surpassed. The site is a little unwieldy however. The best place to start is probably the 'Quick Pictures' section.

Centre for Comparative European Survey Data: The British Social Attitudes Survey
www.britsocat.com/Body.aspx?control=BritSocAtHome
The National Centre for Social Research has carried out the British Social Attitudes Survey annually since 1983. The survey asks a range of questions on attitudes and opinions towards social, economic, political and moral issues which are a useful companion to the data collected in the census for example. You will need to register for this site, but once you have done so you will be able create your own high quality tables of cross-tabulated and time series data from the surveys.

The Commission for Equality and Human Rights
www.cehr.org.uk/
Created by the Equality Act of 2006, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights will come into existence in 2007 when it will take on the work of the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission (the Commission for Racial Equality will be incorporated in 2009). The site provides you with information on the Equality Act and the new Commission. It also offers links to the Equal Opportunities Commission and Commission for Racial Equality which are particularly relevant to the material considered in this chapter.

The Fawcett Society
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/
The Fawcett Society traces its history back to 1866 and the suffragist Millicent Fawcett. It campaigns for equality between men and women, particularly in respect of the labour market (and unpaid work in the home), poverty, and particularly the criminal justice and political system. A useful point of departure is the 'Issues' section. The resources section also includes a variety of useful and recent documents, particularly relating to gender issues in the 2005 general election.

The F-Word: Contemporary UK Feminism
www.thefword.org.uk/
The F-Word is a 'webzine' which was founded in 2001. The site brings together features on contemporary feminist issues (of variable quality), a blog. Particularly useful however is the list of links to feminist web-resources.