Perceptions of poverty and policy preferences : the contribution of Q methodology

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Sinclair, Stephen and McHugh, Neil and McKendrick, John H. and Lightbody, Ruth and Robertson, Laura and McHardy, Fiona (2025) Perceptions of poverty and policy preferences : the contribution of Q methodology. Social Policy and Administration. ISSN 0144-5596 (https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.13122)

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Abstract

The nature, causes and consequences of poverty have been debated for many years and remain controversial. However, some degree of consensus is a pre‐requisite for feasible, sustainable and effective policy responses to poverty. Research methods which can improve understanding of public attitudes towards poverty and identify potential areas of consensus are particularly valuable. Q methodology is a research tool which has the potential to identify points of consensus and contention in relation to poverty. This article introduces the main features of Q and illustrates its potential value by outlining how it was applied to inform the policy recommendations of a Poverty Commission in a city in Britain. The project identified a number of significant points of consensus and controversy in participants’ perceptions of the consequences of poverty and preferences regarding responses to it. These findings are related to ideas about how the poverty discourse can be framed to cultivate a more supportive narrative of how poverty is understood and addressed.

ORCID iDs

Sinclair, Stephen, McHugh, Neil, McKendrick, John H., Lightbody, Ruth, Robertson, Laura and McHardy, Fiona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3688-8200;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)