Synopses & Reviews
The impact of economic rationalism on members of the poorest parts of Australian society.
Synopsis
This is a fascinating and moving portrait of the people who are suffering in a more divided and less egalitarian Australian society. Based on the author's conversations with hundreds of people living in three areas commonly described as 'disadvantaged'- Inala in Queensland, Mount Druitt in New South Wales and Broadmeadows in Victoria - this is a book in which impoverished Australians, who are often absent from debates about poverty, tell their own stories.
Synopsis
This original account of the impact of growing economic inequality upon the poorest segments of Australian society lets those most harshly affected by poverty reveal their fears, hopes and dilemmas. It is largely based on the author's conversations with hundreds of individuals living in three areas commonly described as disadvantaged in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Synopsis
The Lowest Rung is a fascinating, impressively original and profoundly moving account of the impact of economic rationalism on members of the poorest parts of Australian society. It is beautifully written and compassionate in approach, with the author frequently standing aside to let those most harshly affected by poverty tell their own stories. It is largely based on interviews with around 250 people living and working in areas that are commonly described as among the most disadvantaged in the country.
About the Author
Mark Peel is the author of Good Times, Hard Times and of A Little History of Australia. He teaches history at Monash University.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Journeys; 1. Describing disadvantage; 2. Heroes; 3. Suffering; 4. Anger; 5. Loss; 6. Hope; Conclusion.