Changing Scotland: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey

Changing Scotland uses longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey to improve our knowledge and understanding of the impact of devolution on the lives of people in Scotland. It is the first time that BHPS data has been used in this way. The book provides a detailed examination of social, economic, demographic and political differences, especially those involving dynamic behaviour such as residential mobility, unemployment duration, job mobility, income inequality, poverty, health and deprivation, national identity, family structure and other aspects of individual's lives as they change over time. This data provides a 'baseline' for policy formulation and for analysing the impact of subsequent differential developments arising out of devolution. The book is also an invaluable resource for establishing pre-existing differences between England and Scotland and evaluating the impact of policy initiatives by the Scottish Executive.

Table of Contents:
Devolution, policy and evidence ~ John F. Ermisch and Robert E. Wright; Part 1: Families and households: Teenagers' relationships with peers and parents ~ Lynn Jamieson and John McKendrick; Youth transitions ~ Vernon Gayle; Comparison of living arrangements ~ John F. Ermisch; Residential mobility ~ Harminder Battu, Vania Gerova and Euan Phimister; How Scots live: housing and housing policy ~ Jeanette Findlay and Cecilia MacIntyre; Part 2: Inequalities: Health and deprivation ~ Anne Ludbrook, Vania Gerova and Ioannis Theodossiou; Trends in absolute poverty ~ Vernon Gayle, Gregor Jack and Robert E. Wright; Income inequality ~ David Bell and Gregor Jack; The structure of gender differentials ~ Kostas Mavromaras and Ioannis Theodossiou; Part 3: Labour market issues: Distribution and structure of pay ~ Bob Elliott, Vania Gerova and Euan Phimister; Earnings returns to Further Education ~ Anne Gasteen, John Houston and Carolyn Davidson; Low pay, higher pay and job satisfaction ~ Rannia Leontaridi and Peter Sloane; Labour market behaviour of older workers ~ Mark Taylor and John Rigg; Part 4: Social and political behaviour: What makes Scotland want something different? ~ John Curtice; Smart, successful Scotland? National identity, class, employment and enterprise ~ Alex Christie, Nicola McEwen and James Mitchell; Decline of religion ~ Nicole Bourque, Vernon Gayle and Robert E. Wright; Volunteering and organisational participation ~ Jeanette Findlay and Patricia Findlay; Conclusion ~ John F. Ermisch and Robert E. Wright.

About the Author :
John F. Ermisch FBA is Professor of Economics in the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Essex. Robert E. Wright is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, University of Stirling.

Review :
"This book is an extremely timely and effective demonstration of how 'evidence-based' research can inform policy formulation and evaluation in a devolved Scotland. The comparative studies of this important book provide a high quality benchmark against which subsequent contributions to policy analysis in Scotland will be measured." Peter McGregor, Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde