At a time when the divide between the wealthy and the disadvantaged is widening, this major textbook provides students with a critical understanding of poverty and social exclusion in relation to wealth, rather than as separate from it.Raising fundamental questions about the organisation of society, social structures and relationships and social justice, the book is split into four main sections exploring key concepts and issues; 'people and place' (poverty and wealth across different groups and situations); the role of the state; and prospects for the future. This is the only textbook to...