Abstract
Getting By caught my attention soon after it was published, not least because of the (social) media attention which followed. This is unusual for academic books which too often languish on dusty library shelves, and the author (who describes herself as an activist sociologist) should be applauded for this feat. It is a book which has been praised by both academics and journalists (including Owen Jones – author of Chavs − and Mary O’Hara – author of Austerity Bites). This highly readable book provides an insight into the complexities of life in one of Britain’s poorest neighbourhoods; the rather notorious St. Ann’s estate in Nottingham. It provides an empathetic account of living in difficult conditions, which have been exacerbated by the austerity measures introduced by the Coalition government. Grounded in the voices of the residents, it challenges the stereotypical images of estate life and culture so frequently found in public and political discourse. It is an example of what might be described as an ‘insider ethnography’ because it is informed by the author’s personal experiences of living on the estate for over 20 years, initially as a young single parent working in a factory and later as a mature student at the University of Nottingham. For some academic researchers, this would undermine the validity of the study but on the contrary, I feel that it enhances it. I’m doubtful that many academics would have been able to establish the degree of trust and rapport that the author did with residents who, understandably, might be suspicious of ‘outsiders’ asking questions about their lives.
The book is essentially about class but recognizes how it interacts with other social divisions. Its focus is predominantly on the women living on the estate, although it considers their relationships with (typically Black) men who were often ‘missing’ − living elsewhere (sometimes in prison) because of their involvement in high-risk activities or because it made little economic sense to live with a partner without a stable income. There is also recognition that St. Ann’s has become a place where recent immigrants are housed, creating further tensions in an area already characterized by diversity.
Getting By revisits the concept of social exclusion, focusing less on the apparent deficits of the excluded and more on the processes by which they are stigmatized and marginalized by others. In this way, it challenges the notion of the ‘underclass’ through focusing on poverty as a consequence of structural inequality rather than the moral deficiencies of those who find themselves dependent on the support of the welfare state. On the book’s cover, there are quotes from academics who describe the book as ‘heart-wrenching’ and ‘moving’. This is certainly true and there is a ‘feel-good’ factor from hearing the stories of people ‘pulling together’, valuing the relationships they have formed with other residents and appreciating the positive aspects of living in St. Ann’s. Indeed, a recurring theme throughout the book is that residents of St. Ann’s find value locally whilst being subject to prejudice in other aspects of their lives; for example, when searching for employment, and that developing a sense of belonging (‘being St. Ann’s) is important to their self-identity.
The front cover of Getting By is distinctive, particularly in a market dominated by bland and often clichéd images. It depicts a personalized gold necklace with the phrase ‘Getting By’ replacing the usual name. For those who live in poor neighbourhoods such as St. Ann’s their existence is one of ‘getting by’. This has a negative meaning in that much of their day-to-day existence is shaped by the challenges of living in poverty; for example, making ends meet, negotiating with the benefits and housing systems, and looking after children alone. However, it can also be used more positively to recognize their strengths, ambitions, resourcefulness and resilience. The gold necklace portrays some of the contradictions of estate life: purchasing items which you cannot afford is valued by those in St. Ann’s but provides ammunition to those who embrace the right-wing ideology that those living in poverty make the ‘wrong’ choices.
What does it offer readers of the Probation Journal in particular? It talks about crime, dedicating a chapter to the 2011 riots and discussing more generally how gangs, drugs and gun crime shape life on the estate. But perhaps most importantly it provides an insight into the lives of women who are largely law-abiding, despite the presence of so many risk factors for offending, and the role they play in attempting to protect their children becoming both victims and offenders. I recommend Getting By to anyone searching for a more complex and authentic picture of life in poor neighbourhoods than that depicted in the barrage of increasingly banal selection of TV programmes which dominate our screens.