ABSTRACT
In 1867 Engels’ construction of the housing question drew on his observations of the ‘exploding city’ of Manchester (Engels 1988). There was mass migration from the countryside to the city, overcrowding, a massive absolute shortage of housing and generally appalling living conditions in many northern European cities. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, for many Western housing analysts, the question appears to have been mainly answered. The vast majority of households are reasonably well housed. Space standards are generous and amenity provision is of a relatively high standard. It is certainly true that amidst this affluence there is deeply entrenched poverty and systemic homelessness – and this is perceived as a growing threat to social cohesion and stability. But access to decent housing is not a preoccupation of majorities in most of Europe and North America. So what does the housing question look like today? This book focuses on various relationships between housing and social change in the contemporary world. It draws on authors from Europe, North America, South and East Asia and Australasia. This introductory chapter aims to provide a backcloth to the various discussions which follow. In particular it will explore key aspects of the current housing question in relation to processes of globalization, demographic change, rising social inequalities and new social divisions associated with wealth accumulation via home-ownership. The housing literature continues to have a strong bias towards experiences in western Europe and North America. For this reason, and consistent with the strong East/West theme of the book, the emphasis in this chapter will be on aspects of social transformation and housing provision in Asia, particularly South and East Asia. Throughout, however, appropriate reference will be made to current developments and debates in the West. The concluding section will reflect on the extent to which, from an international perspective, the housing question has been transformed over the last century.
