ABSTRACT
Our perspective is that the analysis of inequalities in itself is of greatest value when it is able to contribute to societal improvement. To this end there is a need to engage with social policy and the ways in which scientific evidence is used in the policy process. We note that there has been a significant and positive change in recent years whereby scientific evidence is increasingly central to establishing the rationale for specific policy interventions. While this does not remove ideological motivation, it encourages scientists to engage with policy-related analysis of inequalities. Using the example of a life course approach to child well-being in the UK, we demonstrate that there have been substantial opportunities for scientists to influence the direction of social policies in order to address acute societal inequalities.
