Don't get hypnotised by the recession
Recession. This word has a powerful influence over society. In fact, there is real hesitation and much debate about when we can use it publically. Economists daren't mention it in the months preceding a downturn, despite goading by journalists, for fear of it becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it's only when certain criteria are met that we officially label economic difficulty a recession.
How is one word so potent? Is it because it conjures up images of closed factory gates, boarded-up local businesses, long dole queues and family despair?
Or is it that once it has been declared, the deprivation it causes has the potential to affect people like you and me? People with jobs, houses and cars. Suddenly we are faced with uncertainty as a dark cloud looms over our once comfortable lives.
We've faced this before. We know from past experience that recession is cyclical. But what grabbed the headlines about the most recent downturn was that it would mainly affect Middle England's "white-collar" workers. The unprecedented scale of the financial crisis shook the very heart of "our" society: banks and business bore the brunt and established names on the high street started to go under. We were scared.
And yet our research published today on the impact of recession on deprived neighbourhoods over the past 30 years shows that, contrary to our perception, it continues to be the poorest communities who suffer most.
For many communities, recession is simply a way of life. Those images of closed factory gates, boarded-up businesses, long dole queues and family despair are an everyday reality. But the residents in places such as Gellideg already know this and I don't want to appear patronising by pointing out the obvious.
What I do want to highlight is the need to keep the spotlight on these vulnerable communities, through boom and bust, so that we don't forget them. And at a time when we face some tough decisions in terms of public service cuts and unemployment, it is essential that any action taken does not further disadvantage the very poorest communities. It's vital that local authorities, community and voluntary organisations work together to develop ways of "recession-proofing" these communities from future downturns.
Things may be improving for some us already. If so, we're the lucky ones. But how can we create a future that is both sustainable and just for everyone?
Julia Unwin is chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation