Living and Working under Austerity

Chapter 4 focuses on the unequal impacts of austerity, particularly on women and minority groups. Using the example of welfare reform, the chapter explores how austerity measures like marketization and stricter eligibility requirements disproportionately affect these demographics. This is because women often rely on social services and public sector jobs, both of which are impacted by austerity. The chapter additionally examines how women frequently adapt to these changes by sacrificing basic needs or volunteering in their communities. Drawing on experiences in Bristol, the chapter argues that austerity exacerbates existing social inequalities by placing the burden of care on women and further marginalizing minority groups. By analysing the social and economic impacts of austerity, the chapter reveals how these inequalities become spatially manifest, underscoring how austerity’s impact intersects with factors like gender and race.