The Cycle of Deprivation: Myths and Misconceptions

The year 2006 marked the 30th anniversary of the publication of Michael Rutter and Nicola Madge's Cycles of Disadvantage (1976). As such, it provides an opportunity to take stock of debates over an alleged cycle of deprivation, both in the 1970s, and more recently. This article seeks to use historical methods in order to outline some areas in which a historical perspective can add significantly to existing knowledge on this topic of enduring interest. In particular, it explores five myths or misconceptions: firstly, that we know the origins of the cycle of deprivation hypothesis, secondly, that we know what happened in the course of the Research Programme, thirdly, that the Department of Health and Social Security supported the research; fourthly, that social scientists were interested in the cycle hypothesis and lastly, that there has been significant progress since 1976.