Should the aim of public policy be to end poverty or to reduce inequality? What is the greatest source of social injustice in Britain today ﾖ income inequality or discrimination based on gender or ethnic differences? What are the limits to the government's responsibility for creating a socially just society?

These are amongst the questions to be addressed in a series of seminars bringing researchers and theorists together with policy makers in the run up to the next general election.

A consortium of six universities and the 'think tank', Institute for Public Policy Research, have been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to organise the seminar series. Starting in the new year, the seminars will be held in different parts of the country (London, Bristol, Glasow and York) and the series will end with a major conference in London early in 2006.

Professor Robina Goodlad, director of the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice, said: "The term 'social justice' is used rhetorically as a policy aspiration on which everyone agrees. But in taking it for granted, we neglect the need to develop a clear conception of the meaning of social justice. This is needed so that policies can be evaluated from a social justice perspective. The series will assist in filling a gap by providing sustained attention to the concept and to the tensions and challenges that arise from adopting social justice as a policy aspiration."

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The consortium, led by Professor Robina Goodlad of the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice at the University of Glasgow includes: Glasgow, Hull, York, Bristol, Loughborough and London (London School of Economics and Political Science, and University College London).

Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice (www.scrsj.ac.uk) aims to promote better understanding of, and more informed debate about, the nature of social justice in Scotland, particularly in relation to public policy.

The Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice was established in January 2002 and is based in the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow and the Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research, University of Aberdeen.

First published: 3 August 2004