Explains what fairness is and ways to be fair.

An introduction to being fair at school, at home, and with friends, with specific examples.

In Central and Eastern European countries, inequalities for Roma families living in marginalized communities start early and are striking. Some of these inequalities reflect hard-wired family circumstances such as being born in poverty. Others reflect lack of opportunities such as limited access to those basic goods and services that are necessary not only for realizing one's potential in life, but also for living with dignity. Gaps between Roma and non-Roma widen over the lifecycle in a way that reinforces and perpetuates disadvantage and translates into significantly unequal outcomes, despite the fact that Roma report having similar aspirations to those of their non-Roma neighbors. Promoting equal opportunities for disadvantaged Roma is not only an imperative for societies that want to call themselves fair, but it is also a smart economic choice, especially in those countries where populations are aging rapidly. Investing early, with a particular emphasis on supporting healthy and cognitive development for disadvantaged Roma children, is likely to go a long way in promoting fair chances. However, leveling the playing field in childhood is likely not enough: disadvantaged Roma continue being exposed to unequal opportunities at key nodes in their lives, such as when pursuing education or when looking for a job. Therefore, it is as important that a broader set of policies address some of the circumstances in which a large share of Roma children grow up, including access to employment and decent living conditions for their families. Implementing interventions that help overcome these interrelated barriers will require strong ownership at the national level, coordinated policies across different ministries and government levels, and an integrated delivery system that is grounded in approaches that are customized to local conditions and implemented in a participatory manner. Good practices in Europe and elsewhere show that inclusion of the most disadvantaged - including many Roma - is possible and the current programming cycle for European Funds represents a unique opportunity to fund such interventions.

Explores the concept of fairness.

Ireland is a nation on a value system that equates 'being good' with 'being there for each other'. As a society we favour 'minding our own' over 'doing what we're told'. So far, so Irish.It's become a commonplace to refer to the excesses of the Celtic Tiger years as an aberration, the product of a short-lived and inexplicable mania for cheap credit and unregulated consumption. But what if the roots of Ireland's economic crisis ran far deeper than the property boom or the hubris of the establishment elites who enabled it?In this, a ground-breaking survey of the Irish national character from its colonial history to its current day dramas, acclaimed sociologist Niamh Hourigan draws on a wealth of new and compelling research to reveal the fundamental conflict at the heart of the Irish society: that between our traditional faith in the politics of intimacy, all handshakes and favours, and the ruling systems in which we've invested power.The Ireland that emerges from her research is a country where outcomes are decided by who rather than what you know, and where – for good or for bad – rules are very much made to be broken.'Probing, perceptive and highly readable exploration of the Irish value system'J. J. Lee, New York University'Compulsively readable'Kathy Sheridan, The Irish Times'Lucid, engaging and persuasive ... every politician should read this – and so should every voter'Colin Murphy, The Guarantee

The current practice of having children begin school within a twelve-month cohort is unfair but can be ameliorated by incorporating a dual-entry system. Such a reform effort will dramatically reduce failure, improve student achievement at all levels, while reducing expenditures. Many students are penalized from maximizing their academic potential simply by being born at the wrong time of the year. Not only is there a significant decline in achievement for students born in the second half of the year but they also experience higher rates of failure which negatively impacts self-esteem and reduces future success. Meanwhile, more capable students experience unfairness because of the school’s extraordinary effort at helping their failing students. With so much focus on the weak, many strong students are held back from achieving their potential. Parents agonize over when to begin their child's formal education but lack data for making informed decisions. Educators understand the issue intuitively but decision makers lack data for justifying reform. These informational needs are now available.

A comprehensive philosophically grounded argument for the use of social welfare functions as a framework for governmental policy analysis.