Poverty and social integration in the enlarged Europe.

Abstract

http://skylla.wzb.eu/pdf/2007/i07-202.pdf Das Papier geht dem Zusammenhang von Armut und sozialer Desintegration in den Ländern der erweiterten EU nach. Es stellt die verschiedenen Formen der sozialen Unterstützung in den sich in wirtschaftlicher, kultureller und in ihren Wohlfahrtssytemen unterscheidenden Ländern dar. Die empirische Untersuchung befasst sich mit dem Grad der sozialen Integration in den Ländern des vergrößerten Europa und geht der Hypothese von Akkumulation und Kompensation nach. Außerdem sucht sie nach Gründen für die unterschiedlichen Grade des Zusammenhangs von Armut und sozialer Desintegration. Sie fragt: Ist Armut, die nur eine Minderheit in einem Land mit hohem Lebensstandard betrifft, eng verbunden mnit einer Stigmatisierung und führt sie zu einem sozialen Rückzug? Stärkt ein prekäres System der sozialen Sicherheit die private Solidarität? Die Studie sucht darüber hinaus nach empirischer Evidenz für die These eines stärkeren familiären Rückhalts in unsicheren wirtschaftlichen Zeiten.goj/difuEmpirical studies of the "old EU" countries suggest that poverty brings limited social relations and a lack of social support in its wake. At the same time, it is thought that in the transition countries, especially, individual supply crises are compensated for by a composite and stable network of social relations as well as a tradition of solidarity as a dominant value. This paper looks at the ways in which cultures of support vary across the enlarged Europe and to this end examines the link between poverty and social disintegration in countries characterised by different economic, cultural and welfare state regimes. The empirical analysis is concerned with (1) the distribution of social integration across the enlarged Europe, and (2) the verification of the hypothesis of accumulation and compensation in the individual countries. An additional step seeks to identify (3) the reasons for the variation across countries in the relationship between poverty and social disintegration. This macro-sociological perspective examines context effects that allow conclusions to be drawn regarding two hypotheses, in particular - that of stigmatisation and that of crowding out. Is poverty, which only affects a minority of the population in countries with a generally high standard of living, closely associated with stigmatisation, and does it lead to social withdrawal? Does a precarious system of social protection increase private solidarity and is support potential reduced in an environment of universal risk insurance? Within this same context, the paper also looks for evidence of (4) greater recourse to family support in precarious life situations. The data on which the study is based is taken from the European Quality of Life Survey - a representative survey of living conditions and quality of life in Europe that was carried out in October 2003. difu