Concepts and Strategies for Combating Social Exclusion


Book Description

Millions of human beings the world over survive in conditions of poverty and social exclusion, and this is unlikely to change in the years to come. This grave situation affects the whole of humanity, which cannot and must not shut its eyes to it. Social exclusion is spreading so much that it is becoming one of the keys to understanding the economic and social situation of the world today. This book attempts to deciper the concept of social exclusion. It aims to identify, analyse and measure exclusion and make it more visible. It also aims to provide a detailed overview of those involved and their initiatives.




Welfare State Reform in Southern Europe


Book Description

This book offers a detailed analysis of the efforts made to reduce poverty and social exclusion in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece.




Soft Governance in Hard Politics


Book Description

The present study addresses the governance architecture of the much debated Open Method of Coordination (OMC) in the field of social inclusion and evaluates its implementation in France, Germany and at EU-level. Based on extensive variable-based empirical research, it assesses both the effectiveness and the legitimacy of the OMC and comes to unequivocal conclusions: Due to the resistance of member states and remaining differences in underlying ideas of social justice, anti-poverty policy could not be Europeanised through the OMC which unfolds as a very weak governance architecture. The general framework of negative integration remains unchallenged by this non-binding instrument which, to the contrary of its intention, rather forecloses the possibility of supranational learning. With regard to legitimacy, the OMC supports policy-making in closed, intransparent circles of very weakly or not democratically mandated representatives and therefore does little do decrease the democratic deficit of the EU - however one of its original ambitions.







Community Empowerment


Book Description

Reprinted from the 25th anniversary issue of Community Development Journal (no date noted) 17 essays review contemporary campaigns for community participation and empowerment. Some explore such aspects as the concept of empowerment and its relation to public policy and development within social movements, and the relevance of the mixed economy of welfare to self-help and community participation. Others present case studies from Europe, the US, Australia, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Paper edition (unseen), $25.00. Distributed in the US by Humanities Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Droits des Personnes Agées et Droits des Personnes Handicapées


Book Description

Cette publication est certainement la toute premiere grande syntese tematique et critique sur la condition des personnes socialement vulnérables (PSV) en Afrique. Une excellente brochette de 40 experts et Institutions de differents oavs du continent t deploie un effort d'intelligibilite de ce phenomene devenu oreoccuoant. a travers un Inventaire analvtique complexe. retrospectt. Tactuel. actuel, chittre. ponctuel prospectif et relativement exnaustit. Les differentes contributions sont assorties des recommandations fortes qui interpellent, pour leur application les détenteurs d'enjeu dans une démarche de co-construction pour une citovennete de transtormation active C'est un document de plaidoyer/réquisitoire et de lobbying en faveur de l'aménagement, de la protection et de l'amélioration des conditions sociales des personnes âgées et des personnes handicapées en Afrique autant en matière de santé, d'alimentation, de logement. denvironnement, de protection sociale. que de maintien de revenu. d emplo et denseignement. eu egard a raugmentation croissante de leurs effectts en valeu relative et absolue. a question des personnes socialement vulnerables est ainsi mist en avant-garde des préoccunations politico-sociales et scientifiques importantes voir permanentes. tlle tait robiet d'investigations et de réflexions récurrentes au sein d mecanisme soecia de Union Africaine au est le groupe de raval sur les personnes agee! et les personnes handicapées de la Commission Africaine des Droits de l'Homme et des Peuples. L'assignation matinale et originaire étant de construire des véhicules juridiques psychologiques, socio-antropologiques et portiques afin a amorcer un changement positit et une protection durable des oS. ainsi que des protocoles coutumiers pour leu valorisation dans les cultures et traditions atricaines This publication is certainly the first major thematic and critical synthesis on the condition of socially vulnerable persons (PSV) in Africa. An excellent line-up of 40 experts and institutions from different countries of the continent is making an effort to understand this phenomenon, which has become worrying, through a complex, retrospective, factual, current, quantified, punctual, prospective and relatively exhaustive analytical inventory. The various contributions are accompanied by strong recommendations that challenge the holders of issues for their application in a process of co-construction for an active citizenship of transformation. It is a document of advocacy/indictment and lobbying in favor of the development, protection and improvement of the social conditions of the elderly and persons with disabilities in Africa in terms of health, food, housing, environment, social protection, income maintenance, employment and education, given their increasing numbers in relative and absolute terms. The issue of socially vulnerable people is thus brought to the forefront of important, if not permanent, political-social and scientific concerns. It is the subject of recurrent investigations and reflections within the special mechanism of the African Union, the Working Group on Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The initial assignment is to build legal, psychological, socio-anthropological and political vehicles in order to initiate positive change and sustainable protection of VHPs, as well as customary protocols for their valorization in African cultures and traditions.




Immigration and Homelessness in Europe


Book Description

Includes statistics.





Book Description







Social Indicators


Book Description

Social indicators are an important tool for evaluating a country's level of social development and for assessing the impact of policy. Such indicators are already in use in investigating poverty and social exclusion in several European countries and have begun to play a significant role in advancing the social dimension of the European Union as a whole. The purpose of this book is to make a scientific contribution to the development of social indicators for the purposes of European policy-making. It considers the principles underlying the construction of policy-relevant indicators, the definition of indicators, and the issues that arise in their implementation, including that of the statistical data required. It seeks to bring together theoretical and methodological methods in the measurement of poverty/social exclusion with the empirical practice of social policy. The experience of Member States is reviewed, including an assessment of the National Action Plans on Social Inclusion submitted for the first time in June 2001 by the fifteen EU governments. The key areas covered by the book are poverty, including its intensity and persistence, income inequality, non-monetary deprivation, low educational attainment, unemployment, joblessness, poor health, poor housing and homelessness, functional illiteracy and innumeracy, and restricted social participation. In each case, the book assesses the strengths and weaknesses of different indicators relevant to social inclusion in the European Union, and makes recommendations for the indicators to be employed. Indicators for Social Inclusion in the European Union is being published at a critical stage in the evolution of the social agenda of the European Union. It is hoped that the report will play a role in widening public debate about the social dimension of Europe and that it will be of value to the social partners, to non-governmental and grass roots organizations, and to those living in poverty and social exclusion. It seeks to provide both a constructive background document at a crucial juncture in the evolution of the social dimension of the European Union and a reference work of continuing value.