Paradygmat analiz ubóstwa i wykluczenia społecznego

Abstract

Poverty and social exclusion are notions present in the public sphere, as well as in scientific analysis. Their application is usually not accompanied by adequate definition. This article formulates the thesis that there is one (it is debatable) complex paradigm of poverty and social exclusion. It consists of four levels (called as paradigm elements in this article): (1) history and culture, (2) political concepts, (3) new concepts and attempts of their operationalisation, and (4) discursiveness. This division is based on the multidisciplinary criterion, which means that it may not be quite precise. The development of potential effective programmes to combat poverty and social exclusion requires prior (conceptually appropriate and taking into account their complex nature) defining these phenomena.