Poverty And Social Deprivation In The Mediterranean

In the growth of regional identities worldwide, the Mediterranean Basin is emerging as an entity in its own right. This book, a unique collaboration among social scientists around the entire Mediterranean littoral, covers Southern Europe, Turkey, the Balkans, North Africa, and the Near East. Leading economists, sociologists and social policy experts document with new and up-to-date empirical material the changing profiles of poverty and social deprivation. The result is a thought-provoking comparison of the extent, severity and structural causes of poverty and social inequality, and the huge diversity of public responses to the challenges they pose.

The events taking place in several of South Mediterranean countries since December 2010 show that multiple deprivations may be powerful drivers of political instability. Though improvements of the living conditions have been regularly principal demands along with civil and political liberties in the demonstrations, one of the main striking facts about this so-called “Arab Spring” is that poverty had not been given the same emphasis in southern Mediterranean countries during the last decades as in other areas of the developing and emerging world. Although the growing recognition that poverty is a multidimensional concept, studies of poverty in South Mediterranean countries have often been dominated by a monetary approach. However, there is a growing evidence that it is suitable to go beyond the money-metric measures of poverty and to supplement its results with other approaches that adopt a broader definition of well- being. Though poverty is only one of many causes of this “Arab Spring,” we argue that it is a key feature to understand these historic events and that it is necessary to draw a detailed picture of poverty and social exclusion for each one of these countries. Moreover, if the Union for the Mediterranean succeeds in fostering economic cooperation within the Mediterranean area, the focus on the population’s well-being of its southern members will deserve scrutiny in the next few years to understand the forces that will drive the Euro-Mediterranean relationships, in particular for migration issues. This book brings together recent advances on the measurement of poverty with empirical applications on South-Mediterranean countries. It introduces new tools for analyzing poverty and shows that the linkages between income and well-being are not straightforward and hinge on many determinants. It shows that the efficiency of poverty reducing policies should also be assessed on the basis of the satisfaction of non-income needs like health, education or participation in social life.

Issues of poverty and social exclusion are high on the European policy agenda. This book reports findings from a study funded by the European Commission, using data from the European Community Household Panel, with a multi-dimensional approach to international comparisons of poverty and social exclusion.

This book explores the nature and extent of poverty and social exclusion in six European Union countries: Austria, Germany, Greece, Norway, Portugal and the UK, focusing on groups who are considered at risk.

"Edited by two well-known family researchers at Brigham Young University, this meticulously researched compendium is a trove of useful information on areas where poverty and family issues intersect. This volume should be the first stop for anyone beginning research on poverty and families." —CHOICE The Handbook of Families and Poverty covers hotly debated issues associated with public policy and funded research as they relate to families and poverty. Contributors, bringing multiple perspectives to bear, aim to show alternatives to welfare in subgroups facing specific challenges that are currently not adequately addressed by the welfare system. Readers will appreciate the insightful summaries of research involving poverty and its relationship to couple, marital, and family dynamics. Key Features: Provides a comprehensive view of the issues surrounding families and poverty so that readers may benefit from the findings and insights of their peers in other relevant fields, with the hope that better understanding will bring better solutions. Includes several chapters on application/intervention and theoretical issues Contains writings by contributing authors who are respected experts from a broad range of disciplines and perspectives, including business; child development; family studies; psychology; public policy; social work; and sociology.

A book of essays in Stanley Cohen's honor that examines the main themes he has explored and developed, which are: crime, social control, and human rights.

In an ever-changing economy, market specialists strive to find new ways to evaluate the risks and potential reward of economic ventures by assessing the importance of human reaction during the economic planning process. The Handbook of Research on Behavioral Finance and Investment Strategies: Decision Making in the Financial Industry presents an interdisciplinary, comparative, and competitive analysis of the thought processes and planning necessary for individual and corporate economic management. This publication is an essential reference source for professionals, practitioners, and managers working in the field of finance, as well as researchers and academicians interested in an interdisciplinary approach to combine financial management, sociology, and psychology.