Description
Book SynopsisThis book provides an extensive and comparative account of how governments go about combating poverty and social exclusion in Europe. Contributions to the volume display robust theoretical anchorage to ground the analysis of the complexities of both multi-level and multi-actor governance, while the perspectives and experiences of target groups are also assessed. Research results elicit enduring problematic aspects that are not likely to disappear when full economic recovery takes place and constitute a must-read for all those interested in how to fight social inequality.'
- Ana M. Guillén, University of Oviedo, Spain
'The authors of this book have succeeded in developing a new and original approach to the study of combating poverty and social exclusion. Using a framework that combines insights from multi-level and network governance theory, the book analyses and compares the governance arrangements that European countries introduced in the context of active inclusion policies, and evaluates why these arrangements work or fail - an ambitious and very relevant project!'
- Rik van Berkel, Utrecht School of Governance, the Netherlands
Discovering methods to combat poverty and social exclusion has now become a major political challenge in Europe. Combating Poverty in Europe offers an original and timely analysis of how this challenge is met by actors at European, national and subnational levels.
Building on a European study comparing Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK, this book provides new insights into the processes and mechanisms that promote or hinder interaction between the increasingly multi-layered European system for responding to poverty and social exclusion in EU member states. The contributors present systematic and comparative analyses of social policy design, institutional frameworks and delivery practices from a multi-level governance perspective.
Original and diverse, this book will appeal to researchers and scholars in comparative social policy, as well as policy officials in the EU, national government and anti-poverty NGOs.
Contributors include: A. Angelin, H. Bennett, D. Clegg, M. Ferrera, R. Halvorsen, B. Hvinden, M. Jessoula, H. Johansson, M. Koch, W. Kozek, J. Kubisa, F. Maino, A. Panican, D. Spannagel, E. Ugreninov, M. Ziele ska
Trade Review‘The book provides a valuable contribution to the analysis of anti-poverty measures and is inevitable reading for all those who are studying the phenomenon of poverty in the 21st century.’ -- Filip Bojić, European Journal of Social Security
‘This book provides an extensive and comparative account of how governments go about combating poverty and social exclusion in Europe. Contributions to the volume display robust theoretical anchorage to ground the analysis of the complexities of both multi-level and multi-actor governance, while the perspectives and experiences of target groups are also assessed. Research results elicit enduring problematic aspects that are not likely to disappear when full economic recovery takes place and constitute a must-read for all those interested in how to fight social inequality.’ -- Ana M. Guillén, University of Oviedo, Spain
‘The authors of this book have succeeded in developing a new and original approach to the study of combating poverty and social exclusion. Using a framework that combines insights from multi-level and network governance theory, the book analyses and compares the governance arrangements that European countries introduced in the context of active inclusion policies, and evaluates why these arrangements work or fail – an ambitious and very relevant project!’ -- Rik van Berkel, Utrecht School of Governance, the Netherlands
‘The editors and authors have produced a well-researched and highly relevant book that reveals the deep complexity of the task of combating poverty in Europe.’ -- Citizen’s Income Newsletter
Table of ContentsContents: PART I BACKGROUND 1. Introduction: How to Achieve Active Inclusion in a Multi-layered Political Context? Rune Halvorsen and Bjørn Hvinden 2. Who is Poor? Linking Perceptions of Poor People and Political Responses to Poverty Bjørn Hvinden and Rune Halvorsen 3. Poverty and Social Exclusion as Challenge for Active Inclusion – The Spatial Dimension Elisabeth Ugreninov and Dorethee Spannagel 4. Poverty and Social Inclusion as Emerging Policy Arenas in the EU Maurizio Ferrera and Matteo Jessoula PART II A MULTI-LEVEL SYSTEM AS SEEN FROM THE NATIONAL ANGLE 5. Institutional Arrangements and Policy Coordination in National Anti-poverty Regimes Daniel Clegg 6. Have Governments Designed Provisions for Lone Mothers, Long-term Unemployed and Working Poor to be Multidimensional and Integrated? Anna Angelin, Hayley Bennett and Marianna Zieleńska 7. Killing, Domesticating or Feeding the Snake: The Implementation of the Europe 2020 Anti-poverty Component at the National Level Matteo Jessoula PART III A MULTI-LEVEL SYSTEM AS SEEN FROM SUBNATIONAL ANGLES 8. Approaches, Actors and Models of Vertical Collaborative Governance Arrangements in Combating Poverty - Five European Cities Compared Max Koch and Alexandru Panican 9. Mixing Multi-level and Network Governance: How do Local Actors Relate to the Policies, Steering Mechanisms and Resources of Higher-level Actors? Håkan Johansson and Franca Maino 10. The Perspectives of Lone Mothers, Long-term Unemployed and Working Poor People on Provisions for Active Inclusion Wiesława Kozek and Julia Kubisa PART IV CONCLUSION 11. An Emerging Multilevel System of Active Inclusion in Europe? Bjørn Hvinden and Rune Halvorsen Index
