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The article "Education and its Victims. A Kind of Damage Assessment in Three Case Studies" by Marion Pollmanns deals with the concept of "education victims" and its significance. The author compares this term with the term "poverty victims" and argues that the use of the term "education victims" aims to view education not as an individual attribute, but as a societal phenomenon. It is also pointed out that the advertisement referred to in the article is directed against the introduction of religious education in Berlin schools. The article raises the question of whether education should be considered something negative and whether those who impart education should be seen as perpetrators. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the origin of legal tools for the creation of systematic poor relief in the Austrian monarchy from the period of Joseph II. It is possible to find a certain kind of legal protection for Austrian state citizens in Joseph's Civil Code from 1786 and in the General Civil Code from 1811. The paper analyses the legal principles leading to the establishment of the home community principle for Austrian state citizens, which was essential for providing aid to the poor. Attention focuses on an interpretation of problematic legal terms such as „home settling" or „häusliche Niederlassung", the implementation of which was resolved in legal disputes between state authorities. The author discusses the decrees of the Supreme Court of Justice in Vienna from the last quarter of the 19th century which concerned disputes between municipalities relating to the reimbursement of the costs of poor relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty in old age is a topic of mass communication. Reasons as well as interventions are presented on an individual as well as on a societal level. Regional and national newspapers and magazines, consumer magazines, online press releases and news from the digital offerings of TV and radio stations were researched for the article. The Google Alert search option was used. Since this can continuously display the changes in the WWW, these could also be considered. A descriptive overview was developed that omits quantitative aspects to concentrate on the content and arguments of the term “poverty in old age”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty in Germany is on the rise. All current empirical surveys record this ongoing trend, specifically among certain disadvantaged groups, including older women. Despite the fact that different surveys draw the objective poverty line at different absolute income levels, it is more important, from a comprehensive sociological viewpoint, to include the numerous non-monetary factors – social and infrastructural – that burden the life of a poor person both objectively and subjectively. The so-called relative poverty also examines the contextual conditions, stresses and strains in the surrounding life situations from which poor people suffer from and which limit their life chances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For about two decades, the number of people working beyond retirement age has been rising steadily. On the one hand, this is closely related to the improved health and qualification conditions of older people. On the other hand, it is also due to increasing financial pressure on retirement incomes. According to the motto “retirees just wanna have fun”, pensioners are looking for jobs that they can enjoy. The main motive, however, remains to be the generation of an additional income on top of their pension. If this is not taken into account, the precarious income and living situation often found with working pensioneers is overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the marginalization and poverty of older people in society. It emphasizes that the image of old age as an unproductive phase of life is a distorted deficit image and that social risks such as poverty have more to do with a person's social status than with age itself. The authors shed light on the role of age images and social norms in the marginalization of older people and highlight the importance of digital technologies for their social participation. Therefore, old-age poverty and marginalization in old age are underestimated phenomena with complex causes that will be examined in more detail in this special issue. [Extracted from the article]

The article "»Rich and Poor Meet Each Other« (Prov 22:2)" by Magdalena Lass discusses the reconciliation between the rich and the poor in biblical texts. The texts present various strategies for solidarity in overcoming social inequality and emphasize that poverty should not be a permanent condition. The contrast between the rich and the poor is also a current issue in our society, which is further exacerbated by the inflation resulting from crises. The biblical texts provide guidance and serve as a guide for possible reconciliation or balance between the rich and the poor. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Previous studies among the general population indicated an association between mental illnesses and different forms of financial difficulties, such as indebtedness. Objective: Investigation of the financial burden and associated factors among inpatients and day clinic patients in psychiatric care. Material and methods: A total of 488 patients in psychiatric care in the catchment area of the Psychiatric University Hospital Charité at St. Hedwig Hospital participated in a cross-sectional patient survey carried out with a structured interview regarding financial burden, sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: Of the participants 269 (55.1%) showed outstanding debts, loans or unpaid bills. Among the participants who were willing to give information about the amount of debts, the majority (47.0%) had debts between 1000 € and 9999 € and 36.3% between 10,000 € and 99,999 €. In the binary regression models, younger age and substance use disorders were factors significantly associated with outstanding debts. Of the participants 22.3% had outstanding debts >10,000 € and were depending on social welfare, so that indebtedness could be assumed. Conclusion: Financial burdens and outstanding debts among patients in psychiatric care should be inquired about and considered more intensively in practice. Suitable models of support need to be developed and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a reading of Bühler's Sprachtheorie froma linguistic point of view. Attention is paid to some yet actual and not fully exploited topics: a) the critic of the segmental phonological model; b) the physiognomical model, the Gestalt point of view in the representation of the sound shape of language and a new view on pertinence; c) the theory of two fields and the cooperation between the symbolic field and the deictic one; d) the critic of the principle of the »poverty of the stimulus«; e) the role of the listener; f) the notion of »language game«. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homelessness is an expression of marked social exclusion phenomena and often particularly affects people with mental disorders. Mental disorders often precede the onset of homelessness but can also be a result of homelessness. Different forms of therapeutic and social support interventions have been evaluated in various countries, predominantly with an outreach treatment approach. These interventions were often combined with low threshold availability of housing programs. These showed positive effects on housing stability and reduction of psychiatric symptoms but not in reduction of substance use disorders. Peer support strategies and the use of digital media are possible options for future therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an accepted idea that poverty is much more than low incomes. Consequently, the multidimensional approach has become an alternative way to understand that question. The aim of this paper is to propose an alternative estimation of multidimensional poverty in Colombia. The methodology uses unconventional dimensions, continuous and pseudo-continuous variables; it will estimate dimensional gaps and apply Bourguignon and Chakravarty's methodology. Although, there has been a noticeable reduction of headcount poverty, the multidimensional poverty gap and its severity have not shown the same trend. In addition, there are huge regional differences, and dimensions with high deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines whether and how sacramental liturgy and the Christian life-ethic are intrinsically related, a fundamental problematic in theory and practice in the decades since Vatican Council II. The first half of the essay examines the state of the question, starting with a brief articulation of the normative tradition based in scripture and the council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, followed by a selective review of the theological discussion, centered on Don E. Saliers's virtue-ethics approach. The second half, building on a thesis of Johann Baptist Metz, argues for poverty of spirit as the key virtue for practically bonding liturgy and ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implicit orientation of religious education in both schools and religious communities towards middle-class families leads to the almost complete exclusion of socially disadvantaged children, youth and adults as subjects of religious learning by life-course based models of religious education. Starting with a critical assessment of milieu-based forms of exclusion in various places of religious learning, this contribution lays out theoretical perspectives towards including individuals affected by poverty and develops empirical research perspectives based on a biographical case study of an informal process of religion-related education ("Bildung") as experienced by one socially marginalised youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Successful China" by Robert Fitzthum presents facts about poverty alleviation, green transformation, and human-friendly cities of the future. The book includes an interview with Zhang Weiwei, a professor of International Relations and Dean of the China Institute at Fudan University in Shanghai. Zhang emphasizes that China wants to learn from the West while preserving its own identity. The book provides a detailed account of the measures and fields of work that China has taken to lift millions of people out of poverty. It is a contribution to promoting an unbiased understanding of China and creating a sustainable German-Chinese policy. [Extracted from the article]

Information on Historische Kriminalitätsforschung in landesgeschichtlicher Perspektive, a conference that was held at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Erlangen, Germany from October 14-16, 2015 is presented. Topics discussed include historical criminology, poverty in Hamburg, Germany and authoritarian crime. The symposium featured several historians including Gerd Schwerhoff, Dirk Brietzke and Ulrich Hausmann.

An intensification of social inequality can be observed in several countries of the European Union. As a result, poverty has become a key concept of the EU’s social policy agenda. Because of family members' commitment to unconditional mutual solidarity, families are considered to be an important bulwark in the war on poverty. Poor families, however, are unable to fulfil such expectations. Their daily lives, as well as the family itself as an institution, are marked by pressures resulting from institutional transformations of labour markets and the welfare state. This contribution outlines the specific challenges that poor families face and describes three typical strategies of coping with poverty within the family. While routinisation and intensification strategies are only moderately successful in improving the family situation, seeking options is a strategy that opens up new opportunities, which also offers entry points for providing social aid and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report from a panel on the modern history of pathologization of poverty and homelessness, convened during the Historikertag, the annual congress of the Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands (VHD) and Verband der Geschichtslehrer Deutschlands (VGD) professional associations in Göttingen, Germany on September 20-23, 2016. Topics discussed included the British Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-minded, victim-blaming and the willingness to work in services for homeless Germans in the late 19th century, and regional differences in services for the poor between East and West Germany.

The article reports on a conference on poverty and social inequality in Germany after the Second World War, held in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, from October 11-13, 2012. Topics of discussion included debates about social policy and social justice, rural poverty, and the effect of poverty on children and the ill.

This paper explores the duty of charity as a new interpretation key for the lockean theory of property. First, I explicit its demands, deontic status, and theological and philosophical foundations. This analysis is complemented by a consideration of a brief essay of 1697, in which Locke proposed a reform of the elizabethan English Poor Law. As a result of this examination I conclude that even though the duty of charity does not compromise any property rights, it presupposes a minimal core of redistributive justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social inclusion still is wishful thinking in East and Southeast Europe. Apart from official, but not sufficient basic social protection such as pensions and unemployment benefits the new economic systems of the transforming states cannot be considered as "social market economy" in terms of the German model. In countries like Romania up to 30 per cent of the population still live below or slightly above the poverty level, important social problems are still unsolved. Among these are the brain drain and the irrational ratio of profits, wages and prices, the high share of pensioners and early pensioners, an ailing and inefficient health system, poverty and prostitution as well as the distressing demographic development. Since 1990 there has been no real social policy existing in Romania. Socially disadvantaged groups have no lobby in politics, media, science and society. Romania's President Traian Basescu summoned experts in autumn 2009 to elaborate a "Social Report" that critically analyses the development since 1989. The article presents this Report as one of the most important political documents in post-revolutionary Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Schwerter Arbeitskreis Katholizismusforschung (Schwerte Working Group for Catholic Studies) conference, titled "Katholizismus transnational? Über Chancen und Grenzen eines neuen Ansatzes" ("Catholicism Transnational? About the Opportunities and Limitations of a new Approach"), that was held in Schwerte, Germany in 2010. Topics discussed include Catholic gender roles, the discourse on poverty in Catholic newspapers, and the history of the Pax Christi organization.

The future arrangement and funding of pension systems is increasingly the subject of recent public discussion. This paper addresses this issue, deals specifically with the two competing pension system models, "Bismarck" and "Beveridge" and examines some of their economic and sociopolitical impacts. The reto the implications of the two systems are explained theoretically and hypotheses about their effectiveness with regard to labor market, pension level, old-age poverty and pension distribution are generated. Finally, these are tested by means of macroeconomic data of selected European states. Altogether, indications can be found that the models "Bismarck" and "Beveridge" have different effects and impacts on the four factors analysed and that the hypotheses tend to be confirmed. After all, it is necessary to carry out a larger country study to verify the correlations and to test for significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question addressed by this article has to do with the content of preaching in the context of laws about affirmative action affecting white South Africans. This question results from the findings of previous research by the author regarding the experience of God by people negatively affected by these laws. The article argues that preaching of the parables on the kingdom of God can help people to find hope and a meaningful existence as followers of Jesus. The contemporary understanding by New Testament scholars of how the parables should be interpreted is discussed. Most of the authentic versions of the parables of Jesus are diaphoric metaphors. The kingdom message of Jesus to the subculture of the disreputable poor creates an alternative life world in contrast to the violence, injustice and discrimination of worldly states. The eschatology of the parables in Matthew should be interpreted as ethical eschatology real in nature. Interpreting these parables ethically helps pastors to preach Jesus' kingdom message anew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of human dignity is closely tied to the idea of self-esteem. According to Avishai Margalit a „decent society‟ is characterized especially by its social institutions that perceive citizens as self-determined subjects of their own actions and not as objects of external decisions. Self-esteem means in this sense understanding the fact that the personal interests must be seen by the others as appropriate and of the same value. This central theme is closely connected to the modern republican concept of freedom as non-domination. If this concept is related to the configuration of the market economy and to the eradication of poverty, then we come to the idea of socio-economic civic rights, which protect the citizens' status from arbitrary interference by the state or the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Ancient Orient it was the king's high duty to take care of the poor. The same expectation existed also in Israel, but Israel knew that God JHWH himself took care of the poor and punished those who, although they were rich, did not mind people in suffering. In Israel there was the ideal that no poor should exist, that is why the prophets attacked the rich people in a period of welfare, if they ignored the poor. When Israel was under foreign rule, the whole people understood themselves as „poor‟ and the support for the outcast grew significantly. Jesus blesses the „poor‟ and gives them a new impulse, a real perspective. The Christians underline the fact that it is not only about eradicating poverty, but also about the communion with Christ and with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that there is no world crisis as serious as the alarming extent of poverty and its consequences. Various approaches have resulted in different concepts about poverty being developed. This means that a fundamental distinction must be made between objective and subjective views. Poverty has many causes, including discrimination, unequal distribution of, and access to resources, as well as social and cultural stigmatisation. At the same time, poverty can also be a violation of the human dignity. Responsibility for human rights both at the national and international level always lies with the state; it has the duty to guarantee people's rights. The people in the poorest regions of the world can appeal to the human rights not before of the community of states, but only in their own country, if it has guaranteed the respect of the human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article debates on the concept of poverty, trying to emphasize its theological meanings from a Christian perspective. Discussing in its first part the notion of poverty and its theoretical classifications, in its second part the article evaluates poverty from an ethical-religious point of view, showing some practical theological consequences. In its last part the article considers the relationship between poverty and human dignity from the Christian view, starting from the concept of imago Dei and emphasizing love as the main determinant in the fight against poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate upon development aid policy shows that the material parameter is not enough to measure prosperity and that the effort to overcome poverty must consider a variety of complex factors. Amartya Sen's capability approach has given decisive impulses to this debate and it has changed the view on the relationship between poverty, freedom and development. The research project „Human Dignity and Poverty in Romania‟ intends to find out to what extent a reinforcement of the human dignity could contribute to overcoming poverty. After a discussion about the usefulness of this term in the ethical debates, a distinction between the fundamental and empirical human dignity will be suggested and the empirical human dignity will be again subdivided in internal and external factors. The operationalization of the latter factors with respect to empirical investigations is supported by the content-related unfolding in five dimensions: freedom, relationality, living standard, creativity, values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]