The report catalogues the different understandings and possibilities for creating a common Hungarian terminology for exclusion and inclusion; and tries to highlight the different approaches towards poverty and social exclusion in the international literature. It also comprises of some notes about the difficulties of measuring poverty and social exclusion, the absolute and dynamic approaches, and how different institutions – such as the EU and the Hungarian Statistical Office – have differing measuring tools for social exclusion.
The second part of the report focuses on the chances for involving the political elite in some policies for the second speed Hungary, for those “have not’s”, and what conditions are missing in Hungary at present.

Some of the population was able to adapt itself to the changes of capitalism, but those who were only in the process of integration to mainstream society, capitalism and the collapse of state interventions and security mechanisms came as a shock in the 1990s. Market competition, collapse of state regulated price system came as a shock and uncertainty of living arrangements were a new experience for many.

This is an analysis of the current policy debate and policy making about poverty and social exclusion in Hungary.

None

Prior to 1985 there was no public debate about poverty, while in the last few years when debate finally has started it was about the undeserving poor, maybe as a consequence of the “self-made man” attitude of the other half of the country which was more successful in adapting to capitalism. There is no discourse about poverty and social exclusion. One of the reasons is that we do not have the proper terminology translated into Hungarian. From the example of western European countries we can learn that politics can be changed only with the help of mass social movements but these are impossible without words, words with general meaning to the public. And if words were given there is need for a strong civic society – which is also lacking from Hungary.

Alliance of Social Professionals (Szociális Szakmai Szövetség)
Hungary
http://www.3sz.hu
Ms Zsuzsa Ferge (president)

01/01/2002

Ms Zsuzsa Ferge

research

Urban Policy

Social inclusion & integration