EUKN - Luxembourg - Social reporting for the municipality of Esch: Social infrastructure and quality of life from the view of socially disadvantaged circumstances

Social reporting for the municipality of Esch: Social infrastructure and quality of life from the view of socially disadvantaged circumstances

Introduction

The study analyses the social infrastructure and quality of life in the city of Esch-sur-Alzette by taking on the point of view of socially disadvanted citizens.

Description

For the city of Esch and also for the state of Luxembourg at all this social reporting marked the beginning of a municipal social planning. For that purpose the social infrastructure and the quality of life of people in problematic situations was examined. Through the inventory an overview of the quantity, structure and quality of the social services could be provided. The survey of selected people in problematic situations examined the quality of life of these people. Various aspects of the term “quality of life” were considered in detail: income, cultural participation, recreational activities, integration into a social network etc.

Background information

The city of Esch decided to start a continuous monitoring of the social sector in 2001. At regional level, the social reporting aims at supporting a comprehensive and citizen-friendly social planning. Thus, on the one hand the social reporting surveys the living circumstances of the citizens (e.g. income, housing, health etc.). On the other hand, the social reporting verifies the social infrastructure, which represents the answers to the social needs.

Methodology

The research is devided in two parts. Firstly, an inventory of the social infrastructure was made. A standardised questionnaire was sent to the social services to receive the desired information about e.g. sponsorship, key activities, personal situation etc.
Secondly, the research conducted a deeper examination of the circumstances of citizens in problematic situations (e.g. unemployment, single parent, foreign citizen etc.). Therefore, 30 citizens in socially problematic situations were chosen for interviews.

EU involvement

None.

Conclusions

The survey of the social infrastructure resulted in a number of specific findings. Some prevailing findings for all services are:

The social infrastructure of Esch is marked by an extraordinary broad supply of social services.
The services are relevant for people far beyond the borders of the municipality.
Child care for those up to 4 years and for pupils up to 12 years is quite good but still does not meet the existing needs.
The services are rather small and highly specialised.
Many services have reached the limits of their work capacity.
There are no specific services for the large share of citizens of foreign background.

Condensed main findings of the interviews are:

There is an overall low contentment of people with life and their future perspectives.
Mobility and flexibility are limited; the housing situation is not satisfactory.
The problems of the people are hard to solve with the standardised instruments of the magisterial support

Contact info

Service du développement social de la Ville d’Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette
Luxembourg
www.esch.lu
Emmanuel CORNÉLIUS, tel. +352 547383-524

Publication date

Project finished

//2002

Researcher

FOREG Forschungsstelle für regionale Sozialforschung Dr. Manfred Schenk

Cities

The research covers the city of Esch-sur-Alzette in the South of Luxembourg.

Links

Forschungsstelle für Regionale Sozialforschung

Sozialberichterstattung für die Gemeinde Esch Deutsch

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Keywords

Integration of social groups, Quality of life

Institutional characteristics Academic/Research