This research project seeks to gauge the autonomous power of the European Commission within the Open Method of Coordination (OMC), a new mode of governance coined at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 and based on the principle of the voluntary cooperation of Member States. Two cases form the basis of this inquiry, namely, quality in work, a policy issue addressed under the banner of the European Employment Strategy, and child poverty and social exclusion, a key item on the agenda of the OMC for Social Inclusion. A primary impetus at the heart of this project is one of ontological pluralism. Rejecting a zero-sum interpretation of the rationalist/constructivist debate, this study constitutes a plea for a conversation across paradigms. The domain-of-application model employed here works by preserving the integrity of individual theories while specifying a particular scope condition under which constructivist and rationalist insights are likely to prevail. Selecting two cases on the basis of the critical scope condition of issue sensitivity, a central postulate informing this integrative research design is that high issue sensitivity (quality in work) invites strategic interaction among pre-constituted social actors driven by a behavioural logic of utility-maximization, while low issue sensitivity (child poverty and social exclusion) allows for a fundamentally norm-guided behaviour. Concretely, in effecting this theoretical dialogue, two sets of causal hypotheses are examined. On the one hand, rational choice institutionalism (principal-agent theory) offers a number of suppositions about the Commission’s institutional power, that is, its ability to transform the conditions of action of self-seeking national governments. On the other hand, sociological institutionalism conceptualizes the Commission’s productive power (i.e. its power to constitute the interests and identities of individual agents) through the lens of discourse analysis. Testing theoretical predictions against collected data makes plain the superior explanatory value of independent variables and causal mechanisms of rationalist lineage in capturing the essence of the Commission’s autonomous power in the case of quality in work and the congruity of sociological institutionalism’s original conjectures in the area of child poverty and social exclusion. Crucially, this strict correspondence corroborates the pertinence of the critical scope condition of issue sensitivity in delineating the explanatory ambit of both theories and attests to the co-existence of different forms of autonomous power wielded by the Commission within the framework of the OMC.

Au cours des dernières années, le Québec fut durement touché par des vagues massives de licenciements collectifs. Après l’industrie du textile et du vêtement, c’est maintenant au tour de l’industrie forestière de subir, de plein fouet, les contrecoups d’une économie en pleine mutation. Les résultats des entrevues réalisées au printemps 2008, auprès des travailleurs de la Louisiana-Pacific de Saint-Michel-des-Saints, attestent de l’incapacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif à prendre adéquatement en charge les travailleurs victimes de ces fermetures d’usines. Pour évaluer le degré d’efficacité des dispositions sur le licenciement collectif, nous partons d’une étude empirique visant le processus de restructuration d’une grande entreprise papetière, qui conduit à la fermeture de son usine de traitement du bois à St-Michel-des-Saints. Des entretiens conduits auprès des travailleurs, des acteurs locaux comme des dirigeants du syndicat et de la communauté locale, et d’autres acteurs syndicaux et gouvernementaux permettent de reconstruire les étapes conduisant aux licenciements collectifs et à leur suite. Seule la mobilisation syndicale (blocus de l’usine) a permis de bonifier les faibles mesures palliatives prévues initialement par la loi. Cette mobilisation n’a toutefois pas empêché de constater des effets négatifs marqués (appauvrissement, sentiment d’exclusion, tensions familiales, etc.) chez les travailleurs victimes de ce licenciement massif. / In recent years, Québec has severely been hit by massive waves of group terminations. After the textile and clothing industry, the forest industry is now facing the after-effects of a changing economy. The interviews obtained in spring 2008 with the Louisiana–Pacific workers in Saint-Michel-des–Saints, show that the provisions on group termination do not take appropriate measures for workers who are victims of such closing down industries. To evaluate the efficiency of group termination provisions, we have undertaken an empirical study on the operational improvement and downsizing process of a large paper company that have lead to the permanent closure of the treated lumber plant in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Discussions with workers and local actors such as the union leaders and members of the community, other union and government leaders have helped us rebuild the steps leading to these group terminations and to the follow–up. It is only through mobilization called by the union (with a plant blockade) that gains were made in the small dismissal measures initially provided by the regulation. This mobilization, however, did not prevent other important negative effects such as impoverishment, feelings of exclusion and family tensions on workers who have had to live through this group termination of employment.

The thesis is divided into the theoretical and the practical part. The theoretical part consists of three chapters, the first is devoted to familiarization with the problems of homelessness. I deal with the social aspects of this phenomenon, such as social exclusion and associated problems of social inclusion in the second chapter. The final chapter discusses the possibilities of assistance directed at homeless people. The practical part includes qualitative research where I try by means of ten case studies to bring the fate of homeless people who seek the services of institutions, where they can find qualified help in solving a wide range of problems that may be the cause of their present situation. By analyzing data, I try to figure out what is behind the possible success or failure of such persons in the pursuit of social inclusion.

THE ATTITUDES OF SOCIALLY EXLUDED FAMILIES TOWARDS EDUCATION Abstract This graduation thesis is concerned with the families living in the localities of social exclusion and with their attitudes towards education. The main purpose of this work is to study attitudes towards education and to design potential solutions to existing problems. The theoretical part of the diploma thesis describes the basic concepts related to the topic, deals with the problems concerning education of people with the social and cultural disadvantage and describes the characteristcs of the locality of social exlusion Náhlov. The practical part is divided into the research part which explores attitudes of Náhlov families towards education and the project part which describes an attempt to solve some of the existing problems.

This thesis deals with low-threshold institutions for juveniles. First part describes the usual clients and their problems, i.e. what are clients' needs and what the institution is supposed to offer them. Influence of the society on an individual mental development are covered as it is one of the important agents of problems in the youth. Briefly is presented the Czech streetwork association, an organization supporting low-threshold institutions. The theoretical part includes origin and historical development of low-threshold institutions, their standards, their focus group and methods of work with clients. Second part contains results of a survey carried out among low-threshold institutions workers. The questionnaire was focused on motivation for this particular job, methods of work, burnout syndrome etc. The practical part of the thesis also includes a description of a chosen institution. Personal experiences is described to complete an overview of requirements and effects of the low-threshold institutions.

This diploma thesis deals with poverty and social exclusion in the context of education, on both a theoretical and empirical level. The theoretical part provides a comprehensive picture of the phenomena of poverty, social exclusion and low-income families and then shows them towards education. The theoretical basis of the protection of families and children is also clarified in this part. The text focuses in detail on the specifics of the schooling of students from low-income families in Most, this focus is then extended by a qualitative data survey in the practical part. The research report provides interpretation of data from interviews with primary school pupils in Most, whose families meet the poverty risk attributes. The results of the practical part capture the student's perception of their educational careers. The results of research interviews are then confronted with the conclusions of the research reports mentioned in the theoretical part. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The subject of this thesis is to describe the approach of the state and the non-profit sector to education of Romani children in Eastern Slovakia. The theoretical part is focused on the approach of state, from pre-school through elementary school. The second chapter is devoted to the concept of social disadvantages and definitions of children coming from this type of environment. It clarifies known concepts such as zero class, preparatory class, teacher assistant and a full-day educational system, related to primary education and pupils from socially disadvantaged environment. The practical part is specifically dedicated to a single non-profit organization working in eastern Slovakia, ETP Slovakia - Center for Sustainable Development, with a description of the organization and their projects. Qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews. The aim of this thesis is to describe the activities of five staff members of the NGO ETP Slovakia, their preferred styles of work with children and to find out if they themselves see the benefits of non-profit organizations within the village Velka Ida. This thesis should be helpful for workers in the field of education of Roma and socially disadvantaged children, helping them to become familiar with the concepts and principles associated...

The thesis aims to map the social housing system in Prague and to contribute to evaluating effectiveness of the policy. The study analyses 15 city districts of Prague, focusing on the conditions and process for selection of tenants. Currently, social housing is not regulated by law and therefore city districts are legally autonomous in decision making. The thesis is explorative, and studies policy documentation (primarily policy of city districts dealing with management stock of dwellings). I then carried out semi-structured interviews with actors of social housing (social services users, social workers of shelter services and officials of city districts). The study pursues a deeper understanding of issues connected with housing needs and the role of social housing as a solution to housing problems, as well as barriers which limit the related process of securing housing. There are two groups of condition (general and specific) which city districts use to regulate social housing. General conditions comprise citizenship, permanent residence, non-ownership of residential property, non-participation in privatization, non-existence of debts to the city (or repayment) and income limits or condition for receiving social benefits. Next, city districts regulate renting a flat by specific conditions, for...

The work focuses on the models of work with ethnic minorities and especially the process of social inclusion of Roma through the social pedagogy. The dissertation consists of two parts: The first part examines the theoretical approaches. The social education plays a key role in an effective process of social inclusion of the Roma. Other disciplines also offer specific inputs in the work with minorities, which cannot be overlooked; nevertheless, there is no definite model to replicate. Roma inclusion is a process that is influenced by many variables. The key factor is the mutual relations with the Non-Roma population and their historical development. Although the integration process has been ongoing for more than 20 years, we are still looking for an answer to the success of Roma inclusion projects and activities. The key question, then, is how do the project implementers perceive the key moments that make their project and its activities successful. Thus, the research focuses to identify specific approaches, activities, inclusion principles. The survey shows that the social and cultural context, that is Roma-specific, perhaps generates certain preconditions that make pro-Roma projects successful. Emphasis on individual approach and complexity at the same time makes the assistance in the process of...

It is widely agreed that a society must guarantee a social minimum to all its members. Yet, the organisation of social protection within the European Union (EU) is insufficient to protect all Europeans effectively against the risk of poverty and social exclusion. Against this backdrop, this thesis investigates whether a European universal basic income (EUBI) is, if at all, a worthwhile policy to address the problem of poverty in the EU.The central claim of the study posits that there are strong reasons to consider a partial EUBI as a desirable instrument for EU-wide poverty alleviation. Under this scenario, the EU works as a complementary welfare layer offering systemic support to its Member States’ welfare models whilst respecting the diversity of national social protection arrangements. At the same time, as an instrument of pan-European solidarity, the EUBI provides substance to EU social citizenship.The method used is problem-oriented and interdisciplinary, combining insights from political theory, political economy and EU studies writ large. After having layed out the various dimensions underpinning the problem of poverty in the EU and clarified the contours of the solution under scrutiny, the thesis confronts the EUBI with a series of challenges, ranging from normative issues associated with the unconditionality of the basic income and the pursuit of social justice in the EU, to the institutional hurdles pertaining to the legal feasibility of the proposal, via the macroeconomic difficulties related to the diversity of interdependent economies.Overall, this contribution examines an idea which remains unexplored in EU studies and proposes a new approach to European anti-poverty strategy. It also bridges the gap between EU social policy and basic income literatures, beyond established boundaries of research compartmentalisation. As such, it prepares the ground for further fine-tuned research in the areas covered by this comprehensive multi-dimensional analysis. / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished