- Risks of poverty and social exclusion in the European Union in the context of achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy (1-10)
The aim of the article was to analyze the current degree of implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy goal in the area of poverty and social exclusion and to create a forecast of the possibilities of achieving this goal by the assumed date (by 2020). The considerations carried out in the article were based on the analysis of the poverty risk or social exclusion rate (AROPE) and its three components. Analysis of the AROPE indicator value showed that the countries with the largest decrease in the indicator value between 2008 and 2018 were Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, while the largest increase in these values occurred in Luxembourg. In turn, the forecast of the value of the AROPE indicator in the EU countries in 2020, made by extrapolating the real values of this indicator in the period 2008-2018, allowed the conclusion that the Europe 2020 strategy goal in the area of poverty and social exclusion will be achieved by 2020
- Depopulation - selected consequences for local social policy (10-15)
Since the 1960s, an increasing area of Poland has been experiencing depopulation, i.e. a decrease in the number of inhabitants. While initially it concerned peripheral rural areas with relatively small population centers, over time this process began to affect the vast majority of rural areas, and then increasingly small and medium-sized cities. Recent population projections indicate that in the vast majority of communes and districts in Poland the population will decrease over the next decades. Depopulation has many economic and social consequences directly affecting the economic vitality of the areas in which it occurs, on the scale and thematic scope of social problems, and on the ability of local governments to solve them. The objectives of the study will be: 1) presentation of the scale of depopulation in terms of space; 2) presentation of the main social problems created or exacerbated by depopulation, as well as problems of local self-government institutions resulting from it, and 3) potential measures to reduce the scale of these problems.
- Economic effects of the "Rodzina 500+" program in the light of household budget surveys in Poland (16-24)
The article presents the results of research on the impact of the "Family 500+" program on the standard of living of households in Poland. For this purpose, a comparative analysis of the relationship between the self-assessment of the level of satisfaction of basic groups of needs and income, consumption expenditure and selected characteristics of households classified according to the biological type criterion was carried out. The situation of households in 2015 and 2017 was compared, i.e. in the year immediately preceding the introduction of the parental benefit program and the year in which the benefit was already paid for the full 12 months. The analysis showed that there was a strong dependence on the assessment of own economic situation of farms both on the obtained income and consumption expenditure. In addition, income from parental benefit significantly improved the economic situation of households with children, and, as a result, the self-assessment of their financial situation and the level of satisfaction of needs. The methods of statistical analysis were used in the research. The article uses source data from panel surveys of household budgets in Poland in 2015 and 2017, conducted by the Central Statistical Office.
- The effects of combining full-time studies with work - theoretical study and survey results (24-29)
Combining full-time studies with paid work has become a popular phenomenon in many countries of the world, including Poland. The purpose of the article is a multi-faceted assessment of its effects in various countries, with particular emphasis on the specifics of this problem in Poland. It reviewed the conclusions of studies conducted on the topic in various countries. The results of the author's research conducted in the years 2014–2017 among students of the University of Economics in Katowice were also presented. They allowed the formulation of conclusions indicating the risks arising from combining full-time studies with work in relation to academic performance, an imbalance between the time spent on study, work and leisure time, potentially endangering health. It has also been shown that benefits for human capital and further career are relatively small and occur mainly in the form of expanding the pool of general competences.
- Loneliness and social relations in people over 60 years of age (30-37)
The aim of the study was to analyze the factors affecting the feeling of loneliness in people over 60 years of age. It was checked: (1) whether people over 60 years of age living in multi-generational homes will significantly differ in terms of a sense of loneliness compared to people from other groups; (2) is there a correlation between the number of household members / people in the respondent's environment and his or her level of loneliness; (3) is there a correlation between the age of the respondents and the intensity of the sense of loneliness; (4) whether the level of loneliness varies according to gender; (5) whether the intensity of the level of loneliness varies depending on the commitment (or lack thereof) in performing additional activities. The survey was a survey. The Loneliness Scale was used to measure the intensity of the feeling of loneliness. It has been proved that the inhabitants of multi-generational homes and people living in nursing homes feel the most lonely. People living alone in housing estates feel the least lonely. The more people are surrounded by people over 60, the more lonely they feel. The feeling of loneliness is not related to the age of the respondents. Women declare a higher sense of loneliness than men. Active people feel significantly less lonely compared to people not involved in additional activities. It is worth encouraging people over 60 to live independently, surrounded by other people in the housing estates. A good solution is to involve these people in the activities of various formal and informal groups. Particular attention should be paid to women over 60 who declare a higher level of loneliness than men.
- Social minimum in the second quarter of 2019 (38-39)
The article presents estimates of the social minimum in the second quarter of 2019. During this period, the values of the social minimum grew at a faster rate than the level of inflation. The main factor behind the higher dynamics of baskets was the increase in food prices, which was strengthened by this year's drought.
Polityka Społeczna (Social Policy) - full list