Executive Summary

Societies and their constant evolution often determine entail processes of social marginalisation which result in the discrimination of various population groups. Therefore, the concern of political and socio-governmental constitution should unfailingly be the restriction and avoidance of social inequality and the consolidation of social inclusion. Precarious situations, i.e. powerlessness to shape one's own life due to material and immaterial undersupply, jeopardise the well-being of those affected in a fundamental way.
Precarious living conditions are constantly challenging the society making it impossible toestablish social balance and to ensure social harmony between different social and culturalgroups, generations or even genders. Important tools are the guarantee of universal human rights, the implementation of constitutional commands, the adjustment of social protection systems, government transfers, changes to the general structural framework, but also the support of individuals to enable them to manage their lives independently.

The ISS project team 'Precarious aspects of life' deals mainly with the causes and effects of precarious living conditions. The aim is to identify potential social risks and to analyse their effects on social risk groups, such as children, the elderly or migrants, and to determine protective factors that may alleviate and appease negative consequences of discrimination and deprivation. Significant research perspectives refer to the organisation of various life situations and their impact on life and social environments.

Scope of the task force

In 2009/10 professional discourses are planned on the following areas of interest:

● Early support and sponsorship of socially disadvantaged children and   youths with a high risk of poverty

● Development of an approach to prevent poverty for the practice of social work on a municipal level

● "Social reporting as a tool of local poverty prevention with the main focus   being on poverty prevention in children"

● Successful skills and knowledge transfer in socially disadvantaged youths.

Your contact person at ISS-Frankfurt am Main

Recent publications of the project team

Dittmann, Jörg; Goebel Jan: Your house, your car, your education. The socioeconomic situation of the neighborhood and its impact on life satisfaction in Germany. In: Social Indicators Research, Paper Accepted May 2009.

Dittmann, Jörg; Scheuer, Angelika: Deutschland in Europa, Lebensbedingungen und Wohlbefinden in Europa, Kapitel 16. In: Datenreport 2008, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Bonn 2008, 435-441.

Holz, Gerda; Hock, Beate: Infantilisierung von Armut begreifbar machen – Die AWO-ISS-Studien zu familiärer Armut. in: Vierteljahresheft zur Wirtschaftsforschung 1/2006.

Holz, Gerda: Lebenslagen und Zukunftschancen von Kindern in Deutschland, in: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, Ausgabe B 26/2006 vom 26. Juni 2006.

Holz, Gerda: Wer fördert Deutschlands sozial benachteiligte Kinder, in: Bertelsmann Stiftung (Hg.): Jedes Kind mitnehmen – Bildungschancen für Kinder aus sozial benachteiligten Familien, Gütersloh 2007, S. 10-13.

Holz, Gerda: Wer fördert Deutschlands sozial benachteiligte Kinder?. Studie zu Rahmenbedingungen der Arbeit von Kitas mit Kindern aus sozial benachteiligten Familien, Gütersloh 2007, unter:

www.bertelsmannstiftung.de/bst/de/media/xcms_bst_dms_22499__2.pdf.

Holz, Gerda: Kinderarmut in Deutschland – Eine Realität?, in: Niedersächsische Gespräche zwischen Ärztinnen, Juristinnen und Theologinnen e.V. (Hg.): Kinderarmut und Gesundheit in Deutschland, Hannover 2007, S. 12-31.

Please refer to our key topic "Poverty and social marginalisation": ISS-informiert 2/2007.