The paper presents thematic analyses relating to migration processes, situated between the Legacy of the Past and Challenges of the Future. The authors focus on a complex migration process referring to key factors that characterise it as well as dominant concepts in host societies: segregation and integration. The theoretical considerations undertaken in the text are primarily oriented towards presenting the diverse situation of Migrant Children and Youth “On the Move” as a category of the young generation affected by migration processes. The text is an attempt to reflect on the functioning of migrant backgrounds in the context of children’s and adolescents’ integration with the new place of residence. Particular attention was drawn to fragile areas generating distance, social exclusion and consequently hindering the process of integration.

Contrary to the huge involvement of various social groups, implementation of numerous aid programmes, social exclusion, discrimination, marginalisation are still present in various social groups all over the world, and various strategies of social inclusion, including administrative and legal tools for its practical implementation, prove to be ineffective. The aim of this article is to indicate mutual dependencies and conditions as well as social contexts determining the illusory nature of inclusion activities undertaken, first of all, in relation to people with disabilities, but also people excluded from reasons other than disability.

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie problematyki jakości życia osób z przewlekłą chorobą dermatologiczną. W pierwszej części opracowania scharakteryzowano pojęcie choroby przewlekłej, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem choroby dermatologicznej jako kategorii piętna powodującego marginalizację oraz wykluczenie społeczne. Część druga dotyczy jakości życia osób z chorobą dermatologiczną na płaszczyznach: fizycznej, psychicznej oraz społecznej. W części trzeciej opisano trudności terapeutyczne i funkcjonalne, których doświadczają osoby cierpiące na wybrane schorzenia dermatologiczne: atopowe zapalenie skóry, łysienie plackowate oraz łuszczycę. Zakończenie jest próbą wskazania przykładów działań pomocowych podejmowanych przez sektor pozarządowy na rzecz osób chorujących dermatologicznie.

Celem artykułu jest wskazanie zarówno na te elementy środowiska społecznego, które włączają osobę ze spektrum zaburzeń autystycznych do swego grona, udzielając jej wsparcia, jak i te elementy, które mają charakter wykluczający, czy to w sposób jawny, deklarowany, czy też ukryty, pozornie włączający. Na tle rozważań dotyczących porównania środowiska włączającego i wyłączającego zaprezentowano opisy przeżyć dwóch dorosłych mężczyzn z zaburzeniami autystycznymi doświadczających konsekwencji obu omawianych zjawisk w retrospektywnej narracji ich matek. Z prezentowanych analiz wyników badań zagranicznych i pogłębionych wywiadów wynika, że zarówno środowiska z założenia włączające (szkoła inkluzyjna), jak i segregacyjne (szkoła specjalna) zawierają elementy społecznie włączające oraz wykluczające osoby ze spektrum zaburzeń autystycznych. Do włączających elementów środowiska można zaliczyć nauczycieli - prezentujących nastawienia pro- integracyjne i kształtujących wśród rówieśników pozytywne zachowania społeczne o charakterze integracyjnym i chroniącym osoby narażone na wiktymizację. Negatywne doświadczenia wiktymizacji mogą prowadzić do nasilenia zaburzeń nerwicowych i poczucia osamotnienia, i izolacji społecznej. Natomiast pozytywne doświadczenia szkolne i udział w zorganizowanych działaniach społecznych jest predykatorem większego udziału osób ze spektrum zaburzeń autystycznych w niezorganizowanych działaniach społecznych w życiu dorosłym.

Social exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon extending beyond poverty, unemployment, access to various goods and services, but also covering the scope of breakdown of social ties and a sense of isolation as well as dependence on others. This phenomenon affects various social groups, but seniors experience the effects of social exclusion in a special way. This article aims to show how the transport-related social exclusion of seniors influences their psychosocial functioning. The problem of transport-related exclusion in Poland currently affects 13.8 million people living in municipalities where there is no organized public transport. The article tries to answer the question about the extent to which the surveyed seniors experience transportation disadvantage and how the limited access to public transport affects their psychosocial functioning. The obtained results quite clearly indicate that the elderly experience many effects of transport-related exclusion, which has an impact on the quality of their life. The communication exclusion limits their access to health care, which results in decreasing their health. Seniors experience exclusion due to difficult access to public transport, goods and services that affect their life quality. Research shows that seniors feel dependent on others. Restricting contacts with family and friends causes them to feel lonely.

Changes in Social and Political Order and Their Impact on the Democracy

This article analyzes the rise and diffusion of the radical changes in the fields of international relations and social security that pose a challenge for capitalist representative democracy. This concept reflects the simple idea that the era characterized by strong global economic influences, worldwide aging population, longevity and longer life expectancy, changing labor markets, migration, technological and communications developments, mobility and transportation gives no reason to believe in representative democracy as the future of the world. This article suggests a new point of view on the discussion of the factors that mostly influence social order, social security, labor markets and democracy.

Social Exclusion and Constitutional Determinants of Human Dignity

The purpose of this study is to refer (relativize) constitutionally determined human dignity to human rights and to demonstrate social exclusion against this background. The scholarly supposition that the category of social exclusion does not have an independent character and that deriving de lege lata the right to protection against social exclusion is premature was given the form of a research hypothesis. Its confirmation or falsification will be done in the shadow of the assumption according to which exclusion should be considered in a two-way fashion: as social exclusion and, separately, as legal exclusion. The introduction of the second category is a relatively new area of research that addresses this subject matter.

Social and economic functioning of women at risk of social exclusion during the Covid-19 pandemic

The main objective of the paper is to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the situation of Polish women whose common features are uncertain life circumstances. In March and April of this year, we held a qualitative study on this subject (Focus Group Interview). The choice of this research tool allowed for collecting testimonials that resulted in better understanding of problems and attitudes of women who due to their specific life circumstances were likely to endure more severely the consequences of the pandemic. Our analysis of presented input also leads to a conclusion about the dysfunctional nature of social policy.

The modern world is currently facing new social threats, which pose a challenge to the existing aid systems. Circumstances like intensive migration processes or the uncertain situation resulting from ongoing military conflicts cause increased cultural differences, which intensify the marginalisation and social exclusion of minority groups. The Acting in Context by Training the Trainers in Social Empowerment (ACTTE) project was prepared to respond to emerging needs. The project was implemented in a consortium of 4 universities and 4 NGOs from Poland, France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium. The main goals of the project were: (1) development of tools for intervention work (toolbox) based on the Empowerment concept (emphasising increased control over one’s own life, self-confidence, and one’s abilities, and social integration among recipients of aid activities) for employees of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with marginalised and socially excluded people as well as academic teachers educating future educators and social workers, (2) developing competencies/skills in DPA (Developing the Power to Act) – an approach using the concept of Empowerment in people participating in training (both NGO employees and academic teachers). The article focuses on the project’s implementation process.

The social assistance system faces challenges related to the emergence of new problems (e.g., migration processes, military conflicts). The ACTTE project was prepared in response to these needs. It is based on the Empowerment concept, which emphasises the social strengthening and restoration of people’s total possible participation. One of the project’s tasks was to conduct research. Its methodology was based on the action research concept. As part of the research, interviews were conducted. Data were collected on participants’ experiences gained during the training and utilising the acquired knowledge and skills in professional practice. The results are presented in the article.

The main objective of the paper is to indicate the contribution of Social Investment paradigm and the Social Business model to the process of socioeconomic inclusion. The concept of social effectiveness and the methods of its measurement will be used to achieve the objective. Social Business is built on loans for the poorest and micro-credits for those who can afford to pay interest, however, for the banking system they remain unreliable. According to the European Social Investment paradigm, the government’s spending on social services should not be perceived as redistribution but rather conceptualized as investments that bring a return in the form of larger share in the labour market, greater employee productivity, etc. These two solutions are to support socioeconomic inclusion by combating, above all, financial exclusion defined as financial situation which involves the lack of access to the resources, goods and services, and the inability to participate in social life.

Among the many rights guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, what deserves special attention is the right of persons with disabilities to independent living and inclusion in society, as recorded in Article 19. This law applies to everyone regardless of age, ability, type of disability or mental health problems. In practice, this implies the need for the State to take effective measures to facilitate the full integration and participation of people with disabilities in the society. In the paper, the authors attempted to answer the question whether the Polish state has taken effective measures aimed at making it easier for people with disabilities to fully integrate and participate in social life. In this connection, they pointed out the need for deinstitutionalisation of social assistance, pointing to two important tools to enable it to be implemented in practice.

Seeking and experiencing the social support by people with a homosexual orientation

The article presents the results of a study on the subject of seeking and experiencing the social support by homosexual people and the social attitudes they experience (fear of rejection, lack of understanding, discrimination, acceptance). The study used the original questionnaire, which was completed by 108 people with a homosexual orientation. The research material was collected using the snowball method. The research of the results indicate the search for support in various people/groups depending on the crisis situation affecting homosexuals. The group by which they feel supported and accepted are primarily their friends, and the person with whom they most often seek and experience support in the family environment is their mother. A significant percentage of the respondents also benefit/ed from the support of specialists. Most homosexual people don’t feel accepted in Poland, pay attention to the sense of social exclusion, discrimination, fear of revealing their homosexual orientation in the sphere of social life and their own family. All these factors can cause an increased need to seek and receive social support.

Poverty, material need in Slovakia, and particularly among Romany population, is one of the biggest present day problems. This article deals with social exclusion and poverty of Romany people, its expression in selected areas of their life including the value of labour. Theoretical analysis is illustrated by the results of regional and Slovak-wide research.

In the article I have presented the opinions and assessments of experts/ practitioners working with handicapped people on the causes, fields of social exclusion, factors facilitating and impeding their social inclusion. The research described in the text presents a short report on the research conducted by me in 2010, which will be published in the book entitled Danger of the Social Exclusion of Disabled Women.

This paper attempts to show an idea of art therapy as complex: social, psychological and cultural system. Art therapy, in this sense, is not just a therapy (in traditional sense). Due to critical philosophical and social theories art therapy, in intersectional perspective, is strictly connected with feminism, queer, critical art and postcolonial movement. The most important ideas of intersectional theory (such as awareness of multidimensional problems of minorities) are also important for art therapy which shows practical implications of art therapy’s theory. The article is concerned with art therapy as a discipline. It shows practical applications of intersectional ideas in institutional and existential perspectives of art therapist’s work. The text shows specific art movements connected with work against prejudice and stigmatization.