Absolute Poverty in Europe

Keynote Speakers:

David Hulme (Manchester)

Robert Walker (Oxford)

Europe is often portrayed as a continent of "relative" poverty and social exclusion while extreme or "absolute" poverty is understood as a measure and reality of poor ("developing") countries only. This conference aims to question this dichotomy and we invite papers that contribute to an elaborated understanding of severe, extreme or absolute poverty in Europe. Papers should address the specific situations and challenges of groups endangered by absolute poverty such as undocumented refugees, migrant beggars, homeless people, street children or discuss evils related to severe poverty (malnutrition, physical and mental illness, stigma, isolation, etc.). We encourage papers from scholars with backgrounds in the humanities or the social sciences, as well as from practitioners. Furthermore, we particularly welcome papers approaching the normative and political implications of absolute poverty in Europe and its alleviation.

There also will be a special stream on the practice of poverty alleviation in Europe together with the European Office of Red Cross International.