Approches sociologiques et indicateurs de la pauvreté : le cas français

Abstract

This afterword presents a complementary point of view on the questions addressed in this issue of the journal on the theme of poverty. It revisits the etymology of the term poverty and the multiple representations of this phenomenon. It shows that poverty, which a priori appears to be a simple concept to understand, is more complex than one might think, in particular because of its evolving contours. For this reason, it is apprehended / studied by researchers using multiple indicators (monetary, administrative, living conditions and subjective) which are complementary. This article also focuses on the way in which “poor” categories of the population are treated, over time, by the public authorities. Finally, this afterword highlights the social determinants of exits from poverty and presents different hypotheses about the existence of a “halo” of poverty.

Keywords

• representations of poverty
• conceptual approaches to poverty
• treatment of poverty
• “good” and “bad” poor
• pathways
• exit from poverty
• halo of poverty
• social investment perspective