FROM POWERTY TO SOCIAL EXCLUSION

The term 'social exclusion' dominates both the discussions and fight against poverty in the European Union. It has entered the Slovak politics as an imported notion and is utilised without any expert and public discussion. The aim of this study is to draw the attention to the process of conceptualisation regarding social exclusion. The authors clarify differences as well as social aspects of the academic and political discourse on poverty and social exclusion in Western European countries. Furthermore, they describe and explain the content of the concepts and how the term's content changes in relation to time (the old and the new poverty) and context (science versus politics). The political denotation and impacts of social exclusion is also analysed. This contribution offers an overview of various facets of social exclusion and possibilities of their operationalisation.