Forms of Social Exclusion in Familistic Welfare Capitalism: Family Homelessness in Athens

Journal of Social Research & Policy, Volume: 9, Issue: 1, pp. 69-80

Date: July 2018

ISSN: 2067-2640 (print), 2068-9861 (electronic)

Abstract:This article critically examines the adequacy, limitations and problems of familistic welfare capitalism in protecting vulnerable groups against poverty and social exclusion. After discussing the general characteristics of the familistic type, the predominant role of the family in it as well as the crisis it is undergoing, the article examines the paths of singleparent families towards homelessness in Athens. The field research reveals the structural deficiencies of this type of protection: The absence of family support, housing and family policy residuality, precarious employment, and the conservative culture of the European South are likely to expose vulnerable groups to risks that directly threaten the protection of human life.

Keywords: Crisis; Greece; Social Policy; Southern Europe; Welfare State Regimes.