Measuring Subjective Poverty: Methodological and Application Aspects

The aim of the research is to propose a procedure for the construction of a synthetic measure of subjective household poverty. The proposed procedure takes into account the aggregation of factors describing the past, present, and future, making it easier to discern the issue of the sense of deprivation of needs. To this end, methods based on the fuzzy set theory were used. The fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) method was applied to the construction of the synthetic measure of subjective household poverty. The procedure also uses fuzzy hierarchical analysis to calculate the weight system of variables. The proposed procedure was used to assess the level of subjective household poverty in Poland one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was based on data collected using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method in April 2021. The use of the fuzzy approach for the assessment of subjective poverty makes it possible to define its level more precisely than with the standard measurement. The proposed synthetic measure of subjective poverty is an attempt to explain poverty from the perspective of the poor. The quantitative measurement of subjective poverty at the micro (household) level is an important tool for assessing anti-poverty policy. Moreover, the subjective poverty measure can also be used as a measure of poverty sensitivity and can be the basis for formulating policies and strategies for reducing poverty. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Social Security and the COVID-19 Crisis: A Dichotomy of Perceptions among Urban Residents in Poland

The aim of the research was to subjectively assess the situation of Polish urban households and their sense of social security during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, primary household surveys were designed and subsequently carried out in Poland in April, June and September 2020 using the CAWI method. An assessment of household security was made, presenting households' subjective feelings about the loss of financial stability, loss of employment, and the overall deterioration of their situation. Responses also addressed a potential worsening in the situation in Poland, growing poverty of families, and rising unemployment in the country. One of the most important conclusions from the research is that there is a dichotomy of feelings among respondents whereby they view the situation of their households as better than that of the country as a whole. Furthermore, between the first and the second stages of the research, there was an increase in optimism among respondents, persisting into the third stage. Finally, the research results show that the smaller the city, the lower the sense of social security.

Rural crumbs of the pandemic: year two before the fourth wave

The article presents the results of the observation (carried out using various methods) of the social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural local communities from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021. It is a continuation of the observation of the effects of the first wave of the pandemic (see: Wies i Rolnictwo/Village & Agriculture, issue 3/2020, devoted entirely to this topic). In this round of research, particular emphasis was placed on the exemplification and explanation of the reluctant or even hostile attitude towards vaccination against COVID-19 in the countryside and in some regions. However, the previously analysed topics were not abandoned: the functioning of local government in the situation of central/centralist pressures, the potential negative influence of the Catholic Church on attitudes towards vaccination, the puzzling effects on the local economy, and remote teaching with its new - also moral - problems. These observations may serve to reconstruct the functioning of the "local risk society" but they also reveal some aspects of the functioning of contemporary Polish society (e.g. the depth of social divisions).

Social (in)security — the ambivalence of villagers’ perceptions during COVID-19

The aim of the study is to provide a subjective assessment of security in the social dimension of rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the objective, a four-stage primary study of households in Poland was designed and conducted. Subjective assessments of households’ perceptions about social security are presented. The possibility of loss of financial stability, job loss and deterioration of the household situation was assessed. The respondents also assessed the possibility of a worsening of the situation in the country, an increase in family poverty and an increase in unemployment in Poland. One of the most important findings is the dichotomy of the perceptions of the respondents, who assess the situation of their household better than that of the country. A different perspective on security is also provided by the rural optimism index, which can also be seen as a measure of vulnerability to social security. The considerations and analyses presented can be useful for both theoretical and practical purposes. The study improves knowledge on how households function under conditions of vulnerability. They also constitute a voice in the discussion on security in the social dimension. © 2022 International Journal of Health Sciences.

From panic to denial: changing attitudes towards COVID-19

The article deals with the problem of changes in people's attitudes in the context of Covid-19. It attempts to show the evolution of the respondents' feelings as a result of approaching and distancing the risk of coronavirus. It discusses the results of the research sample and the causes of its deformations in individual stages of the research. It also analyses changes in social behaviour, including the pathway to negation and adaptation, paying attention both to the commonplace situation and the creation of conditions for the "new reality". The analysis was based on research carried out from April to September 2020, as part of the research project "My situation during corona virus" The analyses in the article aim to answer the question of "how does the approach and receding of the coronavirus threat affect the sense of fear and negation, but also change the structure of the research group?