АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Luděk Sýkora
DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.42LS
САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:
This paper investigates the spatial concentrations of income poverty, social exclusion, and segregation in Czechia from 2015 to 2022, addressing the critical need to understand and mitigate these issues. Utilizing a spatially detailed database on social welfare benefit recipients, the research maps the most pronounced concentrations of poverty and social exclusion and evaluates intra-urban and intra-regional disparities.
The analysis reveals two primary findings. Firstly, despite a period of overall economic growth and increased well-being between 2015 and 2019, the concentration of vulnerable populations in areas marked by social exclusion and segregation intensified. Secondly, recent events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the War in Ukraine, have introduced significant social and economic uncertainties, including high price inflation and declining real incomes. This study specifically examines the years directly affected by these developments to identify distinct trends in the spatial concentration of social exclusion and segregation in Czech cities and regions that differ from the pre-pandemic period.
The findings are contextualized within the broader framework of long-term social and urban development in a post-socialist country, considering national and local policies and practices related to segregation and social exclusion. Additionally, the study reflects on narratives concerning populations at risk of social exclusion and segregation, situating the discussion within international debates while highlighting the specificities of Central and Eastern Europe.
КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:
segregation; social exclusion; spatial inequality; post-socialist city