In the theoretical introduction, I first presented different definitions and methods of measuring poverty, linked poverty to the occurrence of globalisation, and also touched on social inequality and social mobility. Next, I wrote about social exclusion, child poverty and lastly, universal basic income. I chose the topic of my graduation thesis on the basis of my experience during student practice in the Žarek day centre in Jesenice, where many children and adolescents face poverty. I myself noticed this especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, when poverty and inequality became more visible and pronounced than before. The qualitative research involved six adolescents from the Žarek day centre. The population in the research are therefore the users of the day centre, and the sampling method is non-probability and convenience sampling. In my thesis I researched how adolescents perceive and understand poverty as well as social exclusion, in which areas of life they recognise them, which poverty risk factors and forms of assistance they know, and their own experiences with poverty. The research found that adolescents initially associate poverty with material deprivation and financial hardship, but some have mentioned that poverty can also mean not owning things that are not necessarily important for survival, yet without those things you could be socially excluded. By doing so, they themselves have found that poverty is not just defined by a lack of food or money, it is what individuals and society define as poverty in a given time and place. I found that the majority of adolescents believe that people living in poverty are also socially excluded. They also observed increases in inequality, financial hardship, poverty, and unemployment during the epidemic. Findings showed that most adolescents have a positive attitude towards the poor and do not exclude people on the basis of poverty, except for one adolescent. That is why it is necessary to talk about poverty and social exclusion as early as in primary school, so that children develop sensitivity and empathy towards people who face various problems at an early age, which could possibly reduce the social exclusion of children. I found that adolescents are well aware of the poverty risk factors, listing many different factors, such as lower education, poor labour market situation, unemployment, single-parent families, and large families. Almost all of them have been in contact with people living in poverty, and many of them have their own experience of poverty. Giving up inessential but desirable items and poor housing conditions, especially lack of space, are a part of their everyday life. Some of the adolescents have also received financial social assistance and material assistance in the form of food packages from various humanitarian organisations, such as the Red Cross and Caritas. They mostly assess their social status as average, and they are satisfied with the quality of their lives. The adolescents listed many important forms of assistance, such as mutual help in the community, job search assistance, psychological help for the poor and finally, material and financial aid. It would thus make sense to gradually introduce a universal basic income, first for children, as poverty affects both their childhood and their future. The consequences of poverty are long-lasting, and children born into poor families are often poor themselves in adulthood. Adolescents also perceive the day centre as an important form of assistance for the poor. Therefore, I suggest that children be informed of youth centres and similar organisations as early as in primary school. If the need arises, more such non-governmental organisations should be established.
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