German institutional aid to Spanish students in Germany during the Second World War

During the Second World War Dr. Edith Faupel intensively helped the Spanish students and soldiers of the Blue Division, the unit that fought in Russia within the Wehermacht troops. She was the wife of the first German Ambassador in the National Spain, General Wilhelm Faupel (1936–1937). Faupel was the director of The Iberian-American Institute and of the German-Spanish Society at a time. She and her husband fully served the regime of the National Socialists during its existence in Germany. The action of this woman and her motifs are studied in this article. It is also analysed how her activities were determined by the changes on the fronts of World War II.

Self-presentation work of people experiencing homelessness. Mixed social situations background

The article is a reflection on the participatory research conducted by me among the homeless living in the streets of a large city outside the system of institutional aid (2005–2008) and in the environment of homeless people staying in the hostel created within the framework of one of the associations (from 2007 to 2013). The location of these studies within the interpretative orientation ensures an opportunity to get to know the perspective of the Respondents (in this particular case – the homeless). Work on self-presentation is based on the assumption of symbolic interactionism, according to which the basis of interaction is defining the situation, proceeding through interpretation, so reading the meaning of the partner's action and definition, informing the partner about the intentions of action. Therefore, work on self-presentation is an attempt to read the meaning of a partner's activity, based on a specific way of imagining a partner, and thus – the way of treating him and the mechanisms accompanying work on self-presentation.

Praca interakcyjna nad tożsamością drugiego, czyli o taktykach wzajemnego „wychowywania się” przez osoby doświadczające bezdomności

This article contains a partial report on ethnographic research conducted among homeless people who live in the streets outside the system of institutional aid or are staying in a hostel they created themselves. The study, carried out according to the principles of an interpretive orientation, created an opportunity to learn the views of the homeless people. It describes manifestations of engagement on behalf of the hostel in which they live and of a special type of work they undertake – interactive work on one another’s identity, which they refer to as mutual “education” – as well as involvement in the form of “doing nothing.”

Discursos sobre la escasez: estrategias de gestión de la privación alimentaria en tiempos de crisis

La reciente crisis económica ha obligado a algunos españoles a recurrir a la ayuda institucional. Aunque no se puede cuantificar adecuadamente cuántas personas se encuentran en situación de privación alimentaria, se trata de un problema que es necesario diagnosticar dada su gravedad. En este trabajo se explora la forma en que este colectivo gestiona la ayuda alimentaria en un contexto que es nuevo para ellos en un doble sentido: es la primera vez que se encuentran sin recursos para resolver sus necesidades cotidianas y es la primera vez que solicitan ayuda social. Los datos proceden de entrevistas en profundidad realizadas a 14 personas que han participado en un programa de emergencia alimentaria en el año 2012. Se ha podido comprobar que estas personas con privación material severa, gestionan con pericia la ayuda alimentaria, pero esto no les hace tener éxito en la solución de sus necesidades básicas dado que priorizan otros pagos antes de resolver la alimentación. También se ha visto que perciben su situación como provisional y muestran indignación hacia una situación de la que se sienten víctimas y de la que esperan salir a través del empleo y no de la ayuda institucional.The economic crisis has forced some Spaniards to apply for social aid. Although it is not possible to adequately quantify how many people are in food deprivation, it is a problem that needs to be diagnosed given its severity. This paper explores the way in which this group manages food aid in a context that is new to them in a double sense: it is the first time that they find themselves without resources to solve their daily needs and this is the first time they request aid social. The data come from in-depth interviews conducted with 14 people who have participated in a food emergency program in 2012. It has been shown that people with severe material deprivation manage food aid with expertise. Nonetheless, this effort does not meet their basic needs because they prioritize other payments before food. It has also been seen that they perceive their situation as provisional and show indignation towards a situation of which they feel victims. They hope to leave this situation through the employment and not through the institutional aid.

Student Perceptions of the Impact of Bursaries and Institutional Aid on their Higher Education Choices and the Implications for the National Scholarship Programme in England

Variable tuition fees and bursaries, funded by higher education institutions, were introduced in England to promote student choice and provider competition, while bursaries would off-set higher fees and safeguard access. Both have been central to government reforms of undergraduate student funding since 2004. This article assesses student perceptions of the impact of bursaries on their higher education decisions and choices, and considers the implications for the 2012/13 National Scholarship Programme. It concludes that most students do not think their choices are affected by bursaries, although those who are cost-conscious, expect to receive higher bursaries, especially of £1,000 or more, and attend Russell Group universities are more likely to think bursaries are influential and important. The reconfiguration of institutional aid from 2012/13 may overcome some perceived barriers to the effectiveness of financial support, but is likely to exacerbate others, and create new impediments and inequalities.