Approches du paupérisme rural : résultats d'une enquête-pilote dans la zone du centre rural du Neubourg (Eure)

Rural pauperism which is diffuse and isolated seem to have both social and financial causes. 16 % of the population in the Neubourg area are considered poor. They are evenly spread over the age structure, but Very unevenly over the villages. The poor family is characterized by a high number of children and persons living under the same roof. The per capita income is half of that of the rest of the population; food and illness are the two main concerns. The head of the family has a non-qualified Work and generally speaking, the poor can be characterized by low education standards and little vocational training. The overcrowded lodgings are lacking in cleanliness and decoration, but the household equipment is approximately equal to the national average. Social plagues like alcoolism, mental deficiency etc. are added to those unfavorable conditions. The poor seem to make up a « sub-culture », formed by unstable individuals in which three groups can be distinguished: families with small incomes, families with moderate incomes and old people. The future disappearing of pauperism depends on the effort of education and development of the understructure.