«Wir sind nicht arm»! Diskursive Konstruktionen von Armut von Schweizer Bauernfamilien

Although poverty among Swiss farm families is not a new issue, talking about it might still be considered as a taboo, not only in the farmer’s community but also in political discussions. This paper draws on qualitative empirical evidence, which shows that farm families in precarious living conditions tend to deal as long as possible with their situations on their own and only in the very end make use of social assistance. The paper aims at understanding this finding. To do so, it sheds light on how members of seven farm families of the Swiss German part, who live in poverty or precarious situations, perceive their situation and how they position themselves with regard to poverty. The paper suggests that the predominant political discourse and the disassociation from poverty of members of farm families, prevents them to ask for professional help. Changing the political discourse, i.e. acknowledging the existence of poverty among farm families, could support pro-active strategies of farm families living in poverty.