Wykluczenie społeczne w krajach Unii Europejskiej – porównanie opinii studentów kierunków nauczycielskich z Polski i Francji

The study presents results of the questionnaire studies conducted in May 2010 among Polish and French students (the examined group comprised 217 people). Undertaking this research was inspired both by the celebrations of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion and by the discussion on the essence and causes of exclusion in the contemporary world. In the introduction, the authoress states that the issues absent in mass media are also oft en missing in the social awareness. In the consumerist society, the most frequent reason of marginalization is the limited range of consumption possibilities, which usually results from the material status. Th e eff ects of viewing the marginalized people as Others – Aliens and of their exclusion are dangerous for the whole society. It is education that becomes the area which can enhance the modifi cation of attitudes towards Others and the sensitization to social issues omitted or misrepresented in mass media. Th e research results refl ect the similarities and diff erences between the Polish and French society, as well as their mentality, manifested in the attitude to their own state, administration, nongovernment institutions and the activity of the European Union