La notion de pauvreté dans le discours des acteurs associatifs de trois pays européens : France, Irlande, Italie

Cécile Desoutter, Université de Bergame et Niamh Browne-Tixier, consultante indépendante

cecile.desoutter(at)unibg.it

niamhtixier(at)orange.fr

Abstract: The focus of this paper is a linguistic and discursive analysis of the use of the words “poor” and “poverty” in the mission statements found in the web pages of 30 French, Italian and Irish charitable organisations actively involved in combating poverty. The contrastive analysis of such texts, together with references to their broader historical, linguistic, social and economic context, helps illustrate the discourses surrounding the notions of the “poor” and “poverty”. This might in its own turn lead to better understand the French, Italian and Irish cultural and social values and attitudes in relation to the fight against poverty and exclusion.