Table of Contents -- List of Tables -- Preface -- 1. Poverty and social exclusion in the Netherlands -- 2. Methodology and description of research group -- 3. Conversion strategies to conquer labor market positions -- 4. Close Encounters of the Bureaucratic Kind -- 5. Sympathizing, fear and loathing in the neighborhood -- 6. Bonds in everyday li fe: The weakness of weak ties -- 7. The informal economy: morality, social capital and markets -- 8. Persistent poverty in the Netherlands: summary and conlusion -- 9. Epilogue: poverty in contemporary context -- Appendice -- References -- Summary in Dutch -- Index.