Abstract

The study investigates in the implementation of public assistance of self-employment for unemployed without an entitlement to unemployment benefit (SGB II, the so-called ‘Einstiegsgeld in der Gründungsvariante’). We focus on two issues: First, we are interested practices and varieties of implementation in different local and institutional settings. Second, we look into the biographies and motivations of the self-employed. This part includes two waves of qualitative interviews with the entrepreneurs, one in 2011 and one in 2013 and 2014. The study uses expert interviews, participant observation, ego-centered network analysis, narrative Interviews, document analysis and problem-centred interviews.