Social exclusion

1. Socialexclusion

2. Social Exclusion Firstintroducedbysociologiststorefertonewsources of inequality. Continuestoinformappliedsocialresearch, whichaimstounderstandandtackledisadvantageandinequality. - Peoplewholive in a dilapidatedhousingestate, withpoorschoolsandfewemploymentopportunitiesmay be deniedtheopportunitiesfor self-bettermentthatmostpeople in societyhave.

3. Socialexclusionimpliesitsopposite: socialinclusion. • Attemptstofosterinclusion of marginalizedgroupsarenowpart of agenda of modern politics (thoughhowthis is done differsaccrosssocieties).

4. Ways in which individuals become cut off from full involvement in wider society: • Either by decisions lying outside their control • Banksrefusingcredittopeopleliving in a certainpostcodearea • Insurancerejectedbecause of personalhistory/background • Employeelaid-offlater in life refusedfurtherjobduetoage • Or by self-exclusion: ‘drop outs’, ‘non-voters’ • Be conscious of theinteractionbetweenhumanagencyandresponsibility on theonehand, andthe role of socialforces in shapingpeople’scircumstances on theother.

5. Weakandstrongversions of socialexclusion. • Weakversion: Seesthecentralissue as ensuringtheinclusion of thecurrentlyexcluded • Strongversion: Alsoseekssocialinclusion, but in additiontriestotackletheprocessesthroughwhichrelativelypowerfulsocialgroups ‘exercisetheircapacitytoexclude’. • Factorsthatpreventindividualsorgroupsfromhavingthesameopportunitiesthatareopentothemajority of thepopulation.

6. Fourdimensionstosocialexclusion • Povertyorexclusionfromadequateincomeorresources • Labour market exclusion • Service exclusion • Exclusion from social relations

7. Labor market exclusion • Work is not onlyimportantfor an adequateincome but it also is an important arena forsocialinteraction • Labor market exclusion, thus, can leadtootherforms of exclusion • Not beingpart of thelabor market does not onlymeanbeingunemployed • Retired • Involved in domesticorcaringactivities • Unabletowork (disability) • Students

8. Service exclusion • Lack of accesstobasicservices • Inthehome (powerandwatersupplies) • Outside (accesstopublic transport, shops, financialservices, schools, hospitals) • Individualexclusion • An individualcannotuse a service becausecannotafford it • Collectiveexclusion • A service is not availabletothecommunity

9. Exclusionfromsocialrelations • Unabletoparticipate in commonsocialactivities (visitingfriendsandfamily, celebrations, hobbies, holidays) • Beingisolatedfromfriendsandfamily • Lack of practicalandemotionalsupport in times of need • Lack of civicengagement (voting, gettinginvolved in politics) • Beingconfinedtohome (disability, caringresponsibilities, pathology)

10. Examples of Social Exclusion • Housing and neighbourhoods • Large stratified housing market • Dependent upon existing and projected resources • Both at household and community level • Exclusion can take on a spatialdimension (Tarlabaşı) • Rural areas • Sparsely populated areas have less access to goods, services and facilities • Transport is a key need leading to car dependence

11. Homelessness • No address makes participation in society difficult • Mental health patients, young people, others suffering from single or multiple personal disasters • Mostvulnerabletohomelessnessarepeoplefromlowerworking-classbackgroundswhohave no specificjobskillsandverylowincomes. • Longtermjoblessness. • Victims of violence on thestreets but excludedfromthesystems of legal andpoliceprotection. • Provision of moreadequateforms of housing

12. Crimeandsocialexclusion • Thestandards of economicstatusandconsumptionpromotedwithinsocietycannot be met throughlegitimatemeansbythesociallyexcludedpopulation. (Rememberyoung men stealingto buy theirgirlfriendsdiamondringsforvalentine’sday!) • Labeling of theyouth in poorareas as anti-social, susceptibletocrimeandintolerant of work.

13. Socialexclusion at the top • A minority of individuals at the top of society can optout of participation in mainstreaminstitutionsbymerit of theiraffluence, influenceandconnections. • Retreatfrompubliceducationandhealthcareservices; closedoffresidentialcommunities. • Escapefromtheirsocialandfinancialresponsibilitiesinto a closed, privaterealm, separatefromthe rest of thesociety. • Underminessocialsolidarityandcohesion, detrimentalto an integratedsociety.