Social exclusion

Social Exclusion First introduced by sociologists to refer to new sources of inequality. Continues to inform applied social research, which aims to understand and tackle disadvantage and inequality. - People who live in a dilapidated housing estate, with poor schools and few employment opportunities may be denied the opportunities for self-betterment that most people in society have.

Social exclusion implies its opposite: social inclusion. Attempts to foster inclusion of marginalized groups are now part of agenda of modern politics (though how this is done differs accross societies).

Ways in which individuals become cut off from full involvement in wider society: ◦ Either by decisions lying outside their control  Banks refusing credit to people living in a certain postcode area  Insurance rejected because of personal history/background  Employee laid-off later in life refused further job due to age ◦ Or by self-exclusion: ‘drop outs’, ‘non-voters’ ◦ Be conscious of the interaction between human agency and responsibility on the one hand, and the role of social forces in shaping people’s circumstances on the other.

Weak and strong versions of social exclusion. ◦ Weak version: Sees the central issue as ensuring the inclusion of the currently excluded ◦ Strong version: Also seeks social inclusion, but in addition tries to tackle the processes through which relatively powerful social groups ‘exercise their capacity to exclude’. Factors that prevent individuals or groups from having the same opportunities that are open to the majority of the population.

Four dimensions to social exclusion 1.Poverty or exclusion from adequate income or resources 2.Labour market exclusion 3.Service exclusion 4.Exclusion from social relations

Labor market exclusion ◦ Work is not only important for an adequate income but it also is an important arena for social interaction ◦ Labor market exclusion, thus, can lead to other forms of exclusion ◦ Not being part of the labor market does not only mean being unemployed  Retired  Involved in domestic or caring activities  Unable to work (disability)  Students

Service exclusion ◦ Lack of access to basic services  In the home (power and water supplies)  Outside (access to public transport, shops, financial services, schools, hospitals) ◦ Individual exclusion  An individual cannot use a service because cannot afford it ◦ Collective exclusion  A service is not available to the community

Exclusion from social relations ◦ Unable to participate in common social activities (visiting friends and family, celebrations, hobbies, holidays) ◦ Being isolated from friends and family ◦ Lack of practical and emotional support in times of need ◦ Lack of civic engagement (voting, getting involved in politics) ◦ Being confined to home (disability, caring responsibilities, pathology)

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 spatial dimension (Tarlabaşı) Rural areas ◦ Sparsely populated areas have less access to goods, services and facilities ◦ Transport is a key need leading to car dependence

Homelessness ◦ No address makes participation in society difficult ◦ Mental health patients, young people, others suffering from single or multiple personal disasters ◦ Most vulnerable to homelessness are people from lower working-class backgrounds who have no specific job skills and very low incomes. ◦ Long term joblessness. ◦ Victims of violence on the streets but excluded from the systems of legal and police protection. ◦ Provision of more adequate forms of housing

Crime and social exclusion The standards of economic status and consumption promoted within society cannot be met through legitimate means by the socially excluded population. (Remember young men stealing to buy their girlfriends diamond rings for valentine’s day!) Labeling of the youth in poor areas as anti-social, susceptible to crime and intolerant of work.

Social exclusion at the top A minority of individuals at the top of society can opt out of participation in mainstream institutions by merit of their affluence, influence and connections. Retreat from public education and healthcare services; closed off residential communities. Escape from their social and financial responsibilities into a closed, private realm, separate from the rest of the society. Undermines social solidarity and cohesion, detrimental to an integrated society.