Social exclusion

Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century.[1] In the EU context, the European Commission defines it as "a situation whereby a person is prevented (or excluded) from contributing to and benefiting from economic and social progress".[2] It is used across disciplines including education, sociology, psychology, healthcare, politics and economics.[3][4]

Social exclusion is the process in which individuals are blocked from (or denied full access to) various rights, opportunities and resources that are normally available to members of a different group, and which are fundamental to social integration and observance of human rights within that particular group[5] (e.g. due process).

Alienation or disenfranchisement resulting from social exclusion can be connected to a person's social class, race, skin color, religious affiliation, ethnic origin, caste, educational status, childhood relationships,[6] living standards, and or political opinions, and appearance. Such exclusionary forms of discrimination may also apply to disabled people, minorities, LGBTQ+ people, drug users,[7] institutional care leavers,[8] the elderly and the young. Anyone who appears to deviate in any way from perceived norms of a population may thereby become subject to coarse or subtle forms of social exclusion.

The outcome of social exclusion is that affected individuals or communities are prevented from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live.[9] This may result in resistance in the form of demonstrations, protests or lobbying from the excluded people.[10]

The concept of social exclusion has led to the researcher's conclusion that in many European countries the impact of social disadvantages, that influence the well-being of all people, including with special needs, has an increasingly negative impact.[11]

Most of the characteristics listed in this article are present together in studies of social exclusion, due to exclusion's multidimensionality.

Another way of articulating the definition of social exclusion is as follows:

Social exclusion is a multidimensional process of progressive social rupture, detaching groups and individuals from social relations and institutions and preventing them from full participation in the normal, normatively prescribed activities of the society in which they live.[12]

In an alternative conceptualization, social exclusion theoretically emerges at the individual or group level on four correlated dimensions: insufficient access to social rights, material deprivation, limited social participation and a lack of normative integration. It is then regarded as the combined result of personal risk factors (age, gender, race); macro-societal changes (demographic, economic and labor market developments, technological innovation, the evolution of social norms); government legislation and social policy; and the actual behavior of businesses, administrative organisations and fellow citizens.[13]

  1. ^ Silver H (1994). "Social Exclusion and Social Solidarity: Three Paradigms". International Labour Review. 133 (5–6): 531–78.
  2. ^ "social exclusion - European Commission". home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  3. ^ Peace R (2001). "Social exclusion: A concept in need of definition?". Social Policy Journal of New Zealand: 17–36.
  4. ^ O'Donnell P, O'Donovan D, Elmusharaf K (February 2018). "Measuring social exclusion in healthcare settings: a scoping review". International Journal for Equity in Health. 17 (1): 15. doi:10.1186/s12939-018-0732-1. PMC 5796599. PMID 29391016.
  5. ^ "About". Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice. Adler University. 26 February 2020.
  6. ^ "The Seeds of Exclusion (2008)". The Salvation Army. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Social exclusion and reintegration". Archived from the original on 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
  8. ^ "The statistics". Archived from the original on 2009-11-15.
  9. ^ Young IM (2000). "Five faces of oppression.". In Adams M (ed.). Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. New York: Routledge. pp. 35–49.
  10. ^ Walsh T (2006). "A right to inclusion? Homelessness, human rights, and social exclusion". Australian Journal of Human Rights. 12 (1): 185–204. doi:10.1080/1323238x.2006.11910818. S2CID 150777458.
  11. ^ Marsela R (July 2014). "Social inclusion and inclusive education". Academicus International Scientific Journal. 10: 181–191. doi:10.7336/academicus.2014.10.12 – via ResearchGate.
  12. ^ Hilary Silver, Social Exclusion: Comparative Analysis of Europe and Middle East Youth, Middle East Youth Initiative Working Paper (September 2007), p.15
  13. ^ Joel-Gijsbers G, Vrooman C (2007). Explaining Social Exclusion; A Theoretical Model tested in The Netherlands. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP. Archived from the original on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2019-09-10. ISBN 978 90 377 0325 2; Vrooman JC, Hoff SJ (June 2013). "The Disadvantaged Among the Dutch: A Survey Approach to the Multidimensional Measurement of Social Exclusion". Social Indicators Research. 113 (3): 1261–1287. doi:10.1007/s11205-012-0138-1. ISSN 0303-8300. S2CID 144759218.