What Do You Understand by Social Exclusion?

1 Social Exclusion Introduction Social exclusion, a concept molded in the late 20th century, has attracted a good number of social scholars who are out to critique the concept and align it with the 21st century developments. This concept that was first coined in France is used widely in the world to depict the various types of social disadvantages. Moreover, the concept has attracted different definitions from different scholars. According to Butler and Watt (2007), social exclusion can be defined as processes that block basic individual or community rights and gag opportunities and basic resources that are often readily available to inhabitants of a society and vital to the wellbeing and social integration of a people. In other words, social exclusion deprives individuals off their rights and freedoms to full engage on social aspects of the society i.e. in of matters politics, social and economic.

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2 The aforementioned deprivation is present, despite individuals being residents of a given society. In the contemporary society, equality is a cardinal right that ought to be enjoyed by every human being. However, grave social deprivations disadvantage certain individuals and communities in the society from enjoying this right. These social disadvantages have persisted through time and not even government legislations have managed to crack this puzzle.

Government legislation often seeks to advance a climate where equality can thrive. However, inequalities in matters of gender, race, religion, age, and sex have persisted over time, replicating in other generations (Levitas 2005). These disadvantages that gag social equality manifest themselves in the daily lives of humans i.e. in health, education and other aspects that relate with the access of basic commodities. This essay seeks to ascertain the meaning of social exclusion in a wider perspective Social exclusion has no definite meaning. This implies that the meaning of the phrase is different between one nation and another. For example, in the European Union, the definition of the phrase social exclusion is largely based on the notion of ideology and the national understanding of what to be a member and resident of a society means. However, the criterion used differs from one place to the other and from one geographical region to the other. Despite advancing guidelines on how to define the term, the European Union has been flexible in respecting the freedoms of scholars who have utilized the term well to come up with wide range of definitions. The specifics and the complexity nature of the concept have also placed different nations at different stages in addressing the issue (Gordon et al. 2000). Therefore, social exclusion can be dissected from two angles, individual and the community or else collective angle. For the first instance, social exclusion implies the curtailing of an individual’s ability to access or else utilize the large pool of opportunities presented by the society. On the second

3 instance, social exclusion can be said to be a cancer that digests the social bonds responsible for the gluing or bonding of a society. It can as well be said that the social cohesion enjoyed by members of a society is largely tested by the presence of social classes. These are relationships between people with high end incomes and the larger populace of the lower carder who are often fighting to make ends meet (Wilkinson & Pickett 2009).

Social exclusion is a wide and broad concept as it brings together all aspects that largely disadvantage or isolate an individual or community from the society. The wide range of factors is way above poverty as they include unemployment related issues, as well as participation in social issues. In the 21st century, the persistent increase in the number of individuals excluded from employment showcases a real hitch on matters related to social coexistence. For example, the more a person who is willing and able to work is locked out of employment, the more that individual is socially excluded i.e. by not being able to cope with the ever increasing cost of living. These individuals are unable to afford basic goods and commodities that put them on an equal platform with the rest of the society. In addition, the social networking of an individual is largely slashed as one is unable to bond socially with his colleagues due to financial dent or social stigma due to unemployment. Inability to bond with social networks and that of not being able to afford basic life needs widens the isolation gap as one tends to lose confidence (Hills & Stewart 2005).

Poor health and social exclusion tend to work hand in hand. Human beings who are challenged physically or mentally are unable to participate fully in society. Often, inability to contribute to the society due to poor health leads to exclusion. Persons born with defects face the wrath of the society as they are often viewed as liabilities. Socially excluded individuals are unable to access quality healthcare. From the aforementioned, it is apparent that poor health can

4 bring about the exclusion of an individual from the society. In addition, social exclusion can hamper an individual’s quest for quality healthcare. On the other hand, homelessness and inability to enjoy shelter brews social exclusion. Poor housing units, limited basic amenities, poor drainage, and overcrowding are some common features of the disadvantaged populace and the same is replicated across economies (Lupton 2003). These individuals are unable to enjoy sound amenities, a thing that is basic to other individuals or communities. Shelter, just like food and clothing, is a basic human need. Therefore, access to quality shelter is a cardinal need to any human being. This implies that the absence of affordable and quality housing units lead to social exclusion as a person will be limited to overcrowded zones where amenities are limited and environmental problems are in their numbers.

Poverty has often been identified as a catalyst of social exclusion. Policy makers have been swift in trying to combat the same to ensure that individuals and communities are not discriminated against other members of a society. According to Townsend (1979), inequality is an agglomeration of disparities in the distribution and allocation of resources amongst individuals in a society. The aforementioned advances a picture relating to the disparities in the allocation and distribution of incomes between individuals of lower carder and those in the higher one i.e. between the rich and the poor. Another form of decrypting the level of inequalities between the rich and the poor is looking at the minimum wage rates. Often, the rich are much favored than the poor. These economic inequalities largely affect the consumption of commodities, both quality and quantity by individuals and families. Individuals under the captivity of poverty are underprivileged as they are unable to raise funds to purchase basic services. However, those who have limited ability are limited to the purchase of basic food stuffs and housing units. This leaves them with minimal disposable income and inhibits further

5 purchases. In contrast, persons with high income levels are able to afford both basic needs and wants i.e. leisure activities. Therefore, social inequality is one aspect that encompasses a wide range of inequalities that otherwise define social classes and status. Furthermore, social inequality is entwined with social exclusion. This is so because social exclusion restricts, or else curtails, individuals’ from getting involved fully in the daily running of the society (Townsend & Gordon 2002).

Social exclusion cannot be limited to material poverty of an individual or a community as it encompasses other wide aspects of social disadvantages (Townsend & Gordon 2002). In addition, the causes of social exclusion cannot be limited to social disadvantages i.e. those associated with poverty because the reasons behind an individual or community exclusion are wide. For example, immigrants, ethnic minorities, the physically challenged or even the aged can be discriminated against. In short, the reasons behind social exclusion are diverse and cannot be limited to only material issues. Different schools of thought have been advanced by different scholars in the recent past as far as social exclusion is concerned. According to Pierson (2002), exclusion is not an end in itself, but a process. This implies that social exclusion is not a result of an action, but it is an action in itself. Due to its dynamic nature, it is relatively difficult to compare the relationship between issues that lead to exclusion over a long period of time; that is, bringing together these social disadvantages may lead to the development of a cycle which makes it infeasible to ascertain the factor that lead to a given exclusion. Considering that social exclusion is a process, different individuals in the society find themselves in different levels of the process at a particular time. The aforementioned has led social scholars and scientist to devise new modes of measuring social exclusion (Shaw et al. 2007).

6 According to Platt (2007), crimes experienced in the developed countries are largely intertwined with social exclusion. Often, most industrialized economies are capitalistic in nature; that is, most means of production are controlled by a few individuals. Capitalists are often driven by profits and they do not necessarily care much about their workers. They often go an extra mile to ensure that worker efforts are maximized to increase the revenue level. This leaves workers overworked, underpaid and unappreciated. Therefore, the growing crime rate in developed economies can be associated to the inability of citizens to feel appreciated. The numbers of individuals who feel undervalued are rapidly increasing. In addition, due to the rapid exploitation by the system, these socially excluded individuals are unable to cope with the ever rising cost of living. In addition, they are unable to enjoy the fruits of a developed economy, a thing that is enjoyed by selected few. Being unable to maximize their utility and subsequently improve their standards, these individuals resort to illegitimate ways to earn a living (Pantazis, Gordon & Levitas 2005).

While appreciating the dynamic nature of social exclusion, it is paramount to single out unemployment as a cardinal cause of exclusion in the society. This is largely because in the 21st century, wages and salaries are not only a primary source of worker survival but also a form of identity where worthiness of self is quantified. The self esteem of a worker is largely dependent on the amount he/she is paid by the employer. The very common indicators of exclusion i.e. homelessness and vicious cycles of poverty are related with the income earned by a worker. The income earned by an individual is responsible for the acquisition of basic commodities necessary for survival. It is, therefore, apparent that labor market and social exclusion are largely entwined.

On the other hand, transportation is another factor of exclusion. For example, the lack or the

7 limitation of transport prevents individuals from meeting daily activities i.e. timely arrival to work places (Haveman 1997).

Marginalization of individuals in the society brings with it social exclusion. When an individual is marginalized, he/she is not able to engage in meaningful activities in the society; for example, the exclusion of women, especially single mothers, in decision making organs in developing economies. Another example of marginalization is the failure to incorporate physically disadvantaged persons in the labor market. More often, employers view persons with disabilities as liabilities. For example, employers assert that persons with disabilities bring with them additional costs. In the early 20th century, single mothers were socially excluded from the welfare system. The contributions of a single mother to the society are not limited to formal employment; single mothers are also responsible for the upbringing of their young ones.

However, in some contexts, the responsibility of a single mother to raise her offspring’s singly is often devalued as most employers see it as a barrier to their businesses. From the aforementioned, it is apparent that single women were socially excluded due to narrow views that quantified the contributions of one through employment. Employers failed to capture other contributions that benefited the society in a wider manner. In addition, the rigidity of culture often brings forth the issue of social exclusion of women, especially those who have kids outside wed lock (Braham & Janes 2003).

Social exclusion is largely tied to equal opportunity in the society because quite a number of people are largely drawn towards such exclusion than others. Exclusion of some social groupings is a problem that cuts across economies i.e. it is not limited to developing economies as even the developed economies are equally affected by similar issues. According to Bauman (1998), individuals who are socially excluded have their citizenship at the balance. Most of

8 these persons who are often deprived of their citizenship have no basic income. However, to avert the crisis, individuals need to strive to earn basic income.

Conclusion From the above discussion, it is apparent that social exclusion is a very common phenomenon in the contemporary society. The broadness of social exclusion brings together all aspects that largely disadvantage or isolate an individual or community from the society. In other words, social exclusion deprives individuals who are often referred to as disadvantaged groups from enjoying the opportunities present in the society. Some of the aspects that bring forth social exclusion include unemployment. For example, the more a person who is willing and able to work is locked out of employment the more that individual is socially excluded. These individuals are unable to afford basic goods and commodities that put them on an equal platform with the rest of the society. In addition, the social networking of an individual is largely slashed as one is unable to bond socially with his colleagues due to the financial dent or social stigma associated with unemployment. Poor health is another aspect that is largely associated with social exclusion; for example, individuals who have physical and mental challenges are not well placed to engage fully in society assignments. Individuals who are unable to contribute or participate in society activities are excluded. Excluded persons are also disadvantaged in matters of healthcare, where one cannot access sound healthcare. Furthermore, the above discussion pinpoints poverty as a primary cause of social exclusion in most countries. Poverty curtails the ability of individuals to maximize their utility. The poor populace lives in poor housing units, has access to limited amenities and is unable to purchase basic family requirements. From the aforementioned, it is clear that these individuals are unable to enjoy sound amenities, a thing that

9 is basic to other individuals in the society. In the modern society, access to quality shelter is a cardinal need to any human being.

Economies need to come up with sound policies that will address the plight of the disadvantaged in the society. Given that the social exclusion and poverty are intertwined, economies need to advance feasible policies that will break the vicious cycles of poverty. To address the issue of poverty, a country needs to formulate and implement sound employment policies. This will ensure that individuals have access to good income that will otherwise translate into improved standards of living. In addition, legislation to address the issue of discriminations ought to be advanced. This will ensure that no one is discriminated against on matters of sex, religion, color, or any other background.

10 List of References Bauman, Z 1998, Work, Consumerism and the New Poor, Open University Press, Buckingham.

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Haveman, R 1997, Poverty Policy and Poverty Research, University of Wisconsin Press ,Wisconsin.

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Levitas, R 2005, The inclusive society, social exclusion and new labour, 2nd Ed, Palgrave, Basingstoke.

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Pierson, J 2002, Tackling social exclusion, Routledge, London.

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