Social Exclusion Essay

3638 Words15 Pages
Examine the meaning of the concept of social exclusion and discuss how social work may respond to the reality of social exclusion. This essay will define the meaning of social exclusion (SE) and explore the roots causes in order to understand how to respond to SE. It will consider the relationship between poverty and social exclusion by reviewing a range of government policies and the influence these have had on individuals in society particularly in relation to disabled people. These policies will be critically appraised to show the effectiveness or ineffectiveness they have in promoting inclusion. Additionally I will discuss the ways in which social work practice can contribute and respond to the issue of social exclusion within service users groups. The ability to define the concept of SE can prove challenging due to the contested nature of the concept. SE can be socially constructed depending on the idea of what is “normal” in that particular society (Silver, H 1994). There is rarely a complete lack of access to services or participation in society so this leads to some arbitraries about where to draw the line and who is perceived to be excluded. SE refers to the dynamic process of being shut out, fully or partially from any of the social, economic, political and cultural system which determine the social integration of the people in society (Walker and Walker, 1997). This definition gives the sense that some people in society are ‘outsiders’ unable to participate fully in society and that the problem is systematic. A left wing commentator for instance Lister (2004) defines social exclusion in relation to poverty: ‘it is a way of looking at the concept of poverty rather than an alternative to it’. A more typically “right wing” stance tends to associate exclusion as being about behaviour that created a lifestyle which is permanently dislocated from way of
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