Social inclusion refers to the action that can be taken to address the problems of social exclusion. To some extent, social exclusion is a new term for an old concept. It includes what used to be called anti-poverty and social or community development work, but it has the benefit of being broader in scope. Social inclusion is about tackling multiple deprivation. The Government’s Social Exclusion Unit describes this as
“a short hand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked (social) problems.”
There is a whole range of problems that can contribute to causing social exclusion. They will be different for different people in different neighbourhoods.
A number seem to recur. These include:
The problem of social exclusion becomes acute when the diverse (yet often interlinked) issues listed above amplify each other and become mutually reinforcing. A complex chain of cause and effect is then set in motion. This can lead to individuals feeling first disempowerment, then disengagement and disenchantment, before finally they can be said to have become socially excluded.
Approaches to tackling social exclusion rely on an understanding of how these chains of cause and effect work.