SWFS 5004 Social Inclusion (Part 2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

SWFS 5004 Social Inclusion (Part 2) - Essay Example In simple terms therefore, social exclusion may refer to the extent to which individuals are unable to participate in key areas of economic, social and cultural life (Levitas, 1998). While clarifying this definition, Hilary (2007) explains that an individual can become socially excluded if he or she fails to participate fully in key activities carried out in his or her society. In view of the foregoing definition, it can clearly be upheld that social exclusion involves an individual’s lack of participation in society and emphasizes the multi-dimensional, multi-layered and dynamic nature of the problem (Frazer & Marlier, 2007). The concept of social exclusion can thus be found to possess four salient features namely: lack of participation, multi-dimensional, dynamism and multi-layered. Silver (1994) observes that the causes of social exclusion operate at many levels including individual, household, community and institutional. Hilary (2007) sums up the concept of social exclusi on as the inter-connectivity between â€Å"a person’s social class, educational status, relationships in childhood and living standards as well as how these might affect access to various opportunities†. ... It similarly presents a PowerPoint presentation of my personal reflections on my own values of respect, caring and person centered. Aspects of social inclusion and social exclusion As earlier explained in the foregoing introductory part of this essay, social exclusion has been demonstrated to be multidimensional going beyond the issue of material poverty. According to Will (2007), social exclusion also encompasses other forms of social disadvantages such as lack of regular and equal access to education, health care, social care as well as proper housing. Additionally, the same causes go beyond material poverty and further encompass a wide range of reasons including discrimination against immigrants, ethnic minorities, the disabled, the elderly or ex-offenders (Will, 2007). Secondly, social exclusion is also considered to be a process in itself rather than a mere outcome of a process as espoused by Paris (2004). Research indicates that the accumulation of a number of disadvantages ass ociated with social exclusion may result in a self-reinforcing cycle that makes it difficult to attribute causality to one specific factor or another (Frazer & Marlier, 2007). This fact has led a multiplicity of social scientists to delve into the genesis of social exclusion, making the concept quite dynamic, where different individuals or groups of individuals find themselves in different stages of the exclusion process, whether temporarily, recurringly or continuously (Levitas, 1998). Apart from the preceding argument, the concept of social exclusion is said to be context-specific where best inclusion endeavors are in ways that are specific to particular localities. This in essence implies that countries and governments need to develop