How to better understand social inclusion and exclusion?
§ poverty as only one of the indicators of social exclusion
§ nature and stability of work playing the most important role -> precariat
§ towards broader definition - work as a basic indicator of social well-being
§ super rich facing the risk of social exclusion (gated communities)
§ culture of poverty – often mistaken for an ethnic feature
§ Equal treatment (ET) – often understood to be a guiding principle of antidiscrimination
laws BUT inherent conflict between ET and social inclusion
§ 1. some groups need different treatment (e.g. pregnant women, disabled, etc.)
§ 2. ET might cause “indirect discrimination” (e.g. starting position of some groups is
already different)
§ 3. preferential treatment is sometimes needed to redress a prior history of
disadvantage (e.g. quotas for African-American Students in the ’70s)
§ 2 utopias: equal opportunity vs. equality of outcome
§ -> social inclusion as a guiding principle of anti-discrimination laws
§ -> in justifiable cases positive discrimination/redistribution/provision of specific
help is acceptable
§ cultural sociological approach (Jeffrey C. Alexander)
§ solidarity as "subjective feelings of integration that individuals experience for the
members of their social groups" (Alexander 1988:78).
§ an attempt to capture horizontal dimension of social exclusion core group/terminal
group/out-group
§ culture specific notion of social inclusion/exclusion
§ Two axis of integration: 1. the structure of society; 2. the relationship between
internal characteristics
§ dilemma of nation building - what kind of groups can be included so that we still
remain one nation?
§ civil vs. primordial definition of a state (France, Canada vs. Central Europe)
§ jus sanguinis vs. jus soli
§ who can be a member of the particular society?
§ citizenship as a key precondition of social inclusion
§ Alexander: assimilative movements vs. nationalist movements vs. ethnic secession
§ Idea of different form of capitals (social, economic, cultural) - Bourdieu
§ Social capital & economic capital = unclear relation
§ Amartya Sen idea of minimal income to
“live a life one has a reason to value” (Sen 2000)
§ Example of inclusive education