Social

definition of social exclusion

An individual or a group is socially excluded when some type of rejection or discrimination is exercised on them. The phenomenon of social exclusion is frequently perceived today, characterized, for example, by the presence of groups of people who, not having the means or resources to support themselves, fall outside the system and go on to live in poverty. or maximum poverty. Social exclusion is a harsh reality in most of the world's societies and countries, and as it represents a failure of government policies, it is usually hidden or disguised in official records so that the impact it generates on the politician of turn is not so big.

It is directly related to that of marginalization since both assume that people who suffer from such a situation are left aside by the rest of society

The causes that can generate social exclusion in one or more groups in a society are various and generally involve situations of inequality and deterioration of long standing or that have not been favorably resolved over time. Generally, economic crises that are not fully resolved allow more and more people to fall into that situation instead of limiting the number.

The concept of social exclusion has been changing throughout history and, on the other hand, is subject to the cultural context of each nation. A list of socially excluded would be almost endless: unemployed, without papers, ethnic minorities, refugees, immigrants, underemployed or single mothers, among many others. All these groups suffer or may suffer some type of social discrimination.

One of the main characteristics of social exclusion is precisely that it prevents more or less important groups of people from being able to integrate both socially, labor or culturally with the rest of society. Thus, they are left out of all the manifestations that are established under the parameters of 'normality' and must seek their own means or resources to survive not only economically but also socially and culturally.

People with disabilities are still excluded due to their physical, sensory or intellectual limitations

A person who is blind, deaf or who travels in a wheelchair has obvious difficulties to integrate normally in society. To prevent this from happening, some measures have been adopted, such as positive discrimination in the public service or tax deductions for their employment. Without these types of measures and without social awareness, it is more than likely that the social exclusion of these groups would be perpetuated over time.

The case of the Jews in Nazi Germany and the caste system in India

In Nazi Germany, a campaign was launched against Germans of Jewish origin. Their businesses were attacked, their assets confiscated, and millions of people were executed. The purpose of all this was definitive social exclusion.

For centuries, society in India was organized on a stratified pattern based on racial distinctions. The higher castes were considered more pure and could exercise the most socially recognized activities. At the base of the social pyramid, were the untouchables or dalits, who were condemned to the most despicable jobs and could even only go out on the streets during some hours of the day.

Different modalities of social exclusion

Gypsies have been persecuted throughout history. Their exclusion is related to the cultural identity of this group.

Race has been another factor related to marginalization or social exclusion. In some Latin American countries, African Americans are still in a disadvantaged situation.

In some Arab countries, social exclusion is centered on women, whose rights are not equal to those of the male population. In many countries women continue to be excluded due to social prejudices, especially the macho mentality.

$config[zx-auto] not found$config[zx-overlay] not found