Notes: Social Exclusion | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
SOCIAL EXCLUSION 
What is Social Exclusion?  
- There is no particular and exclusive definition :- 
o Can be defined as lack of access to institutions of civil society & basic 
levels of education, health, financial well being necessary to make 
access tosocial  institutions possible.  
o Means marginalization & non participation.  
Experienced at  
1) Individual Level: A particular individual may be ostracized by the social group. 
2) Community Level: A particular social group may be excluded from the 
mainstream society. 
Causes 
1) Single  
2) Multiple  
Often one kind of exclusion leads to many others. So do not stand in isolation –> 
Mutually Reinforcing in nature. 
Walker & Walker  
- Call it a denial of citizenship as meaning denial of civil, political & social 
rights.  
- Not an absolute state but has gradations. 
Ruth Levitas– The Inclusive Society 
Social exclusion is a  
- Complex & multi- dimensional process  
- Denial or lack of resources, goods, services, rights.  
- Inability to participate in social, cultural, political areas.  
- Affects quality of individual’s life.  
- Cohesion of society also affected(social solidarity is weakened). 
  
Page 2


 
SOCIAL EXCLUSION 
What is Social Exclusion?  
- There is no particular and exclusive definition :- 
o Can be defined as lack of access to institutions of civil society & basic 
levels of education, health, financial well being necessary to make 
access tosocial  institutions possible.  
o Means marginalization & non participation.  
Experienced at  
1) Individual Level: A particular individual may be ostracized by the social group. 
2) Community Level: A particular social group may be excluded from the 
mainstream society. 
Causes 
1) Single  
2) Multiple  
Often one kind of exclusion leads to many others. So do not stand in isolation –> 
Mutually Reinforcing in nature. 
Walker & Walker  
- Call it a denial of citizenship as meaning denial of civil, political & social 
rights.  
- Not an absolute state but has gradations. 
Ruth Levitas– The Inclusive Society 
Social exclusion is a  
- Complex & multi- dimensional process  
- Denial or lack of resources, goods, services, rights.  
- Inability to participate in social, cultural, political areas.  
- Affects quality of individual’s life.  
- Cohesion of society also affected(social solidarity is weakened). 
  
 
Identifies three dis courses of Social exclusion ; 
1) Moral Underclass discourse  
2) Social integrationist discourse 
3) Redistributionist Discourse  
Discourse 
 
Cause 
 
Solution Criticism 
Moral underclass 
discourse 
Deviant norms 
of the 
underclass 
passed on from 
one generation 
to next 
Since individual 
immorality is seen the 
cause, solution lies in 
the cultural change of  
group. 
-The significance 
of the material 
conditions are 
ignored 
-Cultures never 
develop in vaccum 
but in response to 
conditions in wider 
society. 
-diverts attention 
away from social 
divisions such as 
‘race’ and ‘class’ 
Social inegrationist 
discourse 
-Exclusion 
from paid 
labour market 
Exposure to paid 
labour market will 
make citizen 
responsible and bring 
discipline into their 
lives as they earn 
income and a 
restricted power to 
consume in society. 
Indian examples- Food 
for work 
MGNREGA 
-Pay gap 
-divisions within 
the labour market 
-Infromalisation of 
labour 
-working poor 
-Unpaid labour by 
women 
Redistributionist 
Discourse 
-Poverty and 
structural 
inequality 
-Capitalism is 
the evil behind 
poverty. 
-De-industrialisation 
-Structural economic 
changes of global level 
-Setting up welfare 
state,eg gradation in 
taxes. 
-To what extent 
can a particular 
change affect the 
entire structure? 
-Some structures 
of society are hard 
to break down as 
no viable 
altenatives 
Page 3


 
SOCIAL EXCLUSION 
What is Social Exclusion?  
- There is no particular and exclusive definition :- 
o Can be defined as lack of access to institutions of civil society & basic 
levels of education, health, financial well being necessary to make 
access tosocial  institutions possible.  
o Means marginalization & non participation.  
Experienced at  
1) Individual Level: A particular individual may be ostracized by the social group. 
2) Community Level: A particular social group may be excluded from the 
mainstream society. 
Causes 
1) Single  
2) Multiple  
Often one kind of exclusion leads to many others. So do not stand in isolation –> 
Mutually Reinforcing in nature. 
Walker & Walker  
- Call it a denial of citizenship as meaning denial of civil, political & social 
rights.  
- Not an absolute state but has gradations. 
Ruth Levitas– The Inclusive Society 
Social exclusion is a  
- Complex & multi- dimensional process  
- Denial or lack of resources, goods, services, rights.  
- Inability to participate in social, cultural, political areas.  
- Affects quality of individual’s life.  
- Cohesion of society also affected(social solidarity is weakened). 
  
 
Identifies three dis courses of Social exclusion ; 
1) Moral Underclass discourse  
2) Social integrationist discourse 
3) Redistributionist Discourse  
Discourse 
 
Cause 
 
Solution Criticism 
Moral underclass 
discourse 
Deviant norms 
of the 
underclass 
passed on from 
one generation 
to next 
Since individual 
immorality is seen the 
cause, solution lies in 
the cultural change of  
group. 
-The significance 
of the material 
conditions are 
ignored 
-Cultures never 
develop in vaccum 
but in response to 
conditions in wider 
society. 
-diverts attention 
away from social 
divisions such as 
‘race’ and ‘class’ 
Social inegrationist 
discourse 
-Exclusion 
from paid 
labour market 
Exposure to paid 
labour market will 
make citizen 
responsible and bring 
discipline into their 
lives as they earn 
income and a 
restricted power to 
consume in society. 
Indian examples- Food 
for work 
MGNREGA 
-Pay gap 
-divisions within 
the labour market 
-Infromalisation of 
labour 
-working poor 
-Unpaid labour by 
women 
Redistributionist 
Discourse 
-Poverty and 
structural 
inequality 
-Capitalism is 
the evil behind 
poverty. 
-De-industrialisation 
-Structural economic 
changes of global level 
-Setting up welfare 
state,eg gradation in 
taxes. 
-To what extent 
can a particular 
change affect the 
entire structure? 
-Some structures 
of society are hard 
to break down as 
no viable 
altenatives 
 
The three constructs basically offer only a framework and have a heuristic value in 
understanding of the concept. The reality is much more complicated and the 
reasons in a particular society are usually more than one. 
 
Christine Bradley  
Gives 5 mechanism through which Social exclusion is practiced  
1) Geographical Segregation – exclusion is practiced at the spatial level 
through cultural impositions or as a result of different ways of life. 
 Examples: 
- Outcastes & Shudras living on outskirts of villages-Helps customs like 
untouchability survive 
- Tribals in hills & forests. (natural) 
- Poor live in marginal areas  
 
2) Intimidation-Used to reinforce social stereotypes & control of 
power.Instruments like verbal abuse or ‘Threat to harm’ are used to continue 
practices that are  propagate exclusion. 
Examples- 
Calling of names to remind one of the inferiority associated with his/her 
caste/race  
 
3) Physical violence- use of actual violence is also observed whee the 
intimidation failes to do the work. 
Examples- 
- Women (domestic violence) 
- Dalits (mob lynching cases)  
- Justice Verma Committee observes that Rape -> also an expression of 
patriarchal power other than sexual desire  
 
4) Barriers to entry – physical barriers may be created in the social strucutures 
and institutions o limit access. 
Page 4


 
SOCIAL EXCLUSION 
What is Social Exclusion?  
- There is no particular and exclusive definition :- 
o Can be defined as lack of access to institutions of civil society & basic 
levels of education, health, financial well being necessary to make 
access tosocial  institutions possible.  
o Means marginalization & non participation.  
Experienced at  
1) Individual Level: A particular individual may be ostracized by the social group. 
2) Community Level: A particular social group may be excluded from the 
mainstream society. 
Causes 
1) Single  
2) Multiple  
Often one kind of exclusion leads to many others. So do not stand in isolation –> 
Mutually Reinforcing in nature. 
Walker & Walker  
- Call it a denial of citizenship as meaning denial of civil, political & social 
rights.  
- Not an absolute state but has gradations. 
Ruth Levitas– The Inclusive Society 
Social exclusion is a  
- Complex & multi- dimensional process  
- Denial or lack of resources, goods, services, rights.  
- Inability to participate in social, cultural, political areas.  
- Affects quality of individual’s life.  
- Cohesion of society also affected(social solidarity is weakened). 
  
 
Identifies three dis courses of Social exclusion ; 
1) Moral Underclass discourse  
2) Social integrationist discourse 
3) Redistributionist Discourse  
Discourse 
 
Cause 
 
Solution Criticism 
Moral underclass 
discourse 
Deviant norms 
of the 
underclass 
passed on from 
one generation 
to next 
Since individual 
immorality is seen the 
cause, solution lies in 
the cultural change of  
group. 
-The significance 
of the material 
conditions are 
ignored 
-Cultures never 
develop in vaccum 
but in response to 
conditions in wider 
society. 
-diverts attention 
away from social 
divisions such as 
‘race’ and ‘class’ 
Social inegrationist 
discourse 
-Exclusion 
from paid 
labour market 
Exposure to paid 
labour market will 
make citizen 
responsible and bring 
discipline into their 
lives as they earn 
income and a 
restricted power to 
consume in society. 
Indian examples- Food 
for work 
MGNREGA 
-Pay gap 
-divisions within 
the labour market 
-Infromalisation of 
labour 
-working poor 
-Unpaid labour by 
women 
Redistributionist 
Discourse 
-Poverty and 
structural 
inequality 
-Capitalism is 
the evil behind 
poverty. 
-De-industrialisation 
-Structural economic 
changes of global level 
-Setting up welfare 
state,eg gradation in 
taxes. 
-To what extent 
can a particular 
change affect the 
entire structure? 
-Some structures 
of society are hard 
to break down as 
no viable 
altenatives 
 
The three constructs basically offer only a framework and have a heuristic value in 
understanding of the concept. The reality is much more complicated and the 
reasons in a particular society are usually more than one. 
 
Christine Bradley  
Gives 5 mechanism through which Social exclusion is practiced  
1) Geographical Segregation – exclusion is practiced at the spatial level 
through cultural impositions or as a result of different ways of life. 
 Examples: 
- Outcastes & Shudras living on outskirts of villages-Helps customs like 
untouchability survive 
- Tribals in hills & forests. (natural) 
- Poor live in marginal areas  
 
2) Intimidation-Used to reinforce social stereotypes & control of 
power.Instruments like verbal abuse or ‘Threat to harm’ are used to continue 
practices that are  propagate exclusion. 
Examples- 
Calling of names to remind one of the inferiority associated with his/her 
caste/race  
 
3) Physical violence- use of actual violence is also observed whee the 
intimidation failes to do the work. 
Examples- 
- Women (domestic violence) 
- Dalits (mob lynching cases)  
- Justice Verma Committee observes that Rape -> also an expression of 
patriarchal power other than sexual desire  
 
4) Barriers to entry – physical barriers may be created in the social strucutures 
and institutions o limit access. 
 
Examples- 
- Cultural beliefs (eg. Temple entry)  
- Transaction costs (so poor cant afford) [cost other than actual price] 
- Documentation Requirement (mechanism by misusing Bureaucratic 
procedures)  
 
5) Corruption  
It overrides the provisions of constitution and laws made to overcome 
exclusion. 
The corruption ensures that equal & just access is denied. 
Examples-Inefficiency in Public Distribution System