The process of social exclusion: the dynamics of an evolving concept

Social exclusion vs chronic poverty: which has more relevant policy implications?

What is the difference between social exclusion and chronic poverty? This paper examines some of the mechanisms of individuals’ downward spiral towards social disaffiliation. With a focus on Europe, it provides an analysis of social exclusion beyond that of monetary or material resource distribution, and compares it to chronic poverty.

Several critical observations about the chronic poverty approach are raised:

it seems to continue the historical tendency for elites and policymakers to sort and make distinctions among the poor
it emphasises the worst-off few with cumulative disadvantages, rather than the larger number of precarious and vulnerable people
solutions that emphasise participation by the excluded, and that aim to overcome isolation, can ironically encourage exclusion of even weaker and more isolated people
chronic poverty, especially measured in monetary terms, allows for greater comparability across countries and periods, but fails to capture details about the specific contexts in which it emerges and the mechanisms that reproduce it.

The author concludes that the social exclusion approach offers more relevant policy implications than the chronic poverty approach.

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The process of social exclusion: the dynamics of an evolving concept