Social Exclusion (Issues in Society)

by David Byrne (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1999

  $3.25

  What does the term 'social exclusion' mean and who are the 'socially excluded'? Why has there been such a significant increase in 'social exclusion'? How can we attempt to tackle this and the problems associated with it? 'Social exclusion' is the buzz phrase for the complex range of social problems which derive from the substantial increase in social inequality in Western societies. This timely and engaging volume examines these problems in societies where manufacturing industry is no longer the main basis for employment and the universal welfare states established after the Second World War are under attack. It reviews theories of social exclusion, including the Christian democratic and social democratic assertions of solidarity with which the term originated, Marxist accounts of the recreation of the reserve army of labor, and neo-liberal assertions of the sovereignty of the market in which the blame for exclusion is assigned to the excluded themselves. Drawing on a wide variety of empirical evidence, the author concludes that the origins of social exclusion lie with the creation of a new post-industrial order founded on the exploitation of low paid workers within Western capitalism, and that social policies have actually helped to create an unequal social order as opposed to simply reacting to economic forces. This controversial but accessible text will be essential reading for undergraduate courses on social exclusion within sociology, politics, economics, geography and social policy, as well as students on professional courses and practitioners in social work, community work, urban planning and management, health and housing.

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $3.25

  Reviews of the First Edition:

  thoughtful, critical, comprehensive, genuine... Byrne's workshould prove compulsory reading for any critical and nuancedview of social exclusion.
  Progress in Human Geography

  The presentation of a single, coherent argument is one of the strengths of thisbook... [It] fills a gap in the debate on social exclusion.
  Political Studies

  'Social Exclusion' is a key phrase in social policy and social politics across most of contemporary Europe. It is a description of the condition of individuals, households, neighbourhoods, ethnic and other 'identity' groups, who can be identified as being excluded from society.

  The second edition of this widely read book explores developments in social theory, social experience and social policy in relation to Social Exclusion. The first part examines the origins of the term and implications of the difference between the ideas of 'exclusion', 'underclass', 'residuum' and related concepts. The discussion is informed by the application of Complexity Theory. In the updated second part, the theoretical account is developed through a detailed review of the dynamics of individual lives in a changing social order. Income equality, spatial division, and exclusion in relation to health, education and cultural provision and processes are examined in a range of societies in Europe and North America.

  The last part contains a new chapter outlining the content and impact of national and international policies which have been specifically developed to address issues of exclusion.

  This is important reading for students on social sciences courses including sociology, social theory and social policy.