Page 28 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Unit 2: Basic Concepts Relating to Stratification

However, it is not static and unidimensional. Its four dimensions are : Notes
1. Civic integration
2. Labour market
3. Welfare state provision
4. Family and community
Social exclusion adversely affects these aspects of society.
Poverty and Social Exclusion

Except the civic integration, the dimensions of labour market, welfare state and family and
community refer to poverty of the deprived people. The fact is that social exclusion amounts to
disadvantage and deprivation. While, on the one hand, it is related to marginality, closure,
disaffiliation, dispossession, deprivation and destitution, on the other hand, it implies insertion,
integration, citizenship and solidarity.
In the Indian context, social exclusion is reflected in lack of distributive justice, caste-based distances
and discrimination, unequal access to opportunities, and weak policies of the state. In other
words, society and state create ground for social inequalities in terms of caste hierarchy and poor
welfare policies, respectively. We may pose the following questions in this context :
1. How social exclusion is related to poverty ?
2. Is it because of the lack of distributive justice ?
3. What is wrong with policy making relating to the poor, backward and marginalized ?
4. What are the social impediments in social inclusion ?
The poor are excluded everywhere from access to life chances and dignity. They are dehumanized
in all walks of life. Thus, the concept of social exclusion overlaps with poverty and marginalization,
and it also embraces the relational as well as distributive aspects of poverty. How to identify social
inclusion? What are its indicators ? One can make out the condition of social exclusion based on
the following indicators :
1. Multidimensional nature of poverty
2. The problem of multiple disadvantage
3. Psycho-social elements of disadvantage
4. Importance of agency and participation
5. Violence and personal insecurity
6. Comparisons of poverty and social exclusion
7. Programmes to combat poverty and social exclusion
8. Access
9. Personal security
10. Vulnerability
11. Self-esteem
Since we can understand and analyse the entire gamut of inequalitarian social relationships with
the framework of social exclusion, the institutions and actors which cause exclusion, alienation
and deprivation can be made accountable and amended/reformed as per the requirements of
social justice. We may put forward the following questions for an agenda of the study of social
exclusion :
1. Who decides on the parameters of social exclusion ?
2. Do the poor consider themselves to be an “excluded” lot ?

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