The 3 causes of social exclusion (explained)

Throughout history, many people have been cut off from the rest, experiencing some type of social exclusion. This phenomenon is defined as the absence of participation and opportunities for groups of individuals within a society.

The causes behind social exclusion are very varied, since it is a multidimensional phenomenon. A person can be socially excluded due to economic, labor, cultural and political factors, among others.

Here we will see what are the main causes of social exclusion, in addition to understanding the origins of this concept and the importance it has acquired in Western societies.

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What do we understand by social exclusion?

We can define social exclusion as the absence of participation and opportunities of individuals within the daily and basic dynamics of the society in which they live.

It is often represented by the rejection of individuals with traits other than those socially accepted, those who are deprived of fundamental rights and find it difficult to develop fully in the society.

Social exclusion occurs mostly in developing countries, but can also be seen in developed societies. Be that as it may, it manifests itself in the form of inequality, marginalization, discrimination, poverty and vulnerability of some sectors of the population. What usually produces this type of situation has to do with aspects such as economic status, gender, race, religion, disabilities, sexual identity, immigration status ...

Although the conceptualization of the term “social exclusion” is very recent, this does not mean that it has not been experienced for a long time. In fact, social exclusion has been a constant throughout the history of humanity and has been present in all civilizations.

Social exclusion is a collective phenomenon, in the sense that it applies to a group of people who share one or more characteristics not well seen by the majority of society. It is also multifaceted and multidimensional, and it is usual that it involves the use of social labels, usually in a pejorative way, as a way of differentiation and stigma to determine inequality in relationships between individuals or social groups.

The causes behind this phenomenon are very varied and, although we will explain them below with more detail, we can anticipate that they have to do above all with economic, social and policies. The extensive list of the causes behind social exclusion would be almost infinite, since it is a very complex phenomenon that can occur in multiple ways.

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History of the concept of social exclusion

In the Western world, at least in Europe, governments try to minimize social exclusion. Democratic and developed countries enact laws with the intention of ending social exclusion through the integration of the population and the application of measures that promote equal rights and opportunities. In principle, by ensuring that everyone sees their fundamental rights respected and is fully integrated into the society where they reside, social exclusion will disappear.

The idea of ​​exclusion as we understand it appears after the end of the Second World War, although it acquired special relevance during the 1980s. thanks to French politician Jacques Delors. At this time this term acquires great importance in the countries of Western Europe, especially among the members of the European Economic Community (EEC), the forerunner of the current European Union. This institution presents a resolution called "Combat social exclusion", this document being the first official appearance of the term.

Although the term is widely used in Western European legislation, other societies such as the United States or Asian countries have been less interested in combating exclusion Social. Its reception has not been particularly strong in African countries and, although with some intention of fighting it, it cannot be said that Latin America has managed to advance too much in its eradication.

It just so happens that in countries where the idea of ​​social exclusion is not so well known, it is preferred to use the term poverty to refer to this phenomenon. Although poverty and social exclusion are related, they are not synonymous terms since poverty refers more to the deprivation of wealth and economic difficulties while social exclusion implies a much more multifaceted, multidimensional and multicomponent.

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The 3 types of causes of social exclusion

As we were saying, the causes behind social exclusion are many, however, these can be grouped into three main types: economic, social and political.

1. Economic causes

One of the main reasons why a person can be socially excluded is money. Not having enough purchasing power is one of the most important factors in generating social gaps. Lack of money, wherever we are, translates into difficulties in being able to lead a full life.

For many, economic poverty is synonymous with social exclusion, which is why some country laws continue to confuse both expressions. Although poverty and social exclusion are closely related, it can be said that economic poverty would only be one of the causes that lead to exclusion, since as we have commented, social exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon.

In the list of economic causes behind social exclusion we can find:

• Income shortage
• Unstable employment
• Unemployment
• Salary too small to save
• Debts
• Excessive taxes
• Job insecurity
• Dependent families

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2. Sociocultural causes

The social and cultural causes behind social exclusion are many, and in most cases depend on how society is configured. Among them we find personal traits, that is, characteristics of people that, because the society in which they are not found does not perceive them as socially acceptable, forces them to remain isolated of the rest of individuals. That is, they are a cause of discrimination and social exclusion itself, finding:

• Sexual orientation
• Sex and gender
• Race and ethnicity
• Nationality and cultural identity
• Mother tongue
• Religion

It is important to mention that one of the causes behind social exclusion is the lack of a support network, something very common among migrants. This phenomenon is the fact of not having family or friends from whom to receive help if needed. For example, migrant single mothers often face this problem, as they are too far from their homes. relatives to receive help from them and are forced to manage to reconcile their family life alone with the labor.

Another cause of social exclusion is the “voluntary” self-exclusion of the individual. Some people separate themselves from the rest of society on their own, something that can be explained in many ways based on the individual's own personal history. In some cases it is due to a mental disorder that makes it difficult for them to interact with other people, such as social phobia or antisocial personality disorder.

Finally, within the causes of social exclusion related to the social we would have the individual's own behavioral problems. Some people, despite not having a socially unaccepted trait, find it difficult to fit into society because have disruptive behaviors or completely lack social skills, without presenting mental disorder any. This means that the rest of the members of their society are not interested in spending time with them.

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3. Political causes

Finally, we enter the political causes, although these really blur a bit with the sociocultural and economic causes, since politics never departs from the cultural and economic. In them we could include any cause that produces social exclusion and has to do with ideology, human rights and freedom of expression.

In Western countries, social exclusion for political reasons is rare, while it does occur with often in countries with authoritarian regimes, where only one or a limited set of ideologies are considered admissible. Therefore, it is not strange to find that Latin American, Islamic, Asian and European Slavic countries have policies that promote the isolation of those who do not think like those in power.

The lack of legally recognized rights is also a political cause of social exclusion. This has been a constant throughout history, discriminating against people for both cultural and social and economic aspects. An example of a lack of rights for economic reasons is found in the first liberal revolutions, in which the census suffrage (for example, the United States) recognizing the right to vote but only for those who had a certain income.

Another example of a lack of rights, this time related to the cultural, is the situation experienced by many speakers minority languages ​​by not having laws that encourage their use or that recognize their right to speak them with the administration. We can find this example with languages ​​such as Asturian, Aragonese or Occitan which, as they do not enjoy full officiality, its speakers are not politically recognized to receive education in these languages ​​or to address the bureaucracy in the same.