ABSTRACT
Any discussion of social exclusion inevitably raises contentious issues and strong feelings, principally because people with quite different points of view find different meanings in the concept. At stake are deeply held views about society and the causes of social problems. Here are some of the points that emerge in such discussions:
• The concept of social exclusion is vague but government likes it because it downplays the reality of poverty and lets government off the hook of having to do anything about it.
