ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the concept of social exclusion and the different meanings that people find in it. For all its widespread use any discussion of social exclusion provokes sharp debate and these controversial aspects are considered next. The chapter then explores in more detail some of the components of social exclusion using case studies to draw these out as clearly as possible for the reader. The aim here is to provide practitioners and managers in the field with a workable understanding of what social exclusion is. The final section of the chapter explains why tackling social exclusion, and promoting social inclusion, are key social work tasks for the twenty-first century.
