ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to find out which factors and developments on different levels are important in explaining social exclusion. It is motivated by the idea that we can only solve individual's problems by paying attention to the influence of variables on levels other than the individual. The workers in the new economy are predominantly suburbanites. The direct effects of these migration processes are not easily identified, but some possible consequences for social exclusion can be mentioned. Socio-cultural developments refer to changing values and norms of the population of an area. The defining characteristic of the welfare state is its redistributive nature. Welfare state arrangements have made great progress towards reducing social inequality, spatial segregation and social exclusion. The chapter briefly describes some demographic characteristics of households and individuals that may influence social exclusion. A lack of political representation is an obvious form of social exclusion, as well as a cause for further deprivation.
