Definition of Social Inclusion

lilen gomez | Apr. 2022
Professor in Philosophy

Inclusion as a response to social exclusion

To understand the concept of social inclusion, it is necessary to locate it as a way of responding to a situation of exclusion. When reference is made to contexts of social exclusion, it is not only intended to account for scenarios of inequality but also of a profound rupture of the social bond that is reflected in the impossibility systematic —and increasingly acute— access to the labor market and civil rights (housing, Health, education, culture, in addition to work). In other words, it consists of a type of social relationship of a structural nature —not circumstantial—, which becomes the stigmatization of a certain group whose life is precarious in multiple dimensions.

Social exclusion is a notion that was coined after the Second World War, but has taken greater relevance from the 1970s, with the rise of neoliberal state models throughout the planet.

Inclusion as integration

The notion of integration has been thought from the sociology as an indicator, according to various variables, of the levels of social inclusion and exclusion. Integration is measured based on the relationship between social groups and institutions. Thus, cultural integration is given by the coincidence between the institutionalized norms of society and the behaviors followed by the members of a certain group; normative integration occurs when people perform roles in accordance with said institutional norms; communicative integration is determined by a common sense shared within the social group; and functional integration occurs when there is a certain harmony in the division of labor.

The problem with this notion is that exclusion, from this approach, tends to identify with deviation from institutionalized norms, so that it obfuscates the possibility of conflict as an engine of social transformations. In this sense, it does not allow the social relations by which they are excluded to be modified, but instead points to the groups characterized as "deviant" being subordinated to the rule established, as a form of inclusion.

Inclusion as a possibility of personal fulfillment

Another form of response to exclusion that has been proposed is to guarantee inclusion in terms of a well-being that allows individuals their personal fulfillment within the social systems to which they belong. they belong. The concept of exclusion that is at the base of this conception assumes that exclusion lies in an obstacle for individuals to achieve their aspirations. The problem with this alternative is that it starts from the ethical premise that individuals who do not occupy a certain position should do so; so that the responsibility falls on those, rather than on the social or structural condition that configures access to said position.

Inclusion policies not geared towards adaptation

To the extent that inclusion policies do not imply a structural transformation, it is difficult for them to manage to modify a scenario of social exclusion. From this perspective, the stake of excluded social groups in the design of inclusion policies is decisive so that these are not merely limited to a mandate to adapt to given structures. For social inclusion to be carried out effectively, it must be put into practice with respect for the diversity of personal interests; in turn, taking into account that such interests are also socially elaborated goals.

The condition of possibility of personal fulfillment, thought from this perspective, is the guarantee of the fundamental rights of human beings. At the same time, one must not lose sight of the fact that social inclusion processes do not occur in a linear manner, but rather involve multiple edges, as well as complex dynamics that can come into contradiction (for example, when greater access to education implies, as a counterpart, less access to job).

Bibliographic references

Chuaqui, J., Mally, D., & Parraguez, R. (2016). The concept of social inclusion. Journal of Social Sciences, (69).

Hopenhayn, M. (2008). Inclusion and social exclusion in Latin American youth. Ibero-American Thought, (3), 49-71.