What is social exclusion?

In this project, we define social exclusion as:

"The unique interplay of a number of factors, whose consequence is the denial of access, to an individual or group, to the opportunity to participate in the social and political life of the community, resulting not only in diminished material and non-material quality of life, but also in tempered life chances, choices and reduced citizenship."
(Kenyon, S., Lyons, G. and Rafferty, J.: 'Transport and Social Exclusion: Investigating the Possibility of Promoting Inclusion Through Virtual Mobility.' Journal of Transport Geography 10:3)

Exclusion is a more complex concept than poverty, having not only economic, but multiple non-economic dimensions and characteristics. It is a heterogeneous concept, with interrelated causes and dimensions, which can be experienced independently of or concurrently with others and at different times, to different extents, by different individuals and groups. Thus, it is possible to be excluded without experiencing poverty; and it is possible to experience poverty, yet feel included.

The dimensions of exclusion that have been identified by this project are given in the table, below:

Dimension	Potentially exclusionary factors
Economic	Income poverty Unemployment Lack of access to 'safety net' credit facilities Lack of access to technology
Living space	Neighbourhood, including safety, crime Poor local environment Disunity of community Geographical isolation (accessibility) Local services, including transport, education
Mobility	Poor or unavailable transport Reduced accessibility to social networks, facilities, goods and services
Organised political (ability to influence decision making at an organised level)	Disenfranchisement (low turnout/registration) Low participation in groups and organisations Denial of citizenship rights and freedoms Lack of representation Inability to participate in the exercise of authority
Personal	Impairment Ethnicity Culture Class Skill levels/educational achievement Gender Religion Sexuality Health
Personal political (ability to make decisions over own life)	Powerlessness Restricted choices
Social networks	Breakdown of formal and informal networks Loneliness Isolation Lack of information Social attitudes
Societal	Crime Family dynamics Poor education Inequality Lack of social rights Lack of access to appropriate health and social care
Temporal	Time poverty