Social Exclusion and Inclusion: A Social Work Perspective

Although social exclusion and inclusion are pivotal to the discipline of social work, there is not much theoretical clarity about what it actually means and its consequences. Despite recent research, current definitions are problematic. For example, exclusion is used as a deficit view and is sometimes a synonym for poverty, marginalization, unemployment, isolation, or solitude. In addition, research often ignores inclusion as a counterpart term and strength-based perspective. The purpose of this article is to fill this gap by arguing that a shift is needed from focusing on exclusion toward understanding paths of inclusion among marginalized families and that social inclusion is better conceptualized as a spectrum (not a dichotomy) and a developmental phenomenon (vs. a predetermined one). This article ends with implications for researchers and practitioners focused on immigrant/minoritized families.