Social exclusion in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey: social process and life paths

The ability to overcome poverty is blocked by the dynamics of social exclusion. This article examines the notion of upward mobility. The linking of the factors of socio-economic, socio-cultural and socio-political exclusion with strong spacial segregation, have the tendency to reinforce, strengthen and perpetuate the most extreme and persistent forms of poverty and inequality. In the particular case of Metropolitan Monterrey, the mechanims that primarily generate the processes of social exclusion are those connected with the cultural-symbolic and political-institutional realms, reflected in the weakening of social networks, the lack of recognition of social rights and access to civic life, discrimination, cultural domination and the culture of superiority joining with the paucity of public policy to cope with the different aspects of exclusion.