The Issue of Social Exclusion - Term Paper Example

Introduction Though the issue of social exclusion has only come into prominence in recent years, there is no denying its significance in today's society. According to the London based Social Exclusion Unit is "a shorthand label for what can happen when individuals or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown" (Lang & Wilkinson). One of the key issues that social exclusion causes is because it is in contradiction to the right to equal opportunity. Those suffering from such a social condition are not just limited from opportunities though they have the needed qualifications; they can also be prevented from attaining the qualifications needed in the first place. A more fundamental issue concerns personal and social recognition. Often individuals are considered "statistics" and lose their capability to express their opinions, defend their rights or have the ability to live in safety. Thus, the issue of social exclusion has become a major priority in social development. Current Data According to The Poverty Site1, all group ages can be victims of social exclusion but the youth and elderly are among the most vulnerable. Thus, when efforts were launched in 2000, most efforts concentrated on alleviating the conditions that were challenging children and the elderly ("Key Facts", 2006). However this is not to diminish the fact that social exclusion can be a significant concern among adults as well. A key development in recent years has also been in part due to increase in immigration from non-English speaking countries to the UK (Lang & Wilkinson). From the data from the site, most key indicators of the issue have remained steady. Efforts in controlling immigration and the responsiveness of socialized programs have been effective in addressing most of the concerns initially raised. However, as in Appendix A and B, some indicators have either remained as a concern or have become one. These indicators are summarized in Table 1. According to the study, community indicators are the one that needs the most focus ("Indicators", 2006). There is still no observed greater satisfaction regarding local settings or level of mortgage arrears. While housing benefits remain to be viewed as inadequate. The most notable concern is regarding overcrowding which may indicate population due to the lack of resources in surrounding areas ("Executive Summary of Indicators", 2006). The next sets of indicators of concern are those that involve young adults, adults aged twenty five to retirement and older people ("Indicators", 2006). Among young adults, there has been greater unemployment and decrease in skills and qualification attainment. The issue has become concern primarily because of its implication regarding a developing trend that can stress social services in the future. For adults aged twenty five to retirement, who make the bulk of the work force, there has still been no conclusive success in decreasing the number of workless households with poverty rate remaining at 19% ("Executive Summary of Indicators", 2006). Another pressing concern is the increasing number of diagnosed obese individuals. The urgency of addressing these indicators is also because of the stress for social services as well as because of considered with the development among young adults, the group becomes even more important in maintaining labor levels. Though programs have been most successful in with those the concerned children, there has been an increase in the statistics of young offenders ("Indicators", 2006). The concern has been not only in the incidence of the offenses but also because of their gravity. Studies indicate that these developments are in part because of greater social and economic pressures however it may also be because of greater awareness for the need for intervention among juvenile offenders or greater access to programs for them (Tarolla et al, 2006). On a more general level, The Poverty Site has pointed out that though there has been an increase in the number of paying council taxes, 45% in 1998/99 to 58% in 2004/05, more of them have become considered under the poverty threshold ("Indicators", 2006). Though the numbers of those seeking out-of-work benefits have remained mixed, there remain concerns that this is likely to change for the worse considering all other indicators ("Executive Summary of Indicators", 2006). Conclusion Though there has been significant accomplishment in addressing the factors that contribute to social exclusion, there is still an urgent to address the issue. Most of the advancements that have been made in the situation have required significant resources form the government as well as private sector. Though this is a commendable avenue of action, there is the reality that high maintenance efforts are difficult to manage or sustain. At the same time, efforts have had yet to be able to effect a cohesive change in the social exclusion as a whole. For example, poverty incidence among children has significantly decreased by 17% and but these have not carried over to other demographics. Young adult skills development and unemployment still need focus. Also, there is some indication that the disabled have not benefited from the improvement of scenarios in their demographics since their poverty in average is twice that of able bodied members of the same demographics ("Executive Summary of Indicators", 2006) Social exclusion can result to the alienation and disenfranchisement or members of the society. It has a debilitating effect and deters those experiencing it being able to be productive members of the society out of their inability to access social and economic opportunities regardless of their availability. There are many issues that can effect social exclusion among them are educational attainment, social class, cultural background, gender, disabilities and age. Regardless of the issues, it should be understood that unless social exclusion is properly addressed, there can be no comprehensive progress in society. Therefore, efforts to alleviate whatever conditions that contribute to social exclusion is a concern that should be priority of any society who that wants to truly empower its members and achieve its potential. References Executive Summary of Indicators (2006). The Poverty Site. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from http://www.poverty.org.uk/reports/mpse%202006%20findings.pdf Indicators (2006). The Poverty Site. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from http://www.poverty.org.uk/summary/uk.htm Key Facts (2006). The Poverty Site. Retrieved on February 20, 2007 from http://www.poverty.org.uk/summary/key%20facts.shtml Lang Caroline & Wilkinson, Sue (2000). Social Inclusion Fact Sheet. London: Museums & Galleries Commission Tarolla, S., Wagner, E., Rabinowitz, J., Tubman, J. (2002). Understanding and treating juvenile offenders: A review of current knowledge and future direction. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7 (2). p. 125-143. Appendix A - Summary of Key Developments for 2006 Indicator Trends over time Over the medium term Over latest year of available data Income Individuals with low income + + Low income by age group Mixed Mixed Low income by family type + + Low income by and ethnicity + + Paying full Council Tax - - Out-of-work benefit levels Mixed Mixed In receipt of out-of-work benefits + = In long-term receipt of out-of-work benefits = = Persistent low income = + Material deprivation + + Children In low income households + + Children in workless households + = Low birthweight babies = = Infant mortality + + Accidental deaths + + Births to girls conceiving under age 16 + + Low attainment at schools - 16-year-olds = = Low attainment at school - 11-year-olds + + School exclusions = = Concentration of poor children = = In young offender institutions + - Young adults In low income households = + Unemployment = - Low pay = = Destination of school leavers = = Drug use = = Suicides + + Without a basic qualification - = With a criminal record + + Adults aged 25 to retirement Low income by economic status = = Low income and disability = = Individuals wanting paid work + = Disability and work + = Lone parents and work + + Ethnicity and work + = Workless households Mixed = Low pay + = Insecure at work = = Access to training + = Without qualifications + + Premature death + + Obesity - - Limiting long-standing illness or disability + = Mental health + = Older people No private income + = In low income households + + Benefit take-up - = Excess winter deaths = = Limiting long-standing illness or disability = = Anxiety + = Help from social services to live at home - - Community Polarisation by housing tenure + + Non-participation = = Transport = = Without a bank or building society account + + Victims of crime + + Without household insurance + + Dissatisfaction with local area = = Without central heating + + Non-decent homes + + Energy inefficient homes + + Fuel poverty + = Overcrowding - - Homelessness = + Mortgage arrears = = Housing benefit - = Appendix B - Summary of Key Points for 2006 1. 700,000 fewer children are now in income poverty than in 1998/99, a fall of 17%. On the alternative 'before deducting housing costs' measure, the fall is 23%. The Government's target for this period was a fall of 25%. 2. Half the children in poverty have someone in their family doing paid work. Four-fifths of those in working families live with two parents. Among children in poverty in workless families, two-thirds live with one parent. 3. Tax credits now help more than a million children in working households out of poverty, but the number needing such help has risen sharply. 4. Although the number of children in workless households has fallen by a quarter over the last decade, the UK still has a higher proportion than any other EU country. 5. The poverty rate for pensioners has come down from 27% in the late 1990s to 17% in 2004/05. Among single pensioners, the rate has halved over the period, from 33% to 17%. Pensioners now account for just one-sixth of all the people in poverty. 6. The poverty rate for working-age adults has remained unchanged at 19%. Around half of working-age adults in poverty live in households where someone is doing paid work. 7. At 30%, the poverty rate for disabled adults is twice that for non-disabled adults, a difference markedly higher than a decade ago. The main reason for this high poverty rate is the high levels of worklessness. A graduate with a work-limiting disability is more likely to be lacking but wanting work than an unqualified person with no disability. 8. Relative to earnings, out-of-work benefits for working-age adults are now worth 20% less than in 1997. 9. The proportion of workers aged 22+ who are low paid (6.50 an hour in 2005) has fallen from 37% in 2000 to 29% in 2005 for women and from 17% to 14% for men. Though still substantial, the pay gap between men and women has narrowed at every level of pay, though more so at the bottom. 10. Pay at the bottom has moved in line with average pay over the last decade while pay at the top has gone up faster. 11. Except for households in the top and bottom tenths of the income distribution, households with below average incomes have enjoyed bigger proportional increases over the last decade than households with above average incomes. In terms of the extra money, however, three-quarters has gone to those with above average incomes, and a third has gone to those in the richest tenth. 12. Health inequalities associated with class, income or deprivation are pervasive and can be found in all aspects of health, from infant death and the state of children's teeth to the risk of mental ill-health. The limited information on progress over time (infant death, low birthweight) shows no sign that inequalities are decreasing. 13. There is a steady downward trend on a number of statistics where there is known to be a considerable degree of inequality (premature death, young adult suicides). 14. Over the last decade, the proportion of 11-year-olds failing to reach level 4 at Key Stage 2 has continued to fall, from 43% to 21% for English, and from 46% to 25% in Maths. These proportions are also falling for schools with a high number of children from deprived backgrounds, from above 60% to around 35% for both English and Maths. 15. Despite continued progress in the proportion of 16-year-olds failing to reach the 'headline' level of five GCSEs at grade C or above (from 57% in 1994/95 to 44% in 2004/05), the proportion failing to get five GCSEs at any level has been stuck at 12% since 1998/99. 16. The proportion of 19-year-olds who fail to reach the level of NVQ2 or equivalent is, at 27%, the same as in 1996/97 and slightly higher than 2001/02. The proportion of 16 year-olds not in education or training has remained unchanged at 15% since 2000. 17. At both 11 and 16, deprived white children are as likely to fail to reach educational thresholds as deprived children from minority ethnic groups. 18. The proportion of low-income households without a bank account fell to 10% by 2004/05, down from well above 20% in the late 1990s. The proportion of low-income households without central heating has fallen at an equally rapid rate. In both cases, the gap between low income households and households on average incomes is now small. 19. The proportion of households in poverty paying full Council Tax has gone up steadily, from 45% in 1998/99 to 58% in 2004/05. 1.5 million children in poverty live in households paying full Council Tax. 20. In 2005, 13% of employees earning 6.50 an hour or less belonged to a trade union, compared with 43% for those earnings between 15 and 21 an hour, and 28% for those earning 21 an hour and above. Read More