Mainstream society, in an ideal world, would be peopled by individuals and families, who were well-fed, healthy, content, in employment, and in sound mind. For a great many in the U.K, however, the reality of everyday life is very different, and find themselves on the outskirts of society, if not excluded entirely. Groups which suffer exclusion from the mainstream include those with mental illness, some ethnic minorities, drug users, the disabled, elderly people, Those suffering from poverty and living in deprived areas, and many more. The Collins Dictionary of Social Work defines social exclusion as 'A process that deprives individuals and families, groups and neighbourhoods of the resources required to flourish in society'. Although one could be forgiven for thinking that the only resources needed to flourish in modern society were purely financial, as social workers, we must view the exclusion of service users holistically, and attempt to adress this according to need. The term and basic concept of social exclusion was originally coined by Rene Lenoir (1974), the secretary of state for social action in the Chirac government, and then used by the European Union in the 1990s to describe marginalised groups cut off from sources of regular employment and welfare institutions (www.drcsummerschool.eu).
Using this definition as a starting point, one would assume that in the current economic climate, there are vast swathes of this country that are lacking the resources to flourish, thereby suffering from social exclusion. Poverty and social exclusion in deprived areas, of course, is by no means a new phenomenon, and when the Labour party came to power in the U.K in 1997, the concept was quickly taken by them up as a tool to achieve their own range of social goals. Almost as soon as the party had come to power, New Labour launched the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) to analyse the reasons behind the explosion of, amongst other things, teenage pregnancy, homelessness, and child poverty. The New Commitment to Neighborhood Renewal: National Strategy Action Plan was launched in 2001, with action to be taken across six key areas- education, unemployment, health, crime and anti-social behavior, housing and the prevention of homelessness. A major part of this scheme was the Neighborhood Renewal Fund (NRF), with eight hundred million pounds spent on the eighty-eight most deprived areas of the country. Other initiatives under this strategy include the New Deal for Communities (NDC), which has given two billion pounds to thirty-nine of most deprived communities in order to find new ways to tackle deprivation, unemployment, and to improve services.
But what are the underlying reasons for social exclusion in these so-called deprived areas? It could be argued that through the questionable morality of those living in deprived areas (such as theft, violence, and anti-social behavior), people have actually excluded themselves from the mainstream, as opposed to any inherent structural inequality in society. But what makes people living in low-income areas more likely to exhibit anti-social behavior than those living in middle-class or rural areas? According to one report which evaluates the findings of the Anti-Social Behavior Task Force (Wood, 2004), the type of area where people lived was the strongest predictor of perceived high levels of anti-social behavior. Those in hard- pressed areas were far more likely to encounter problems than those in areas characterised by wealthy achievers. Offenders were generally groups of young people of both sexes. Wood states that the parties involved were often strangers, although from the local area. With rife poverty, low employment, and little opportunity of academic achievement, this behaviour is, whilst certainly anti-social, almost understandable from a group that feels let down and marginalized by both the government and society at large.
#1 There are 3 categories that the contemporary criminal justice system is divided into… which are the courts, corrections, and police. Crime is not a contemporary problem; it has been evolving as the nation has evolved throughout the years. A good example of contemporary crime would be the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, because we see school shootings happening so often in our society now days. The crime that best describes how the contemporary criminal justice system operates is the…
“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1). The poor health position of Indigenous Australians is a contemporary reflection of their historical treatment as Australia’s traditional owners. This treatment has led to Indigenous Australians experiencing social disadvantages, significantly low socio-economic status, dispossession, poverty and powerlessness as a direct result…
3.4 examines the images in society which highlight the contrast between Good and Evil ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- 5.2 identify ways in which individuals develop personal moral responsibility and moral maturity. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- 4.3 critically analyses the value system in contemporary Australian society. -------------------------------------------------…
9:30-10:30 REQUIRED TEXTS: Calhoun, C., J. Gerteis, J. Moody, S. Pfaff, and I. Virk (eds). 2012. Classical Sociological Theory (3rd ed). Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. West Sussex, UK Calhoun, C., J. Gerteis, J. Moody, S. Pfaff, and I. Virk (eds). 2012. Contemporary Sociological Theory (3rd ed). Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. West Sussex, UK COURSE OUTLINE AND OBJECTIVES: This course introduces you to the major theoretical approaches in sociology. We will explore the broad themes of solidarity & social order…
Educational Contexts Artefact: Essay Title: Explore the social, economic and political changes that influence educational policy in Britain. Unit Coordinator: Dr Sue Parfect Submission Date: 12th of May 2015 Word Count: 1500 Explore the social, economic, and political changes that influence educational policy in Britain Education can be defined as a process of transmitting or receiving systematic instruction / teaching in a variety of settings such as school…
regulative authoritarian state, which is providing the non-state actors some sort of dependent autonomy for its own existence. The NGOs are performing a self-contradictory role of allegiance and antagonism for state sponsorship. An ever-growing civil society activism in China is proving a proof of the fact that the welfare issues have not been addressed by the state.) Asoke Kumar Mehera (aust35@gmail.com) (Ex-Teacher of La Mart College of Technology, Sydney) Chinese state-centric model of CSR is contrary…
In his chapter Pluralism, Neo-liberalism and Media Policy, author Des Freedman presents two frames for conceptualising media policy – pluralism and neo-liberalism. Citing scholars such as Humphreys and Baker, the text acknowledges there are other conceptual frameworks with which to view media policy, but lauds pluralism and neo-liberalism for their capacity to explain the climate’s fixation on the free market (Freedman 2008, pp.24). Freedman offers theoretical and historic analysis of these both…
social participation of seniors in the community, known as purpose of life policies, are not inclusive of the special needs of the very old. Our society with culture interaction and value converted, is suffering from huge transformation to family ties. People are beginning to actively think about what they do and as more people choose alternative life, the traditions that surround filial piety will soon fall away. Our society moves to a more non-traditional world that emphasizes privacy and personal…
With reference to the materials in Block 1 – and using your own words – compare and contrast: * classicism * positivism * social constructionism The role of theory in contemporary youth justice practice is crucial in shaping and conceptualising relationships between youth and crime. It provides a structure for how youth justice is practiced and helps make sense of today’s issues surrounding the topic. Approaches to youth justice have evolved throughout the centuries and it is important…
room 1880 Hours: 8:00am-4:30pm E-mail: laweider@liberty.edu Course Description This course is designed to aid the student in the development of a biblical worldview. This will involve an introduction to critical thinking, an evaluation of contemporary moral philosophies, and an affirmation of absolute truth. Students will be challenged to integrate a biblical worldview into their Christian/Community Service. Rationale Since each student has been influenced by various cultural, religious and…