Social Exclusion in Literature & Literary Theory

Social Exclusion: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Etymology/Term: The term “social exclusion” draws on the Latin word ‘excludere’, which means “to shut out.” It describes a process where individuals or groups are systematically marginalized, blocked from fully participating in society, and denied access to resources, opportunities, and rights that are available to others.

Meanings and Concept:

• Multifaceted: It goes beyond poverty. It encompasses a wide range of experiences and disadvantages.
• Denial of Rights and Opportunities: Exclusion can manifest in restricted access to education, healthcare, employment, housing, political participation, and basic resources.
• Social and Relational: Exclusion creates a sense of being an outsider, denied belonging and social connections. It can lead to stigmatization and discrimination.
• Structural and Systemic: It often stems from embedded social inequalities, power imbalances, and discriminatory practices within a society.
• Consequences: It can have devastating effects on individuals and communities, leading to poverty, ill health, reduced social mobility, and social unrest.

Social Exclusion: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Social exclusion refers to the process through which individuals or groups are systematically marginalized or prevented from fully participating in social, economic, and political life. It involves the denial of access to resources, opportunities, and rights that are available to others in society, leading to disparities and inequality. This concept is often used in sociology and policy discussions to analyze and address issues of inequality, discrimination, and social justice.

Social Exclusion: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Key Theorists

• Amartya Sen:
  • Work: Development as Freedom
  • Argument: It is a form of “capability deprivation.” Exclusion limits people’s choices and opportunities, restricting their ability to live the lives they value. Sen’s work broadens understanding of exclusion beyond material resources to emphasize agency and freedom.
• Pierre Bourdieu:
  • Works: Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, The Weight of the World
  • Argument: It is perpetuated by unequal distribution of different forms of capital (economic, cultural, social). Those lacking the ‘right’ capital (knowledge, connections, tastes aligning with the dominant class) are excluded and disadvantaged.
• Hilary Silver:
  • Work: Social Exclusion and Social Solidarity
  • Argument: Three interrelated dimensions of exclusion: economic (lack of resources), social (limited participation in networks and institutions), and political (denial of rights and representation). These dimensions reinforce each other.
• Ruth Levitas:
  • Work: The Inclusive Society? Social Exclusion and New Labour
  • Argument: Critiques the notion that exclusion can be solved by reintegrating individuals into the existing system (i.e., through employment), without addressing its root causes in socioeconomic structures.

Themes and Considerations

• Intersectionality: It isn’t experienced the same way by everyone – factors like race, gender, disability, etc. intersect to create unique forms of disadvantage.
• Power and Inequality: It is ultimately about how power operates within a society, both structurally (laws, institutions) and culturally (norms, values).
• Agency vs. Structure Theories differ on whether they emphasize the actions of excluded individuals or the systems that perpetuate their exclusion.

Major Characteristics

1. Economic Disadvantage: This exclusion often involves economic marginalization, where individuals or groups lack access to resources and opportunities due to financial constraints. In Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” the protagonist experiences social exclusion as an orphan living in poverty, denied basic necessities and opportunities available to others in society.
2. Discrimination and Prejudice: A key characteristic of this exclusion is discrimination based on factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” portrays the social exclusion of African Americans in the 1930s Southern United States, highlighting the pervasive racism and prejudice that limited their rights and opportunities.
3. Lack of Social Integration: Socially excluded individuals often experience a lack of social integration, feeling disconnected from mainstream society and marginalized within their communities. In John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” characters like Crooks and Candy face social exclusion due to their disabilities or minority status, leading to their isolation and alienation from the larger group.
4. Institutional Barriers: It can be perpetuated by institutional barriers that restrict access to education, healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities. In Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” the character Pecola Breedlove experiences social exclusion due to systemic racism and societal beauty standards that marginalize her based on her appearance and socioeconomic status.

Social Exclusion: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Social Exclusion
Marxist Theory	Characters can be socially excluded due to their class, denied opportunities or access to the means of production. Literature can expose the mechanisms of exclusion within exploitative social structures.
Feminist Theory	Women and marginalized genders often experience exclusion based on patriarchal systems, limiting their access to power, resources, and opportunities. Literature can reveal and challenge these forms of exclusion.
Critical Race Theory	Characters can be excluded based on race or ethnicity, facing systemic barriers and discrimination. Literature can illuminate the lived experiences of exclusion and how it intersects with other forms of identity.
Postcolonial Theory	Exclusion can be a legacy of colonialism, affecting individuals and groups based on their cultural identity, access to resources, and representation within power structures. Literature can analyze how power dynamics shape exclusion.
Disability Studies	Characters with disabilities can face both physical and social barriers to participation, highlighting the ableist structures within society. Works might examine how social systems perpetuate exclusion.
Queer Theory	Individuals who deviate from heteronormative or cisnormative identities can experience exclusion due to prejudice and discriminatory practices. Literature can expose and challenge these systems of exclusion.

Social Exclusion: Application in Critiques

1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

• Characters Facing Exclusion: Celie, a poor, uneducated Black woman in the early 20th-century American South, faces multiple layers of exclusion due to her race, gender, class, and experiences of abuse. The novel explores how these factors intersect and create multifaceted disadvantage.
• Themes to Explore: The devastating impact of racism, sexism, and poverty on an individual’s life and opportunities, the power of female solidarity in overcoming exclusion, and the role of literacy and self-expression in regaining agency.

2. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

• Exclusion within and between cultures: Okonkwo’s rigid adherence to traditional Igbo values contributes to his social exclusion within his own community. His exile and the arrival of colonizers introduce new forms of exclusion based on race, religion, and power dynamics.
• Themes to Explore: The impact of internal cultural values on exclusion, the clash between tradition and colonialism, and how exclusion can be used as a tool of oppression and control.

3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

• The Excluded Monster: The Creature, created and abandoned by Victor Frankenstein, experiences profound social exclusion due to his monstrous appearance. This highlights societal prejudice, fear of the ‘other’, and leads to violence and tragedy.
• Themes to Explore: The role of social norms in defining exclusion, the devastating consequences of denying compassion or basic rights to an individual, and the responsibility of the creator towards their creation.

4. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

• Dystopian Exclusion: In the Republic of Gilead, women are systematically excluded from positions of power, education, and bodily autonomy. The novel serves as a chilling exploration of how social control and exclusion can be used to uphold oppressive regimes.
• Themes to Explore: The fragility of rights and freedoms, particularly for women, how totalitarian regimes use exclusion as a tool of control, and the potential for resilience and resistance even within structures of oppression.

Social Exclusion: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Social Exclusion	The process of marginalizing individuals or groups by denying them access to resources and opportunities.
Marginalization	The social process of relegating certain individuals or groups to a lower social standing or status.
Discrimination	Unfair treatment or prejudice against individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race or gender.
Inequality	Disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and rights between different individuals or groups.
Poverty	The state of being extremely poor, lacking the financial resources to meet basic needs and participate fully in society.
Prejudice	Negative attitudes or stereotypes held against individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race or ethnicity.
Stigmatization	The process of labeling and stereotyping individuals or groups, leading to their social exclusion or marginalization.
Vulnerability	The susceptibility of individuals or groups to social exclusion due to factors such as poverty or disability.
Segregation	The enforced separation of individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Access to Resources	The availability and ability to obtain essential resources such as education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

Social Exclusion: Suggested Readings

1. Amartya Sen. Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press, 1999. https://www.amazon.com/Development-as-Freedom-Amartya-Sen/dp/0385720270
2. Atkinson, A.B., and E. Marlier, editors. Income and Living Conditions in Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010. [invalid URL removed]
3. Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Translated by Richard Nice, Harvard University Press, 1984. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674212770
4. Byrne, David. Social Exclusion. 2nd ed., Open University Press, 2005. [invalid URL removed]
5. Hick, Rod, and Pete Alcock. Social Exclusion and Anti-Social Behaviour. York Publishing Services, 2003. [It seems this book might be harder to find online. Check WorldCat to see if your library or a nearby one carries it: https://www.worldcat.org/ ]
6. Levitas, Ruth. The Inclusive Society? Social Exclusion and New Labour. 2nd ed., Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. [invalid URL removed]
7. Rodgers, Gerry, Charles Gore, and José B. Figueiredo, editors. Social Exclusion: Rhetoric, Reality, Responses. International Labor Organization, 1995. [Might be accessible through ILO website: https://www.ilo.org/ ]
8. Room, Graham. Poverty and Social Exclusion in Britain. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1999. [Search the Joseph Rowntree Foundation publications: https://www.jrf.org.uk/]
9. Silver, Hilary. “Social Exclusion and Social Solidarity: Three Paradigms.” International Labour Review, vol. 133, no. 5-6, 1994, pp. 531-578. [Try searching for this article on JSTOR (https://www.jstor.org/) or Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)]
10. Young, Iris Marion. Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton University Press, 1990.