What is the Difference Between Social Exclusion and Vulnerability

The main difference between social exclusion and vulnerability is that social exclusion refers to the phenomenon where certain groups of people within a society feel isolated and unimportant, while vulnerability refers to the inability of individuals or community to withstand adverse impacts from various stressors like natural disasters, forms of abuse, and social exclusion.

Social exclusion and vulnerability are two interrelated concepts. Social exclusion can ultimately lead to social vulnerability.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Social Exclusion 
      – Definition, Features
2. What is Social Vulnerability
     – Definition, Features
3. Relationship Between Social Exclusion and Vulnerability
     – Definition, Features
4. Difference Between Social Exclusion and Vulnerability
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Social Exclusion, Poverty, Vulnerability

What is Social Exclusion

Social exclusion is a phenomenon where certain groups of people within a society feel isolated and unimportant. In social exclusion, a certain segment of the society is denied access to resources, rights, opportunities, and goods and services that are usually available to the majority of people in the society. Some of these may involve employment, housing, healthcare, democratic participation, etc.  But these resources are essential to social integration and observance of human rights in society. Therefore, these people are socially disadvantaged and relegated to the fringe of society.

Social exclusion can happen due to poverty or membership in a certain minority group (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, age, etc.) Moreover, it can take various forms of discrimination, reducing the opportunity for people belonging to these groups to gain access to social services and limiting their involvement in the labour market. In addition, it’s difficult to recognize a single cause for social exclusion. Exclusion can happen due to deliberate action on the part of others (e.g. discrimination by employers), or social processes that do not involve deliberate action. However, the causes of social exclusion that lead to poverty and suffering are usually attributed to the operations of unequal power relations. Overall, social exclusion affects the quality of life of people as well as the cohesion of society as a whole.

It’s also important to note that social exclusion is not the only form of exclusion in society; there can be other forms of exclusion, such as political exclusion, economic exclusion, cultural exclusion, and political exclusion.  

What is Vulnerability

Vulnerability basically refers to the possibility of being harmed or attacked, physically and/or psychologically. It’s the opposite of resilience. The term social vulnerability has no universally accepted definition. There are various theories of social vulnerability. We can simply describe it as the inability of individuals or community to withstand adverse impacts from various stressors. Stressors here refer to negative situations like natural calamities, forms of abuse, or social exclusion.

Therefore, there is a relationship between social exclusion and vulnerability. Social exclusion can make people vulnerable. According to sociologists, the social vulnerability exists due to factors like social inequality. Although an individual can break away from it, it’s not possible for the majority of people.

Relationship Between Social Exclusion and Vulnerability

• Social exclusion can ultimately lead to social vulnerability.
• Both can have an impact on individuals and society.

Difference Between Social Exclusion and Vulnerability

Definition

Social exclusion refers to a phenomenon where certain groups of people within a society feel isolated and unimportant, while vulnerability refers to the inability of individuals or community to withstand adverse impacts from various stressors like natural disasters, forms of abuse, and social exclusion.

Cause

Social exclusion can happen due to poverty or membership in a certain minority group, whereas social exclusion can happen due to natural calamities, forms of abuse, or social exclusion.

Conclusion

Social exclusion refers to a phenomenon where certain groups of people within a society feel isolated and unimportant, while vulnerability refers to the inability of individuals or community to withstand adverse impacts from various stressors like natural disasters, forms of abuse, and social exclusion. Furthermore, social exclusion can ultimately lead to social vulnerability. Thus, this is the main difference between social exclusion and vulnerability.

Reference:

1. “Causes and Forms of Social Exclusion.” GSDRC, 28 Aug. 2015, Available here.
2. “Social Vulnerability.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2021, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “2248101” (CC0) via Pixabay

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