The Mechanism of Social Exclusion in Modern Society

The Dilemma of Active Labor Market Policy

Abstract

In this article, I examine the social exclusion approach which has an influence on social policy in Europe, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach to explain the emergence of new inequality in modern society.
First, I will consider recent studies about social exclusion to show two important meanings : a paradigm shift from poverty to social exclusion and an introduction of a new policy framework of social inclusion. At the same time, I examine the inherent dilemma of social inclusion as a response to the radical critics of the social exclusion approach.
Next, I actually point out the dilemma of active labor market policy which EU member states give top priority today. This dilemma indicates that a set of policies makes the unemployed more vulnerable, enforcing paid work on them. Then I show that enhancement of social network in local communities and assistance to cultural identity serve the role of a buffer to compensate for the destructive influence on economics. In addition, I point out that citizenship as rights-claiming is indispensable to social inclusion for all.
Finally, from what has been analyzed above, we may reasonably conclude that social inclusion as a multi-tiered mechanism is the most effective framework in a precarious society where people bear various risks in the era of globalization.