SOSC 103DSocial Inequality in HK

Lecture 18: Social Exclusion

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Marginalized groups Groups of people who have encountered

difficulties in participating fully in society

Who are they? Lack of economic resources (poverty)

Lack of social rights (citizenship)

Lack of community support (discrimination)

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Social Exclusion“ a comprehensive formulation, which refers to the dynamic process of being shut out, fully or partially, from any of the social, economic, political or cultural systems”

(Walker & Walker, 1997)

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Social Exclusion (cont’) Measures:

Exclusion from good and services Labour market exclusions Exclusion from land Exclusion from security Exclusion from human rights and political

rights Exclusion from macro-economic

development strategy

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Example: Street sleepers

Without a shelter: No water supply, having poor and dusty

environment Disturbances from pedestrians Frequent checks by the police

General image: Who are they? Why would they sleep on street?

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Example: Street sleepers

Without an address: Difficulties in applying and finding a job Other social and political rights

Major reasons for street sleeping: Low income, cannot afford high rents Having conflicts with family members

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Cage-homers, Elderly, New arrivals, Ethnic minorities

Other E.g. of marginalized groups

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Single parent families

Youth (finished schooling but unemployed)

The disabled or have serious illness

Released prisoners

Sex workers

Other E.g. of marginalized groups

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Problem of social exclusion Social isolation (vicious circle)

Invisible in our “normal” society

Policies and development further neglect their needs and problems

Hostility (crime, social instability)

Lack of social cohesion

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Hostility Chinese migrants torch Hong Kong

immigration buildingAugust 2, 2000

Migrants from mainland China doused Hong Kong immigration headquarters with flammable liquid Wednesday evening, then set a fire that injured 46 people, including three officials who were seriously burned.

Eighteen immigration officers and an unspecified number of mainlanders were hurt as Hong Kong's drawn-out dispute over residency rights turned violent in the migrants' most dramatic effort yet to avoid being sent home.

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Problem of social exclusion Recent problem:

From neglect to concern?

Stigmatization (role of government, media, etc.)

Discrimination (role of the general public and employers)

Further marginalized

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Readings:

Saloojee, Anver (2001) “Social Inclusion, Citizenship and Diversity,” in the Canadian Council on Social Development http://www.ccsd.ca/subsites/inclusion/bp/as.htm