http://www.adb.org/documents/books/social_exclusion/Social_exclusion.pdf

While the underlying idea behind the concept of social exclusion is not radically new, the growing literature on the subject has helped to enrich causal understanding and empirical analysis of certain aspects of poverty and deprivation. To be excluded from common facilities or benefits that others have can certainly be a significant handicap that impoverishes the lives that individuals can enjoy. No concept of poverty can be satisfactory if it does not take adequate note of the disadvantages that arise from being excluded from shared opportunities enjoyed by others. Examine critically what new insight -if any- is provided by the approach of social exclusion. Does it contribute to our understanding of the nature of poverty? Does it help in identifying causes of poverty that may be otherwise neglected? Does it enrich thinking on policy and social action in alleviating poverty? How would our understanding of poverty be any different if we were to ignore the literature of social exclusion altogether? How would the policies chosen be any different? These critical issues are central to an appropriate evaluation and assessment of the idea of social exclusion.