What are the main causes of social exclusion?

Introduction
Shot in black and white cinema verite style, Hate (La Haine) follows a day in the life of three aimless, violence-prone, ethnically-diverse young men who hail from the same decaying housing project in Paris. Mathieu Kassovitz won the Best Director prize for this realistic movie at the Cannes Film Festival. Further than the cinematic side, La Haine aims at denouncing violence due to dismay, to precariousness. In a word, as it was shot in 1995, it illustrates the social issue that has become the keyword of the 95's presidential elections. More precisely, social exclusion is a dynamic process which leads to a loss of social links and of traditional marks. Furthermore, it is analysed through the notion of breaks, of dislocation. However, the strict definition of social exclusion is difficult to catch insofar as it gathers lots of dimensions, causes. Hence, it appears necessary to remind us the different origins of social exclusion in order to understand its complexity. Then, we should get the reason why sociologists speak about a multidimensional and cumulative process. First of all, we would develop the idea that unemployment is the first and strongest way to social exclusion as paid work is considered as a crucial link between individuals and society. Then, we are going to put stress on other socialising structures such as school and family. Finally, a analysis would go through micro and macro handicaps that prevent individuals from entering the public sphere.

I. The end of the full employment society or the untimely end of a crucial link between individuals and society: the first cause of social exclusion
A. The meaning of work for social integration Nowadays, work is central value whereas it was just dedicated to disadvantaged stratums during the Antiquity. Thanks to or because of rationalization of activies due to capitalism spreading, work awards today dignity, a positive image of oneself, plus an access to income and to social rights. Ignace Glorieux says there is two contrasting views on work: on the one hand, there is a materialistic conception of work (it is a necessary evil to provide one's material needs ) and on the other hand, work is also a means to create social cohesion and to being tied to broader society. Besides, Schnapper assumes that employment gives a belonging to public sphere; it is a second socialization insofar as you own a recognized place in the social hierarchy. Furthermore, you have access to solidarity networks thanks to social relations provided by work. In other words, in a labor civilization, having a professional activity is considered as a convention. B. Labor market evolutions or the outbreak of social exclusion process Nevertheless, labour market is knowing deep mutations. Indeed, it is characterised by a wage freeze, an increasing in precarious jobs and massive unemployment. Incidentally, Hannah Arendt has analysed the links between man and labor as the main factor of integrating society. By observing emergent post-industrial economies, she wrote in The Human Condition, we are facing the perspective of a

workers' society without work, deprived from their last one activity. One can't imagine something worse . The labour market is indeed segmented: insiders counter outsiders. For instance, in France, in 1998, 10,4% of paid workers are in a precarious situation. Therefore, according to Castel, the end of the full employment society prevent people from security and from guarantee of social protection. Long term unemployed are stigmatized, back to square one without any income, without any access to consumer society. They suffer from exclusion of accomodation, culture, leisure, health. Indeed, deprivation indicators as dietary, clothing, fuel and light, household facilities, housing conditions, work conditions, health, education, enviroment, familiy activities, recreation, social relations enable one to mesure poverty which is usually defined in terms of a shortfall in ressources relative to a legitimate set of needs. Hence, labour market marginility leads to poverty and social isolation which in return reinforce, by reducing people's access to information and transport, the risk of long term unemployment. Poverty, as a first phase of the spiral of decline, contributes to a vicious circle of exclusion. Besides, unemployment arouses feelings of being aided, develops culpability and shame. Hence, unemployed don't dare to get involved in job actions. Finally, the most striking fact is that exclusion may nowadays affect the middle class insofar as no one is protected from precarious job. Thus, full employment is a crucial vector of integration, of social cohesion which contrast with massive vulnerability. While the standard of living in Western countries is the job security, instability and unemployment put social integration at stake.

II. The fragilisation of integrator structures or the breakdown of socialization's mecanisms : causes of social isolation
A. The loss of family and social links Putting the blame on unemployment as the first and unique cause of social exclusion would forget the breakdown of other integrator structures that can lead also to social isolation. Let's talk about the loss of social links that weaken emotional and financial relationships. Because of the increasing in atypical family structures such as divorces, monoparental families. Family is recognised as a place of socialization, a solidarity network, in a word, as a group that generates social link. Nevertheless, the break of family circle is a important source of failure that could lead to exclusion, because of precarious situations. Furthermore, family links are unequal among social stratums. In wealthy families, parental network enable children to enter priviliged structures whereas low-class can't take advantage of their situation. According to Paugam, poverty in some families generates a process of social disqualification by adding financial, moral and social difficulties. Besides, it is clear that unemployment leads to an erosion of social ties. Indeed, to a certain extent, there is a strong correlation between precariousness of employment and the instability of partnerships insofar as, because of unemployment, we can notice a reduction in the intensity of social life. In return, a conjugal break could create a depression that come out of loss of job.

B. School as an excluding machine After the faintness of the first integrator structures, we are witnessing today a kinky effect of school democratization. Indeed, there is a lack in school integration. On the one hand, school should be the basis for a widely held understanding of the function of education in contemporary society . On the other hand, Levitas writes that the failure of education is a particularly important and increasingly widespread factor of marginalization and economic and social exclusion . According to Bourdieu, teachers are imposing a symbolic violence insofar as they repeat the prevailing power relations. The superiority of the dominant culture is pointed up. That is why this generates a self exclusion from low-class : they recognise the supposed inferiority of their culture. manque d'intgration scolaire. Overmore, school massification leads to an incresing in competition between students : schoolar skills is a determinant factor and the absence of diploma is a social handicap. In a word, school simplifies and legitimates the exclusionary process.

III. The matter of the economic and sociocultural background : micro and macro sources of undergoed exclusion
A. Stigmatization : women, migrant workers, young and disabled people as being socialy inadmissible Withal, it appears important to study the inequalitities in the risk on social exlcuion, distinguishing different population groups. Indeed, some categories have to face stigmatization to enter in the public sphere. Because of traditional views and behaviour, women have to proove their abilities in order to overcome their supposed inferiority due to their gender ( less physical strengh, may be pregnant, must take care of their family). In the same way, disabled people are rejected from labour market and/or social relationships because of their physical/mental handicap. Also, young and migrant workers aren't in a easier situation. Employers don't trust them because of their lack of experience or because of their origins. Those groups suffer from insecurity, precariousness and have to cope with machism, racism and rebuttal. Excepted single parent families, unmarried person, chilhood marked by poverty, women, migrant workers, young and disabled people are the sections of the population most exposed to social exclusion. Thus, sociocultural background could represent a serious handicap to social integration. B. The limitations of welfare : dependence and kinky effects Furthermore, the fight against social exclusion is less than shapeless. Indeed, the considerable rigidity of the social protection system turns out to be ineffective as a whole in preventing the risk of fragility or withdrawal from the employment market. The battle against educational failure, the construction of social housing adapted to the special needs of households and the setting up of a development programme for disadvantaged neighbourhoods are insufficient to make up for fragile situations. Without any policy of prevention, one is likely to experience a progressive cumulation of difficulties and handicaps. All the more so as, as Rosenvallon showed it, the crisis of the welfare state arouses feeling of assistanceship, relegation and schoolar

worthlessness. Thus, the retrenchment of the welfare state is not only an actor but also a factor of social exclusion insofar as it prevent individuals from bail oneself out. It stigmatizes more than it saves.

Conclusion
As we have seen, a loss of employment is likely to start the process of decline, launching the downward spiral of disadvantages. Then, it is more difficult for people to participate in social activities and the lack of ressources, combined with the stigmatizing effect of unemployment, leads to a fracturing people's social ties and growing social isolation. Moreover, tension over finances may increase conflict in the household and precipitate the dissolution of partnerships while dependence on welfare benefits weaken chances of entering socialising spheres. Hence, how could we reweld broken social links? Castel speaks about desaffiliation to appoint the dual integrator break that one could be victim of. Shall we maintain traditional structures or on the contrary, find other solidarity forms? Why not thinking about a third sector, that is to say about local solidarity networks?

Bibliography

GALLIE, DUNCAN, PAUGAM and JACOBS, Unemployment, Poverty and Social Isolation. Is there a Vicious Circle of Social Exclusion? , in European Socities, 2003, 5, n1, p. 1-32 ; PAUGAM S., The spiral of precariousness: a multidimensional approach to the process of social disqualification in France , in ROOM G., Beyond the threshold: the measurement and analysis of social exclusion, Bristol, Policy press, 1995 ; PAUGAM S., Poverty and social disqualification: a comparative analysis of cumulative social disadvantage in Europe , Journal of European social policy, 1996, 6, n4, p.287-303 ; LITTLEWOOD P., Social exclusion in Europe: problems and paradigms, Aldershot, Ashgate, 1999 ROOM G., Beyond the threshold: the measurement and analysis of social exclusion, Bristol, Policy press, 1995.