SOSC 103D Social Inequality in HK Lecture 18: Social Exclusion

L18: 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)

L18: 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)

L18: 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

L18: 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?

L18: 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

L18: Cage-homers, Elderly, New arrivals, Ethnic minorities Other E.g. of marginalized groups

L18:  Single parent families  Youth (finished schooling but unemployed)  The disabled or have serious illness  Released prisoners  Sex workers Other E.g. of marginalized groups

L18: 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

L18: Hostility Chinese migrants torch Hong Kong immigration building August 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.

L18: 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

L18: Readings: Saloojee, Anver (2001) “Social Inclusion, Citizenship and Diversity,” in the Canadian Council on Social Development