IS SOCIAL EXCLUSION DESIRABLE AND ACHIEVABLE? DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO GENDER. This essay provides a context for the discussion of women's social exclusion in contemporary Britain

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IS SOCIAL EXCLUSION DESIRABLE AND ACHIEVABLE? DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO GENDER.

This essay provides a context for the discussion of women’s social exclusion in contemporary Britain. It begins with an overview of the way in which social exclusion is defined. By weighing up the relevant literature the essay will then move on to discuss whether women’ social inclusion is possible in modern Britain. In order to do this the essay will begin with a discussion of social inclusion in terms of state intervention and legislation. The other areas of interest that have been explored and studied in great depth and which the essay will discuss in detail include the following, Employment, Housing, and Politics. In relation to these areas the essay will attempt to argue that although inclusion of women is desirable by many groups, for example feminists, men and the state, achievement still seems very unlikely. Despite the very many gains of women over the last two centuries gender differences and the persistence of inequalities between men and women still exist in modern Britain. Therefore, women, on the whole continue to be socially excluded and subordinate to men within contemporary society.

On the one hand Social inclusion conveys a right to belong. On the other, social exclusion creates a group of people who are excluded from exercising the rights enjoyed by other citizens. The following, quite comprehensive, definition of social exclusion comes from the European Commission:

‘Social exclusion refers to the multiple and changing factors resulting in people being excluded from the normal exchanges, practices and rights of modern society. It also refers to inadequate rights in housing, education, health, and access to services’. (Saraga, 1998: 20-21).

What impact, if any has the government and equal opportunities policies had upon achieving women’s inclusion?  On the one hand it can be argued that the government emphasises equality of opportunity and intervenes in trying to achieve full inclusion of women in modern society. In responding to the social exclusion of women and the problems they face, the government has built upon legislation, which provides women with a firm basis for pursuing equality of opportunity. The Equal pay Act 1970 eliminates discrimination between men and women in regard to pay and other terms of their contracts of employment. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 makes discrimination between men and women on the grounds of sex unlawful in employment and training, education, provision of goods and facilities. The Sex Discrimination Act 1986 lifted legal restrictions on women’s hours of work which prevented them from working shifts at night, stipulated the maximum number of hours that they could work, and curtailed overtime working. Furthermore, the Employment Protection Act 1975 gives important rights to a working woman expecting a baby; they have a right not to be unfairly dismissed because of pregnancy. They are also entitled to return to work not later than 29 weeks after the birth of the baby. These developments ensure that women enjoy equality of access to jobs at every level. There are a number of other positive policies that have been enacted on behalf of women. These include, the extension of maternity leave to women employed for six months, the extension of family credit to part time works who are predominantly women, the introduction of child-care vouchers for nursery school age children, (Smith, 2002: 184-200).

Furthermore, it can be argued that in the past several years’ developments in the social security system have benefited women. All women can now claim for a partner on the same terms as men under the income support scheme, the housing benefit scheme, and the community charge benefit scheme, (Payne, 2000: 55-90). In terms of education the government has also provided more opportunities for women, particularly for mature students with domestic responsibilities. Measures have been designed to encourage female recruitment; these include the improvement of guidance and information about opportunities and the promotion of more flexible forms of provision such as open learning schemes. One-year access course’s, run by further and higher education establishments have enabled older women with non-standard entry qualifications to gain entry to higher education.  Some access courses cater exclusively for women, the growth of access courses has been very rapid in recent years, and there are now hundreds of courses on offer in Britain. An example of one includes the Open University (1969), a development which bought higher education within the range of large numbers of women. These home based educational schemes are particularly suited to women’s needs with their flexible study hours and course arrangements, enabling students to organise study around their normal working and domestic circumstances, (Central Statistics Office: 1991: 34-44).

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Alternatively, according to Janie Percey Smith (2002) although inclusion of women is desirable difficulties have arisen with the way in which equal opportunities policies have been implemented in practice. The impact of equal opportunities legislation has been patchy and practice varies dramatically within organisations, which describe themselves as equal opportunities employers. She states that despite more than 30 years of equal pay act, designed to ensure that women and men earn equal wages, still women working full time on average earn just 80 pence for every pound that a full time working man earns. The problem is even more ...

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