Question

Discuss 'social exclusion' and 'vulnerability' as measures of poverty.

Answer 1

Instruction:
Explain the meaning of social exclusion and vulnerability.

Solution:

• Social exclusion explains poverty in terms of the poor being excluded from the affluent society and living in poor surroundings along with people from a similar economic background, that is, with other poor people.
• This excludes them from access to facilities, benefits, and opportunities that people in better economic circumstances enjoy. In other words, they are excluded from enjoying social equality. And because of this, social exclusion can be both a cause and a result of poverty.
• For example, the caste system in India. People belonging to certain castes are not provided with certain benefits and opportunities. They are excluded from equal opportunities.

• Vulnerability as a measure of poverty describes the greater probability of certain communities becoming or remaining poor in the coming years.
• It is determined by the options available to different communities to access assets, education, health, and job opportunities.
• It is also assessed on the basis of how certain groups of people are at greater risk during times of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, droughts, or tsunamis.
• Members of a backward caste, widows, the elderly, or persons with physical disabilities may be more vulnerable to poverty.
• Rural and urban households engaged in agricultural and casual labour are some of the vulnerable occupational groups.