Social exclusion

    AQA
    GCSE

    Social exclusion must be analysed as a multidimensional dynamic process, distinct from static poverty. It involves the rupture of the relationship between the individual and society across four dimensions: impoverishment (material), labour market exclusion (economic), service exclusion (institutional), and exclusion from social relations (cultural). Candidates must evaluate the shift from 'poverty' to 'exclusion' in UK social policy (New Labour to present), referencing Levitas's discourses (MUD, SID, RED) and the interplay between structural constraints and individual agency.

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    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Credit responses that explicitly distinguish between 'poverty' (lack of resources) and 'social exclusion' (lack of participation in society).
    • Award marks for the application of Charles Murray's 'Underclass' concept when discussing voluntary exclusion or dependency culture.
    • Candidates must demonstrate chains of reasoning linking exclusion to specific life chances, such as the correlation between postcode and life expectancy.
    • In 12-mark essays, reward the sustained evaluation of structural barriers (e.g., the poverty trap) against individual agency arguments.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Credit responses that explicitly distinguish between 'poverty' (lack of resources) and 'social exclusion' (lack of participation in society).
    • Award marks for the application of Charles Murray's 'Underclass' concept when discussing voluntary exclusion or dependency culture.
    • Candidates must demonstrate chains of reasoning linking exclusion to specific life chances, such as the correlation between postcode and life expectancy.
    • In 12-mark essays, reward the sustained evaluation of structural barriers (e.g., the poverty trap) against individual agency arguments.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 'Discuss how far' questions, ensure you present a 'For' and 'Against' argument using contrasting theories (e.g., New Right vs. Marxism).
    • 💡When using the Item, explicitly quote the text or data point and follow with 'This supports the view that...' to secure AO2 marks.
    • 💡Use the 'PERC' structure for paragraphs: Point, Explanation, Reference (Sociologist/Study), Criticism.
    • 💡Memorise specific studies (e.g., Townsend, Murray) to move beyond generic descriptions of inequality and access top band marks.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating 'relative poverty' with 'social exclusion' without explaining the mechanism of social isolation.
    • Providing anecdotal or commonsense assertions (e.g., 'people are lazy') instead of citing sociological concepts like the 'cycle of deprivation'.
    • Failing to explicitly reference the provided Item in 12-mark questions, which caps the AO2 (Application) mark.
    • Describing the effects of exclusion without explaining the sociological causes (e.g., structural vs. cultural).

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss
    Evaluate
    To what extent

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