The globalization of economic relations is posing numerous new challenges to policymakers at national and international levels. At present the necessary redesign of policy has proceeded furthest, though still imperfectly and unequally, in the economic field. The reformulation of policy to address the rapidly changing nature, patterns, and causes of social disadvantage is, however, not well advanced. This book is part of a series which describes and analyses trends within countries in terms of patterns and processes of social exclusion of individuals and groups from sources of livelihood and from citizenship rights. The concept of social exclusion is a complex one but it has recently become central in Western European policy discourse. The present series examines its applicability in countries at various levels of development and with various forms of integration into the world economy. It also considers implications of this perspective for the design of development policy. This study examines social exclusion