A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO SOCIAL EXCLUSION - LESSONS FROM FRANCE AND BELGIUM

The concept of social exclusion has been the focus of much theoretical and political debate in France. By analysing the material published o n this subject, the author gives a progress report on the debate, inte rpretations of the concept - breakdown of social bonds, deprivation of social rights, links with inequality, social dualism - and relevant p olicies, including on minimum wages, housing and urbanization. A compa rison with the situation in Belgium raises doubts as to the concept's usefulness for international comparative analysis. The difficulty of c omparison increases when considering very different regions such as Eu rope and Latin America.