The social exclusion perspective and housing studies: Origins, applications and limitations

The idea of 'social exclusion' has emerged over a relatively short space of time to take centre stage in political and popular debates about social di sadvantage in many European states. In Britain it now dominates policy disc ourse on strategies to combat disadvantage. This paper explores the origins of the concept of social exclusion and the meanings that have been ascribe d to it. The paper poses questions which remain outstanding in the debate o ver social exclusion. It then considers the relationship between housing an d social exclusion and introduces each of the papers in the special issue. It finishes by noting that the papers in this issue make a significant cont ribution to enhancing our understanding of processes of disadvantage, but t hat there is much that remains to be done.