SOCIAL EXCLUSION AS A BARRIER TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Social exclusion is one of the main concerns in Europe nowadays. It is an isolation from social life which results from various kinds of inequalities. This phenomenon occurs in every economy, regardless of their advancement. The process of preventing social exclusion is called social inclusion. It involves creating a situation in which the person at risk of exclusion has the opportunity to participate in the economic, cultural and social life. Social assistance and social workers are to prevent exclusion in Poland. Poverty is often attributed to social exclusion. The relation between poverty and social exclusion is partly the result of the fact that access to the indispensable goods involves first of all the membership in more or less formalized groups and their mediation. As the result of poverty some people are pushed to the margins of the society and are not admitted to the full participation in life and thus their development may be limited.