Definitions of social inclusion and social exclusion: the invisibility of mental illness and the social conditions of participation

Current definitions of social exclusion and social inclusion tend to focus on actual participation. Whilst this provides an objective basis for policy measurement, it can overlook the underpinning social dynamics. As part of a conceptual analysis, a précis is provided of a qualitative study undertaken in New Zealand that investigated social inclusion and exclusion from the subjective perspectives of people who experience mental distress. This study highlights subtle cases that cannot be adequately assessed under current definitions. Rather than actual participation, focusing on the ‘terms and conditions’ of social exclusion and inclusion can encompass invisible phenomena, such as mental illness, and bring the concepts closer to underlying social processes. Definitions would be improved if they focused less on measurement and more on the social constructs involved.