Abstract
Using data from surveys on “social quality survey questionnaires”, carried out by the Asian Consortium for Social Quality between 2009 and 2011, this study investigates the causes of social exclusion in six Asian societies. About 6,460 questionnaires were completed and the analysis of the data reveals the features and the causes of social exclusion in these societies. The study concludes that the impact of social factors (maritual status, parental relations, and personal relations with local communities) on social exclusion is stronger than the political and economical factors (including class stratification and lack of financial resources). The findings indicate that the lack of social capitals is the most significant cause of social exclusion in these societies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
. This ranking (with the exception of South Korea) fits with a ranking of mean scores for social tension, which, in descending order, is: Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and China (and South Korea, see Table 2a).
The seriousness of cultural discrimination will vary in cross-regions. The Mainland China survey, for example, was carried out in Hangzhou, where the majority of the people belong to the Han nationality. However, Hong Kong residents come from all over China in origin, but this factor does not seem to lead to a greater level of cultural discrimination than in other societies.
References
Abdallah, S., Thompson, S., Michaelson, J., Marks, N., Steuer, N., et al. (2009). The Happy Planet Index 20. London: New Economics Foundation.
Barry, B. (1998). Social isolation and the distribution of income. London: London School of Economics.
Beck, W., et al. (Eds.). (2001). Social quality: A new vision for Europe. The Hague/London/Boston: Kluwer Law International.
Berger-Schmitt, R., & Noll, H. H. (2000). Conceptual framework and structure of a European system of social indicators. EuReporting Working Paper No 9, Centre for Survey Research and Methodology (ZUMA), Mannheim.
Burchardt, T., et al. (2002). Degrees of exclusion: Developing a dynamic, multidimensional measure. In J. Hills, et al. (Eds.), Understanding social exclusion (pp. 30–43). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Eurostat. (2000). European social statistics: Income, poverty and social exclusion. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Eurostat. (2010). Combating property and social exclusion: A statistical portrait of the European Union. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union.
Lawson, S. (2011). Sanitizing ethnicity: The creation of singapore’s apolitical culture. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 7(1), 63–84.
Lin, K. (2011). The prototype of social quality theory and the adaptability to East Asian societies. International Journal of Social Quality, 1(1), 57–70.
Marks, N., Abdallah, S., Simms, A., & Thompson, S. (2006). The Happy Planet Index. London: New Economics Foundation.
Noll, H. H. (2002). Social indicators and quality of life research: Background, achievements and current trends. In G. Genov (Ed.), Advances in Sociological Knowledge over Half a Century (pp. 151–181). Paris: ISSC.
Rodriguez, R., Warmerdam, J., & Triomphe, C. E. (Eds.) (2010). The Lisbon strategy 2000–2010. An analysis and evaluation of the methods used and results achieved. Brussels: European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies.do?language=EN.
Room, G. (2000). Social exclusion, solidarity and the challenge of globalization. International Journal of Social Welfare, 9(2), 103–119.
Saunders, P. (2003). Can social exclusion provide a new framework for measuring poverty? Discussion Paper 127, Sydney: SPRC.
Scutella, R., et al. (2009). Measuring poverty and social exclusion in Australia: A proposed multidimensional framework for identifying socio-economic disadvantage. Melbourne Institute Working Paper No. 4/09, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, available at: http://www.melbourneinstitute.com.
SEU. (2001). Preventing social exclusion, report by the social exclusion unit. Available at: www.cabeint-office.gov.uk/seu/2001.
Turner, J. (1997). The institutional order. New York: Longman.
UN. (2010). Analyzing and measuring social inclusion in a global context. New York: UN.
UNDP. (2006). Poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. Croatia: UNDP. Available at: http://www.undp.hr/upload/file/104/52080/FILENAME/Poverty,%20Unemployment%20and%20Social%20Exclusion.pdf.
Walker, A. (2011). Social quality and welfare system sustainability. International Journal of Social Quality, 1(1), 5–18.
Walker, A., & Wigfield, A. (2004). The social inclusion component of social quality, ENIQ. Available at: www.socialquality.org/site/ima/Social-Inclusion-febr-2004.pdf.
Whiteford, P. (2001). Understanding poverty and social exclusion: Situating Australia internationally. In R. Fincher & P. Saunders (Eds.), Creating unequal futures? Rethinking poverty, inequality and disadvantage (pp. 38–69). Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Acknowledgment
This study is supported by the Chinese Foundation of Social Sciences and the Hangzhou Municipal Fund.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, K., Xu, Y., Huang, T. et al. Social Exclusion and Its Causes in East Asian Societies: Evidences from SQSQ Survey Data. Soc Indic Res 112, 641–660 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0074-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0074-0