English Authors Social Exclusion

Mohammad Yunus – Developed the concept of microcredits for the poor in Bangladesh, showing that even the most disadvantaged can repay loans and break cycles of poverty.

René Lenoir – Created the concept of social exclusion, focusing on groups like the disabled, elderly, drug addicts, and single-parent families.

Robert Castel – Introduced the idea of social cohesion zones (inclusion, vulnerability, exclusion) and the concept of social disaffiliation as a cumulative process.

Oscar Lewis – Developed the “culture of poverty” concept, arguing that poverty can become a transmitted generational lifestyle, reinforcing patterns and stereotypes.

Robert Merton – Defined anomie as the tension arising when society’s goals exceed the legitimate means available to achieve them, building on Durkheim’s foundational ideas.

Emile Durkheim – Early theorist of anomie, exploring social instability caused when norms and values break down.

Amartya Sen – Proposed the capabilities approach: poverty is a lack of real freedom to choose and act, not just lack of money, and developed the Human Development Index.

Gino Germani – Studied asynchronous modernization, showing how uneven development produces marginality when individuals or groups cannot participate fully in society.

Adela Cortina – Coined the term “aporophobia,” the fear or rejection of poor people, distinguishing it from xenophobia.

Joaquín García Roca – Identified three vectors of poverty explaining marginalization as a triple rupture: economic, social, and vital.

Herbert Spencer – Argued that poverty results from lower social and labor adaptability, and inequality is necessary for society’s proper functioning.

Thomas Malthus – Linked poverty and marginalization to population growth, arguing that aid to the poor can harm society.

Franklin Frazier – Emphasized that individuals’ culture and worldview shape behavior, and personal disposition and capacity for change are key to social outcomes.

Daniel P. Moynihan – Claimed family structure explains social disorganization, particularly in Black communities, and recommended government subsidies to support family stability.

Walter Miller – Viewed the poor and marginalized as potential threats to social stability, exhibiting ambivalent behavior, seeking short-term satisfaction, and responding differently to risk and authority.

Daniel Matza – Distinguished “worthy” and “unworthy” poor, focusing on the latter as socially discredited individuals who fail to adopt middle-class values like work ethic.

Zygmunt Bauman – Studied the “new poor” in consumer societies, highlighting insecurity, labor flexibilization, and the erosion of citizenship linked to job loss.