Social exclusion in Europe: paradigms of social disadvantage in Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom

This article reviews contemporary discussions of the concept of social exclusion in Europe and examines different paradigms of inclusion and exclusion in selected European countries. A central concern of the article is to link the literature on social exclusion with the debate on welfare regimes and labour market structures and mechanisms of social protection. Drawing on recent comparative analyses the article also considers how women and ethnic minority groups, as well as different social classes, are included or excluded in different welfare regimes.