Introduction

With interest in social exclusion increasing in Australia and social inclusion emerging as a major focus of social policy, examining the extent of the problem has become increasingly important. Estimating the incidence and severity of exclusion can help to identify high-risk groups and guide where action is needed, what form(s) it should take and allow its effects to be monitored. It is particularly important to highlight instances where exclusion exists among members of the population that do not fall into the conventional categories associated with social disadvantage.

There can be no presumption that exclusion is concentrated on those with limited access to economic resources and thus only affects the ‘usual suspects’ identified in poverty line studies. One of the advantages of exclusion-focused research is its ability to draw the attention of policy makers to issues (and their interconnections) that had previously gone unnoticed. Research must support this effort by taking a broad approach that is capable of uncovering forms of exclusion that were previously hidden.

The CUPSE Survey has generated the data needed to undertake this latter task. It includes information on different forms of social and community participation, and on the incidence of events that are indicative of exclusion. The data also make it possible to identify what Australians regard as the ‘key activities’ that can be used to identify who is excluded, and from what. This information allows Australian exclusion to be mapped using a set of indicators that are grounded in everyday experience and reflect community attitudes and practices. Once exclusion has been mapped in this way, it becomes possible to examine its relation to other forms of social disadvantage, including poverty.

Recent research

Until recently, Australian research on social exclusion has focused on issues associated with housing (Arthurson and Jacobs, 2003) or location (Randolph, 2004; Vinson, 2007; Daly et al, 2008), or has examined how exclusion affects vulnerable groups such as the homeless (Australian Government, 2010) and refugees (Taylor and Stanovic, 2005), who are particularly prone to being excluded. These reports and research studies have highlighted important aspects of exclusion, including how its effects unfold in specific instances, but do not provide a national picture of its scale and patterns.