The Problem of Inclusion as a "Problem" of Social Theory

The theme of social inclusion can not be address in sociology without initially considering the definition of the concept of citizenship as formulated by Alfred Marshall. Given this introduction, duly argued philologically, Ralph Dahrendorf’s contribution is considered. The latter makes Marshall’s definition operational in terms of «subjective rights». Four categories of request for inclusion are thereby identified. Two are endogenous: a) through loss of inclusion; b) through risk of exclusion. Two are exogenous: c) through migration dynamics; d) through cultural change. These four types are considered in light of the work of Amartya Sen and Lawrence Friedman, with particular consequentialist attention (in the sense of Weber’s «ethics of responsibility») to the repercussions that inclusion programs determine within institutional and noninstitutional areas of reference. The article’s layout is also inspired by the principle of Weber’s «technical critique of values». The question is: which sociocultural «costs» involve specific and different social policies of «inclusion»?

Maurizio Bonolis, Il problema dell’inclusione come "problema" di teoria sociale in "SOCIOLOGIA E RICERCA SOCIALE " 98/2012, pp 5-27, DOI: 10.3280/SR2012-098001