This book addresses many of the key problems facing contemporary societies. The social significance attached to various forms of difference, most notably `race' and ethnicity, has been seen as resulting in the exclusion of some groups from their full rights as citizens. This, in turn, is viewed as presenting a series of barriers to the creation of more inclusive societies. Peter Ratcliffe explores these arguments in a variety of substantive contexts, for example immigration and the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers; housing and segregation; education; labour markets; and policing and urban conflict. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of social agency, on the part of minorities, in confronting exclusionary forces.
This lively and highly readable account deals with difficult theoretical, ethical and policy issues without resort to unnecessary jargon. It is essential reading for undergraduate students in sociology, social policy, urban geography, law and political science, and is also of value to the general reader and researcher.