Downsizing Exclusion, Bringing Inequality Research Back in

Due to its empirical self-evidence and political appeal, the concept exclusion has been vastly applied in social research as well as in public policies. The paper makes an argument against this elastic use of the concept in two steps. Initially, building on knowledge accumulated within inequality studies (C. Tilly, G. Therborn, R. Kreckel), it defines exclusion as one of at least six mechanisms of reproduction of inequalities, also including hoarding of opportunities, distanciation, hierarchisation, exploitation, imposition of environmental risks. In order to empirically illustrate this argument, the paper examines, in its second part, the national programs to promote racial and gender equality in Brazil. Focusing only on discrimination/exclusion, both programs have been unable to mitigate socio-economic and power asymmetries between blacks and whites and women and men.