Museums as agents of social inclusion

Overview Recent years have seen the emergence of the term ‘social exclusion’ within United Kingdom and European political rhetoric and discourse, increasingly used to refer to the process by which groups in society become disenfranchised and marginalised. Since the election of New Labour in 1997, the United Kingdom has witnessed widespread acceptance of the concept which now appears central to many areas of government policy making. This growing importance is reflected in the government's creation, in December 1997, of the Social Exclusion Unit which adopts a multi-agency approach to tackle the causes and symptoms of exclusion. The debate around social exclusion has flourished in recent years amongst academics and policy makers, particularly within the fields of social policy and economic development, but this level of analysis has not been reflected within the cultural arena. Museums are being asked to assume new roles and develop new ways of working—in general, to clarify and demonstrate their social pu...