Marginality,youth and government policy in the 1980s

The concept of marginality is increasingly used in the field of social policy, albeit often without a great deal of further clarification. It is argued here that the anti-egalitarian tendencies which underpin the welfare ideology of the New Right inevitably lead to an amplification of feelings of stigmatisa tion and exclusion as particular groups become detached from mainstream consumer society. Some of the theoretical dimensions of marginality are outlined, and are examined in the context of recent policy developments which affect one particular social group, namely young people. The publicly stated claims for work experience schemes and board and lodg ings regulations are examined in relation to the evidence of their red ef fects. The evidence indicates that both policies have distinct marginalising tendencies. Finally, it is posited that unless a radical shift takes place in political ideology, the concept of marginalisation is likely to become a per manent fixture in the lexicon of academic social policy.