Who's In and Who's Out: Social Exclusion in Latin America

Abstract

Social exclusion is closely linked with many economic problems in Latin America, as it prevents people from reaching their full productive potential -in turn constraining growth and revenues- and makes them more likely to incur public health and social service costs. Who's In and Who's Out explores various forms of social exclusion, including residential segregation in Bolivian cities, exclusion from health care in Brazil, barriers to legal status of Nicaraguan immigrants in Costa Rica, geographic isolation in El Salvador, and educational inequality among the indigenous in Mexico. The book describes how the exclusion process is exacerbated by self-perpetuating networks of association, prohibitive prices for certain services, and misperceptions between the societal mainstream and excluded groups.