Exclusione

Exclusione, the Italian term for exclusion, is the act or state of excluding something or someone, or of being excluded or shut out. It derives from the Latin exclusio, from excludere, meaning to shut out or omit. In everyday use, it covers processes that deny access, participation, or inclusion within a particular group, system, or category.

In social and economic contexts, exclusion refers to the marginalization of individuals or groups from resources, opportunities, or rights. Social exclusion can involve limited access to education, employment, housing, healthcare, or political participation, and it is often connected to factors such as poverty, discrimination, disability, ethnicity, or immigration status. Public policy seeks to identify and reduce exclusion through inclusionary measures and targeted support.

In legal and administrative settings, exclusion may describe eligibility criteria for programs, or the exclusion of evidence, persons, or claims according to rules or statutes. The term appears in phrases such as exclusionary rules in criminal procedure, and exclusion criteria used in research or grantmaking. It distinguishes what is permitted from what is barred.

In science and technology, exclusion has specialized meanings. In physics, the Pauli exclusion principle states that no two fermions may occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. In computer science, mutual exclusion refers to mechanisms that prevent concurrent processes from entering a critical section at the same time to avoid conflicts or data corruption.

Efforts to address exclusion emphasize inclusion, accessibility, and equality, with indicators covering participation rates, access to services, and representation in decision making.