Entitlement Gaps and Vulnerability in the New Economy

Abstract

Global poverty is primarily concentrated within groups who depend upon their labour, as opposed to capital of any form, for the provision of income. The emergence of a global economy – Globalization – and the spread of neo-liberal ideology and policies, which forged new lines of social cleavage and widened the digital divide, has further entrenched poverty within existing vulnerable populations, as well as exposing new populations to economic and social vulnerability. This expansion of vulnerability results from a shortfall in entitlement: Entitlement not only to the ability to earn income, but also the ability (inability) to translate that income into material well-being. The formation of an inclusive and just society necessitates closing this entitlement gap. To close the gap, we must understand the dynamics of socio-economic exclusion in this climate, and the livelihood coping strategies of the marginalized before effective policy formulation can take place.