This essay will discuss social divisions; social exclusion and social inclusion, of which there are numerous definitions and interpretations. Social divisions and social exclusion have existed for many years. Social exclusion was first noted in France in the 1970s in relation to people outside the scope of the social security system, such as disabled people, single-parent families and unemployed young people (Townsend and Kennedy, 2004). Before 1997, social exclusion was referred to as “poverty,” meaning that people do not have many of the opportunities available to the average person (Palmer; 2010). However, for the purposes of this assignment, the focus will be on homelessness as a social divide, the relationship between exclusion and inclusion and how this relates to social work practice. Everyone in society is part of a social divide. Thompson (2010) states that social divisions are complex and people are not just part of one group but often part of other groups; for example, asylum seekers can be linked to social divisions such as poverty, unemployment and homelessness. Asylum seekers may also be marginalized by language barriers. Supporting Thompson (2010) is Armstrong (2006) who stated that in 1997 4.8 million adults suffered from five or more disadvantages related to exclusion. Social divisions are: class, race, disability, identity, gender and geographic environment and are often problematic for individuals, groups and communities. Every government that has come to power has sought to eradicate poverty, poor health, poor communities, discrimination and prejudice against certain individuals and groups (Alcock, 2008). Social exclusion, which excludes people from society, can be classified into people being, ...... middle of paper ...... them (Dalrymple and Burke, 2006). Homeless people, as already stated, can have a number of disadvantages, one perhaps a language barrier, English may not be their first language, so the social worker would find it helpful to use an interpreter, which shows that they value their culture and they want to help and support them. In conclusion, the role of a social worker is increasingly significant when working with people who are socially excluded, due to multiple factors such as poverty, homelessness, race, mental health and sexual orientation. The essay showed how people are influenced by the way the government supervises the country and how they encourage social workers to follow laws and policies, they need to believe in social justice and understand social divisions, exclusion social and how that affects their practice and then how people's lives are affected.