The Right to Respect: An alternative paradigm in the battle against social exclusion

Tackling social exclusion has been identified as a governmental priority. The predominant approach is located within the welfarist problem/solution paradigm. Research was undertaken at a family centre, serving school non-attenders, parents, children and young people in a deprived neighbourhood. It identified the potential presented by an alternative constructed on a foundation of children's and young people's rights, involving a commitment to transformatory education and putting a relevant contemporary interpretation of 'respect' into practice. Our paper will interrogate the role of liberatory education in combating social exclusio