Enterprise, Deprivation and Social Exclusion

There is little doubt that in recent years, enterprise has been considered an essential approach in the alleviation of deprivation existing in the developed world. The assumption is that area-based initiatives provide a means by which enterprise can include all members of society in mainstream social and economic activities. The rationale behind Enterprise, Deprivation and Social Exclusion is to critically challenge the notion that enterprise can address the complexity behind deprivation and social exclusion by demonstrating UK and North American examples. We see how enterprise has come to be regarded as a means by which poverty can be reduced and new opportunities can be opened up to support individuals. However, the authors here seek to give a greater appreciation to the structural roots of deprivation and pose questions about whether or not enterprise might actually exacerbate structures of social and economic exclusion. What if enterprise actually maintains differences between types of community and keeps individuals entrenched in certain ways of thinking? The contributions in this edited collection will offer a distinct opportunity in respect of both theoretical and empirical advancement. The authors hale from both sides of the Atlantic and form an inter-disciplinary group to provide complementary perspectives in this field.

'This book critically examines the extremely popular arguments that entrepreneurialism and the policies that promote are a solution for deprivation and social marginalization and other economic development problems. The authors examine the limits of entrepreneurship and market-based solutions for solving the social inequities of the day.' Nancy Jurik, Arizona State University, USA and author of Bootstrap Dreams'I believe this book is timely and equipped with many useful insights into the practical lessons to be learnt about how enterprises such as ethnic minority businesses, women enterprises, social enterprises, and other enterprises in deprived and inner cities should be encouraged. It also provides a better understanding of which policy is working and which is not. As such, this book is a much recommended read for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers.’ – Ignatius Ekanem, Dept. Business and Management, Middlesex University, London, in Environment and Planning, Vol. 44 (2013)

Alan Southern is Senior Lecturer in Management at the University of Liverpool, UK. His research interests are focused mainly on enterprise and regeneration. He has worked with a number of national and regional agencies in the UK to study the affects of supporting enterprise on local communities.