This article evaluates the educational, cultural, social and wellbeing value of the Liverpool Cathedral Schools Singing Programme (SSP) as a catalyst for human flourishing among primary-aged children in one of the UK’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. Drawing on a mixed-methods design, including ethnographic observation, reflexive pupil choir journals, stakeholder interviews and parental questionnaires, the study examines the transformative potential of cathedral-based choral outreach for children from communities with limited access to high-quality music education. Theoretically anchored in the sociocultural framework of human flourishing and informed by music education and community music scholarship, the article argues that structured, inclusive choral participation can nurture children’s musical development, cultural capital, emotional resilience and social cohesion, contributing meaningfully to their holistic development. The findings offer implications for music education policy and practice and for the evolving civic role of cathedral institutions as agents of cultural inclusion and community renewal.

Climate change is an unequal crisis, with the greatest risks and fewest resources concentrated in the Global South. This study examines whether cross-national differences in social inclusion and welfare regimes explain variation in climate adaptation readiness and vulnerability. Using a multiply imputed panel of 173 countries (1995–2020), it applies Correlated Random Effects models to assess how inclusion and welfare regimes relate to adaptation outcomes across the Global North and South. Results show that inclusive regimes are significantly associated with higher adaptation readiness and lower vulnerability, even after controlling for income, politics, and OECD membership. Results also vary significantly between welfare regimes. The findings suggest adaptation is fundamentally institutional and sociopolitical, not only technical or economic. Institutionalized inclusion functions as an “adaptation infrastructure, “suggesting that embedding social inclusion is a precondition for climate resilience.

The concept of social inclusion meets the criteria of a “magic concept” because it is broadly stretched, normatively attractive, and denies the possibility of conflicting interests and logics. However, when this broad concept is operationalized in policies targeting specific groups it is often reduced in scope by narrowly defined policy designs. This paper asks how do disability policies define and operationalize social inclusion? Drawing from a critical frame analysis of all disability policies at Canada’s provincial and federal levels, six policy frames are identified that encapsulate different meanings of social inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Canadian policy design. Comparison is facilitated by engaging critiques of inclusion policy from the disability politics literature to help explain emergent trends and areas of divergence in social inclusion framing. This facilitates a discussion of policy design characteristics during the “inclusion era” of Canadian disability policy.

Social participation is a key determinant of health and wellbeing in later life, yet older adults at risk of marginalization often face barriers that limit their inclusion in society. To promote health equitably, it is essential to take better account of the heterogeneity of older adults and foster their social participation. This study thus aimed to describe and synthesize knowledge about interventions that foster the social participation of older adults at risk of marginalization. Using 61 keywords across six databases, this scoping review identified 29 studies reporting on individualized and collective interventions. Peer assistance and grouping older adults according to interests or shared life experience were identified as key facilitators of participation in the interventions. Limited access to transportation and a lack of activities tailored to the diverse needs of older participants were significant barriers. The findings highlight the importance of collaborating with community organizations to develop sustainable, accessible and adaptable interventions, as well as the value of proximity-based support in individualized approaches. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions. By highlighting strategies to include marginalized older adults in society, this study contributes to advancing health equity for all older adults, especially those at risk of marginalization.

Philanthropic participation is a stepping stone to integration for immigrants. However, the philanthropic participation behavior of Chinese internal immigrants, the largest immigrant group in the world, is not well understood. Data from the Special Survey on Social Integration and Mental Health of the Chinese Immigrant Population are employed to examine philanthropic participation among Chinese internal immigrants based on the perspective of integration. The study demonstrates that Chinese internal immigrants are less likely to engage in philanthropic activities than non-immigrants in China. The regression results suggest that, with the exception of social security, integration factors at the economic level are not important drivers to participate in philanthropic activities, while integration factors at the social, psychological and cultural levels, including social networks, social identity and acculturation, are positively related to philanthropic participation. In addition, social integration circumstances, including perceived inclusion and community services, are significant drivers of immigrants’ philanthropic participation. These findings improve our understanding of the philanthropic behaviors of Chinese internal immigrants and have important policy implications for government and NPO to promote immigrants’ philanthropic engagement.

This article examines the unique roles of NGOs with special attention to the changing socio-political contexts of NGOs in terms of their partnerships with Rights-Holder Organizations (RHOs), which claim the rights of particular groups of excluded population. It reviews an example of the NGO working with RHOs in Nepal. NGO relationships with RHOs are delicate and not always equitable due to their different backgrounds and expertise. NGOs, comprising mostly people who are not members of the rights-holding groups, use their expertise to work for others over fixed periods, whilst RHOs work for their own constituencies through movements. Until the 1990s, NGOs supported so-called ‘beneficiaries’ who were members of excluded groups whose rights were being denied. Today, RHOs are formed directly by excluded groups. Some NGOs are trying to change their role to become promoters for RHOs, whilst others remain as their proxies, which merely creates an extra layer between RHOs and donors. The article attempts to prove that building equitable relationships between NGOs and RHOs is possible if NGOs have professionalism, expertise in capacity development and a readiness to become more inclusive. Though there are still several challenges ahead, such efforts by NGOs make it possible to change funding flows for RHOs and contribute to inclusive aid.

Contemporary governance increasingly emphasizes cross-sector collaboration to address complex societal challenges. This article examines how state strategies approach cross-sector collaborations involving the third sector, and delves into the interplay of authoritative, competitive, and collaborative governance strategies within these policies. Motivated by concerns about child poverty and social exclusion, the Declaration on Leisure Activities exemplifies Norway's reliance on partnerships between government, municipalities, and third sector organizations in the leisure and culture policy field. Employing a qualitative document analysis, the study reveals both potentials and paradoxes inherent in these approaches, offering valuable insights for designing effective cross-sector policies and navigating the complexities of cross-sector collaboration.

Despite several decades of Sport for All policies, opportunities for sports participation are still unequally divided, with certain socially disadvantaged groups having less access to sports. To reduce this gap, structural efforts are needed. A question that arises is what role nonprofit sports clubs can fulfill in this matter. In this study, first, it is explored how nonprofit sports clubs perceive their role and responsibility towards socially disadvantaged groups and how they act on it. Second, it is investigated which factors predict the presence or absence of efforts from nonprofit sports clubs for lowering barriers. For this second question, we focus on people living in poverty. Data are based on a survey among 580 nonprofit sports clubs throughout Flanders (Belgium). The findings indicate that the human resources capacity of the club is not the main barrier. It is argued that local sports authorities and sports federations have an important part to play in supporting and encouraging sports clubs in terms of social inclusionary policies, for example by instilling awareness.

This study addresses the urgent need for low-carbon energy transition (LCET) in the Global South, where vulnerability to climate change is high and most countries have ratified the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions. It emphasizes the importance of research in supporting this transition, particularly through the lens of digital technologies. Despite its relevance, existing studies on the topic remain limited and fragmented. This study reviews the literature on digital infrastructure in LCET, identifies key gaps and ambiguities and offers insights to inform future research and policymaking in the Global South.

Researchers and policymakers propose a job guarantee as a means of overcoming long-term unemployment and the associated risk of social exclusion. Such a programme implies that all long-term-unemployed individuals within a certain territory are offered subsidised employment in not-for-profit enterprises or the public sector. This results in heterogeneous participation because the group of long-term-unemployed people is more diverse than often assumed. Against the background of the literature on subsidised employment, this contribution presents findings from an evaluation study of a job guarantee that was implemented in a small town in Lower Austria between 2020 and 2024. The aim of this paper is to explore the changes brought about by re-employment within a job creation scheme and in particular how the scheme coped with the diversity among the participants, which is a consequence of offering employment to all long-term-unemployed individuals. Based on data from a longitudinal mixed-methods study, the contribution shows how the project was implemented, to what extent the participants benefited from it and how the form of implementation met the different needs of participants. A typology based on qualitative data captures the diversity among the participants and shows how the scheme fits different groups. Finally, we discuss the pros and cons of the inclusion of diverse participants within one project.

Many people experiencing mental ill health are trapped in cycles of worsening social exclusion. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is being implemented to support those with mental ill health into employment. However, this intervention does not address the many challenges faced by those who are more vulnerable and is less effective for those with more severe clinical presentations. Although National Health Service (NHS) guidance suggests broader support is needed, there is little clarity over what this should look like. We discuss one model, drawing on years of experience facilitating user-led services at Lambeth Vocational Services, implementing a genuinely person-centred, trust-based approach to facilitate social inclusion.

We apply a synthesis review to revisit the concept, measurement, and operationalisation of social inclusion and exclusion in the context of comparative social policy, integrating the vast literature on the concepts, with the aim of elucidating a clearer understanding of the concepts for use by scholars and policymakers around the planet. In turn, we outline the conceptual development of the concepts, how they have been operationalised through social policy, and how they have been measured at the national and individual levels. Through our review, we identify limitations in extant conceptualisation and measurement approaches and suggest directions for refining conceptual and measurement frameworks to enhance their utility in social inclusion policy, emphasising the concepts’ multidimensional, multilevel, dynamic, and relational essence and highlighting their connection to related concepts such as social capital, social integration, and social citizenship.

Over the years, cultural and linguistic diversity in schools across Europe has significantly increased due to migration and refugee flows. In response, international organizations, such as the Council of Europe and the European Commission, advocate intercultural education as both an educational strategy and a social policy tool to foster inclusion, address inequality, and build cohesive societies. This study contributes to the intercultural education literature by addressing an underexplored area: the process of translating intercultural policies into school practices. Using Street-Level Bureaucracy theory and qualitative research in Trento, Italy, it highlights the mechanisms and challenges shaping teachers’ practices and the extent of the policy–practice gap. Furthermore, the research also contributes to the Street-Level Bureaucracy theory. It shows that teachers can act as innovators in the policy implementation process. By engaging civil society members, notably students and members of migrant communities, as co-implementers, teachers reshape policy ecosystems through participatory and bottom-up approaches.