Social exclusion of poor women in urban life (Case study: urban poor women supported by relief Committee of Imam Khomeini in Urmia)

Existing evidence shows that poor women who live in urban areas face different kinds of social exclusion. The present study investigates the roots of social exclusion in small scale and everyday life of these people aiming to clarify some dimensions of this problem. Qualitative method has been used in this study, and research data were collected through interviewing 32 poor women supported by Relief Committee of Imam Khomeini in Urmia. The results obtained from this study were analyzed by grounded theory approach. The obtained results showed that five factors including poor cultural capital, financial limitations, negative approach to the poor, being single and negative life events give rise to social exclusion in these women’s life. Avoiding social unification and negative attitudes are two major consequences of this issue which strengthen this phenomenon. The final and central aspect which encompasses the entire process of social exclusion has been presented as norm-bonded failure. In terms of ways by which social exclusion happens, there are delicate forms of disgrace and deprivation in poor women's life which are not identifiable through quantitative or economical approaches.