There is a discrepancy between the acceptance of the term in the political field and the shortcomings of it in the scientific analysis. Social science has to help elucidate this discrepancy and put light not only on what social exclusion is, but also on what is meant by or through social exclusion. The lack of data to support an analysis of social exclusion in Europe. Both comparability and longitudinally of available data are weak. Moreover, systematic data does not exist on several areas central to social exclusion, like homelessness for example.
Excluded population is often out of reach of data gathering.
It is not our purpose to reflect thoroughly on these two things in this introduction, but we should mention that they are strongly interrelated, these may even be two sides of the same coin, and the research activities have to consider them jointly. The key indicators on social exclusion and social integration processes and forms. In an introductory paper, Torben Fridberg who was expert in the Commission for 3 years before returning to the Danish National Institute of Social Research in Copenhagen presents a brief overview of the Commission initiatives in the field of social exclusion and social integration. Then the three groups of papers refer to the structure of the seminar itself. It appears that the papers identify issues that cut across these themes.