Social rights and public policies

digital platforms and exclusionary inclusion

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection based on the concepts of the “State on paper” and the “real State,” terms coined by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Accordingly, the introduction draws on the longstanding distinction between appearance and essence, debated since ancient Greek philosophy and later explored, particularly from the twentieth century onward, in psychoanalysis and sociology, to illustrate the discrepancy between lived reality and what is formally established by laws and regulations. The article is guided by questions concerning concepts such as social inequality, discrimination, and prejudice and, in this context, examines how segments of the population excluded as a result of such inequalities may gain access to public policies through digital platforms. These questions are not intended to provide definitive answers; rather, they seek to demonstrate that difficulties in accessing public policies through digital platforms cannot be overcome merely through clear and well-designed websites or through the proper functioning of the “State on paper,” supported by modern legislation, as long as the forms of discrimination embedded in the “real State” remain unresolved.