Question

Structural marginalization is best described as?

1) Attempts to exclude people from the mainstream.
2) The use of regulations or laws to exclude people.
3) Something that affects organizations more than individuals.
4) All of the above.

Answer 1

Structural marginalization refers to the systemic exclusion and oppression within societal structures that impact both organizations and individuals, fitting the description of 'All of the above.'

Step-by-step explanation:

Structural marginalization is best described as the systemic and pervasive processes embedded within societal structures, such as laws, customs, and political power, that lead to the exclusion and oppression of certain groups. This can encompass attempts to exclude people from the mainstream, the use of regulations or laws to systematically exclude people, and impacts at both organizational and individual levels, suggesting that the correct answer would be '4) All of the above.' Structural marginalization is a form of institutional discrimination, where the status quo promotes the interest of dominant groups over marginalized ones, which can lead to unequal treatment and denial of rights based on nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion.

Institutional discrimination is essential to understanding structural marginalization, as it refers to the inequalities etched into the everyday operations of societal institutions. For example, civil rights legislation protects some groups, yet others lack adequate legal recourse. Additionally, structural marginalization can contribute to structural violence, a term referring to the harm experienced by individuals when social structures prevent them from meeting basic needs.