Marginalization In Social Work

Understanding of Marginalization
The person I interviewed for this assignment is considered from a marginalized group. One becomes marginalized once a social change occurs causing a high social status decrease. However, as society changes so does one’s marginalized position. Marginalization fluctuates, for example as children get older their marginalized status decreases. They develop their own sense of power and are able to make certain life lasting decisions. On the contrary, as adults become elderly their marginalized status increases. As one becomes elderly they become less powerful in society physically and sometimes mentally.
Experiencing marginality can increase in many ways. “Those severely impaired from birth, or those born into particularly
Social systems cause many challenges that broaden the practices of participation, prevention and empowerment. As society changes, a great deal of people lack social support and sometimes fall into homelessness. Social workers must be competent in all aspects in, which may discriminate against oppressed/marginalized minorities. The Employment Non –Discrimination Act protects discrimination amongst different ethnicities under employment. The Equality Act focuses on anti-discrimination protections. This topic is relevant to social work policy because research gives evidence to social work practice and policy. Theories also guide the social work practice which will positively impact this population of people. Having a better comprehension of marginalized groups both positively and negatively set the groundwork on how we facilitate our practice when dealing with this oppressed minority. Social workers should be aware of how marginalized people perceive themselves in relationship to family, culture and the larger community. “People who are marginalized have relatively little control over their lives and the resources available to them; they may become stigmatized and are often at the receiving end of negative public attitudes” (Kagan, Burns, Burton, Crespo, Evans, Knowles, Lalueza, & Sixsmith,
Since her parents felt inequality within their workplace they had weak involvement in the economy. Researchers suggest that because of this the sources of their income varied. Some will be waged and some will depend on state benefits, marginal economic activity such as casual work, or charity (Kagan, Burns, Burton, Crespo, Evans, Knowles, Lalueza, & Sixsmith, p.2).
It was not unusual of her parents to intertwine or fluctuate between incomes. Social marginalization and economic uncertainty caused feelings of shame and poverty in her family. Her family were dependent on the government and she watched as her parents relationship disappear. Socially her peers approached her in a condescending manner once they found out her ethnicity. In some cases, she feels her friends were intimidated because she was able to speak two languages. She remembered being accused of taking American jobs. As a young adult she still didn’t understand what people meant because she was also born in this country.