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Marginalising - a negative effect of stereotyping

Now that you have discussed stereotypes with others you will have come up with some negative effects of stereotyping. One of the negative effects is that some groups can be marginalised.

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What is the meaning of 'marginalise'?

Now that you can see the root word is 'margin', does that give you any clues as to the meaning of the whole word 'marginalise'? Consider the meaning of the word 'margin'. What is a margin? There is usually one on the left-hand side of your file paper or exercise books. Think about where a margin is positioned. Any ideas?

The term 'marginalise' is a verb which means to push to the edge. In this case we are using the word to mean pushing to the edge of society. So if a group of people are marginalised due to the way they have been stereotyped, they have been pushed to the edges of mainstream society. Through negative stereotyping they are excluded and discriminated against. They lack prestige and power within society.Check your answer

discussion iconjournal iconwriting icon

Go back to the work you have completed on stereotypes and identify groups which you feel have been marginalised due to negative stereotyping. In your journal write responses to the following questions:

  • What are your thoughts about these groups and how they have been represented and stereotyped?
  • What do you think about the community's attitudes towards these people? Are these attitudes based on fact or on something else?
  • How do you see these groups?

Can you think of a time when you have stereotyped others?