9.1 Recognizing the unique challenges faced by marginalized groups
4 min read•august 13, 2024
Marginalized groups face unique challenges rooted in systemic barriers and historical oppression. These communities, defined by race, gender, sexuality, disability, and other intersecting identities, continue to struggle against policies and practices that perpetuate inequities in health, education, and economic opportunities.
recognizes that individuals with multiple marginalized identities experience compounded discrimination and barriers. This concept, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, highlights the need for nuanced approaches in addressing complex social issues and advocating for equitable solutions that consider diverse experiences within marginalized communities.
Systemic Barriers and Inequities
Policies and Practices that Exclude
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- Systemic barriers are policies, practices or procedures that result in some people receiving unequal access or being excluded
- Lack of accessibility accommodations (wheelchair ramps, braille signage) prevents full participation by people with disabilities
- Discriminatory hiring practices (name discrimination, hair discrimination) unfairly filter out qualified candidates from marginalized groups
- Inequitable allocation of resources (school funding based on property taxes) perpetuates disparities in low-income communities of color
Social Determinants of Health
- Social determinants of health disproportionately disadvantage marginalized groups and perpetuate disparities
- Economic stability (generational poverty, lack of living wage jobs)
- Education access and quality (underfunded schools, lack of diversity in curriculum)
- Health care access and quality (lack of translation services, cultural stigmas)
- Neighborhood and built environment (food deserts, transportation barriers)
- Social and community context (discrimination, lack of support services)
- Inequities are unfair, avoidable differences arising from poor governance, corruption or cultural exclusion
- Impact housing security (redlining, gentrification, housing discrimination)
- Limit educational opportunities (school-to-prison pipeline, digital divide)
- Restrict healthcare access (lack of gender-affirming care, abortion restrictions)
- Threaten legal protections (unequal sentencing, police brutality against minorities)
Defining Marginalized Communities
- Marginalized communities are groups traditionally excluded or oppressed due to inherent characteristics
- Race (Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, Multiracial)
- Gender identity (transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming)
- Sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual)
- Disability status (physical disabilities, neurodivergence, chronic illness, mental health conditions)
- Socioeconomic class (low-income, working class, homeless)
- Religion (Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Atheists)
- Age (youth, elders)
- Other intersecting identities
Historical Context of Marginalization
Roots in Historical Oppression
- Many current systemic inequities and injustices have roots in historical oppression, discrimination and racist policies
- Slavery and Jim Crow laws in the U.S. enforced racial hierarchy and segregation
- Redlining and discriminatory lending practices excluded people of color from homeownership and wealth-building
- Forced migration and cultural assimilation of Indigenous groups through Indian Removal Act and boarding schools
- Denial of civil rights (voting restrictions, ban on same-sex marriage, Japanese internment camps)
- Intergenerational poverty and trauma impact many marginalized communities today as a lasting effect of historical injustices
- Racial wealth gap from lack of reparations and barred access to property ownership
- Cycles of poverty reinforced by underfunded schools and overpoliced neighborhoods
- Collective and cultural trauma from systemic violence passed through generations
- Erasure of history and lack of accountability prevents healing
Ongoing Struggles and Resilience
- Despite social and legal progress, underrepresented groups continue to face adversity
- Hate crimes and white supremacist violence target marginalized communities
- Employment discrimination in hiring, pay and promotions
- Racial profiling, police brutality and mass incarceration
- Barriers to higher education and economic mobility
- Environmental racism and exposure to health hazards
- Lack of representation in government, business leadership, media
- Marginalized groups often have to be resilient and develop their own support systems
- Building chosen family and community care networks
- Reclaiming cultural identity and pride in the face of assimilation
- Mutual aid, scholarships and mentorship to share resources
- Activism and social movements to demand equity and inclusion
- Storytelling to document history and imagine liberatory futures
Intersectionality of Marginalized Identities
Defining Intersectionality
- Intersectionality is the acknowledgement that people can have multiple, overlapping marginalized identities
- Intersecting identities create unique experiences and challenges
- Examples: being a queer woman of color, an immigrant with a disability, a transgender veteran
- Term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to address compounded oppression of Black women
- Highlights diversity and complexity within social and political movements
- Avoids oversimplification and one-size-fits-all solutions
Compounded Discrimination and Barriers
- People with intersecting marginalized identities often face compounded discrimination
- Each identity carries its own stereotypes, microaggressions and systemic barriers
- Unique inequities emerge at the intersection (transmisogyny, queerphobia in communities of color)
- May feel excluded from or unable to fully fit into any one community
- Discrimination in accessing public services and navigating bureaucracy
- Intersectionality can create unique challenges in healthcare
- Lack of research and provider training on intersectional health needs
- Discrimination and lack of cultural competency from medical providers
- Inability to access or afford care that affirms all of one's identities
- Health conditions that disproportionately impact certain intersecting identities
Advancing Intersectional Approaches
- Social movements and advocacy must take an intersectional approach to address compounded inequities
- Avoid single-issue politics that leave multiply-marginalized groups behind
- Build solidarity through acknowledging differences and working towards collective liberation
- Practice intersectional feminism, disability justice, queer and trans people of color organizing
- Advocate for policy changes and structural solutions that are intersectional
- Representation of intersecting identities matters, but tokenism should be avoided
- Storytelling, art, media and leadership that reflect diverse intersectional experiences
- Feeling seen and understood can reduce isolation and stigma
- Tokenism places burden on individuals to represent whole communities
- Equitable access and decision-making power must be prioritized over superficial diversity
Key Terms to Review (18)
#metoo movement: The #metoo movement is a social movement against sexual harassment and assault, primarily highlighting the experiences of women who have faced these issues in various environments. It gained significant traction on social media in 2017, allowing individuals to share their stories, create awareness, and advocate for accountability among perpetrators, especially those in positions of power. This movement connects deeply with the challenges marginalized groups face, as many individuals from diverse backgrounds have historically been silenced or ignored when reporting such abuses.
Burnout: Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork, often leading to decreased motivation and performance. This condition can significantly affect journalists who regularly cover traumatic events, making it essential to understand its connections to stress management, support systems, and organizational culture.
Collective Trauma: Collective trauma refers to the psychological and emotional impact experienced by a group of people who have undergone a shared traumatic event or series of events. This type of trauma can affect entire communities or societies, leading to long-lasting psychological effects, social disruption, and a breakdown of cultural identity. Understanding collective trauma involves examining how trauma resonates through generations and influences the collective memory, resilience, and recovery efforts of affected groups.
Community engagement: Community engagement is the process of building relationships with individuals and groups to foster participation and collaboration in addressing community issues and promoting social change. This concept is crucial as it emphasizes the importance of listening to and involving community members in decision-making processes, ultimately enhancing trust and understanding between journalists and the communities they serve.
Historical trauma: Historical trauma refers to the cumulative emotional and psychological wounds that are experienced by a group over generations due to traumatic events such as colonization, slavery, genocide, or war. It highlights how these past traumas can affect the present-day experiences, behaviors, and mental health of marginalized groups, creating ongoing cycles of disadvantage and distress.
Informed consent: Informed consent is the process of obtaining permission from individuals before engaging them in research or reporting, ensuring they fully understand the implications, risks, and benefits involved. This concept is crucial in trauma journalism as it protects the rights and dignity of trauma survivors while fostering trust and transparency in the reporting process.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how various social identities—such as race, gender, class, and sexuality—intersect and create overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. This concept emphasizes that individuals do not experience these identities in isolation; rather, their combined effects shape unique experiences and challenges. Recognizing intersectionality helps in understanding the nuanced struggles of marginalized groups and underscores the importance of inclusive representation.
Lgbtq+ communities: LGBTQ+ communities refer to the diverse group of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual orientations and gender identities that fall outside of the heterosexual and cisgender norms. These communities are characterized by a shared experience of marginalization and discrimination, often leading to unique social, cultural, and political challenges that require recognition and advocacy.
Media representation: Media representation refers to the way different groups, communities, and ideas are portrayed in various forms of media, including news, television, film, and social media. This representation can significantly influence public perception, shaping societal attitudes and beliefs about those groups. It becomes particularly crucial when considering how marginalized groups are depicted, as these portrayals can reinforce stereotypes, perpetuate bias, or foster understanding and empathy.
Narrative competence: Narrative competence is the ability to understand, interpret, and convey stories in a way that resonates with audiences, particularly in contexts involving trauma and marginalized communities. This skill allows journalists to effectively communicate complex experiences and emotions while being sensitive to the unique challenges faced by these groups. It fosters empathy, promotes inclusivity, and enables storytellers to amplify voices that are often overlooked.
Racial minorities: Racial minorities refer to groups of people who differ in race or ethnicity from the majority population within a society. These groups often face unique challenges due to systemic inequalities, discrimination, and social marginalization that can affect their access to resources, opportunities, and representation in various spheres of life.
Sensationalism: Sensationalism is a journalistic approach that emphasizes shocking, vivid, or emotionally charged content to attract attention and engage audiences, often at the expense of accuracy and depth. This technique can lead to distorted narratives that prioritize entertainment over informative reporting, raising significant ethical concerns in trauma journalism.
Sensitivity training: Sensitivity training is a form of education that focuses on increasing awareness of social and cultural differences, fostering empathy, and promoting understanding among individuals. This training is especially important in fields like trauma journalism, as it equips professionals with the skills to recognize their own biases, manage their emotional responses to distressing content, and engage with marginalized groups respectfully.
Social justice: Social justice refers to the concept of ensuring equitable access to resources, opportunities, and rights for all individuals, particularly those who have been historically marginalized or disadvantaged. It emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic inequalities and promoting fairness in societal structures, ultimately aiming for a more just and inclusive society.
Trauma Theory: Trauma theory is an interdisciplinary framework that examines the impact of trauma on individuals, communities, and cultures, focusing on how experiences of violence, loss, and suffering shape narratives and identities. It seeks to understand the psychological, social, and historical contexts of trauma, emphasizing the unique responses and resilience of those affected, particularly within marginalized groups who often face additional barriers in processing and expressing their trauma.
Trauma-informed reporting: Trauma-informed reporting is an approach in journalism that recognizes the impact of trauma on individuals and communities, prioritizing sensitivity and understanding in the coverage of traumatic events. This method emphasizes the need for empathy, ethical considerations, and a focus on the dignity of those affected, ultimately aiming to mitigate harm while effectively informing the public.
Vicarious Trauma: Vicarious trauma refers to the emotional and psychological impact experienced by individuals, often professionals like journalists, who are exposed to the traumatic experiences of others. This phenomenon is crucial to understand in trauma journalism as it highlights how reporting on distressing events can affect journalists' mental health and well-being, influencing their ability to work effectively while maintaining ethical standards.
Victim-blaming: Victim-blaming is the phenomenon where the victim of a crime, such as sexual assault or domestic violence, is held responsible for the harm that has befallen them. This mindset can lead to harmful stereotypes and stigmas, as it often implies that the victim's actions, behavior, or choices contributed to the crime. This dynamic not only impacts public perception but also affects how victims seek justice and support in their recovery journey.