Concepts in Social and Spatial Marginality

• Published in: Geografiska annaler. Series A, Physical geography Vol. 82B; no. 2; pp. 89 - 101
• Main Authors: Mehretu, Assefa, Pigozzi, Bruce William, Sommers, Lawrence M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-01-2000
• Subjects: Economic Development; Marginality; Social Stratification; Social Structure; Spatial Analysis; Typology
• ISSN: 0435-3676

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual taxonomy of marginality resulting from two counterposed structural conditions within laissez-faire on the one hand & controlled markets on the other. Marginality is a complex condition of disadvantage that individuals & communities may experience because of vulnerabilities that may arise from unequal or inequitable environmental, ethnic, cultural, social, political, & economic factors. A typology of marginality is based on two primary & two derivative forms. The primary forms are contingent & systemic. The derivative forms are collateral & leveraged. Contingent marginality is a condition that results from competitive inequality in which individuals & communities are put at a disadvantage because of the dynamics of the free market whose uncertain & stochastic outcomes affect them adversely. Systemic marginality is a socioeconomic condition of disadvantage created by socially constructed inequitable nonmarket forces of bias. Collateral marginality is a condition experienced by individuals or communities who are marginalized solely on the basis of their social &/or geographic proximity to individuals or communities that experience either contingent or systemic marginality. Lever-aged marginality is a contingent or systemic disadvantage that people/communities are made to experience when their bargaining position in free markets is weakened by dominant stakeholders like transnational corporations which are able to leverage lucrative concessions by using the threat of alternative, often cheaper & marginalized (contingent or systemic) labor pools to which they can potentially take their business. 1 Table, 93 References. Adapted from the source document.