Marginality and Marginalization

Abstract

Marginality and globalization are two terms that were very often used in recent decades not only in geography but in other scientific disciplines as well, not to mention their public presence in all kind of modern media. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to analyze different views of the first one of these two notions and to explain my own viewpoint on how it may be understood and used in geographies of marginality and marginalization. It is an attempt at a compilation of different ideas and setting various possible definitions for further discussion. As we believe that geography has to respect its spatial tradition and that marginality should be considered as a predominantly societal notion, the chapter bases its proposed conclusions on different reflections of the notion in society and space (meaning geographical space).