Marginalization


“Marginalization” refers to “treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.” In the text of the article “Bodies of Silence and Resistance: Writing Marginality” by Natalie Zervou, “marginalization” refers to the advocacy of cultural and linguistic lineage and the resulting inferior position of non-native Greek-speaking ethnic groups—in other words, the ethnic minorities in Greece.

According to Zervou, the marginalization of ethnic minorities has continued since the 1990s, and “one of the most prominent reasons for the recurrence of marginalizing practices had been the anxiety to preserve a continuous sense of national unity and purity”(175). That is to say, the marginalization happening in Greece is, to some degree, a representation of saving the glorified Greek history and preserving the “natural” Greek heritage. However, the reality in Greece manifests multiple population shifts and reflects the histories of ethnic minorities.

I find this word interesting because the marginalization process, which intends to make the ethnic minorities invisible in Greece, turns out to attract more choreographers’ attention who then created more dances reflecting these people’s lives. It makes me realize that art and dance could be a powerful way for the vulnerable to reveal themselves to the public even though the mainstream is against them; to be more specific, it could be a way for them to integrate themselves in the society rather than being invisible or being emphasized.

Zervou, Natalie. 2015. "Bodies of Silence and Resilience: Writing Marginality." Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings 2015 175. Accessed 9 Jan 2018. Oxford Dictionaries Accessed 7 Jan 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/hybrid.