minority and minoritized

Minotaur with tie

in the minority but

not minoritized

I came across a fascinating article discussing the terms minority and minoritized.

I'll introduce the idea this way: It suggests that we change our usage of terms so that minority has to do with numbers (namely, the opposite of majority, or less than half) and minoritized has to do with how people treat other people -- specifically, treating them as if they are less than.

For example, in university, less than half the students wear glasses, so they are in the minority. While the occasional post-secondary student with glasses might be made fun of, overall, they are not treated badly or oppressed because of wearing glasses. Thus, though in the minority, they are not minoritized.

Or to give a more pertinent example, white slave owners and their families were in the minority on the plantations, but it was the slaves who were minoritized. The slave owners had the power and control; the slaves were oppressed and without power.

Here are new definitions proposed by I.E. Smith:

Definition: Minority

1: a group of less than half of the total, a group that is sufficiently smaller in number

2: of or relating to quantities that are comparatively less

3: a relatively small group

Definition: Minoritized

1: groups that are different in race, religious creed, nation of origin, sexuality, and gender and as a result of social constructs have less power or representation compared to other members or groups in society

2. To be a person forced into a group that is mistreated or faces prejudices such as albeism, racism, homophobia, and islamaphobia

3. To be in a small group of people that is discriminated against because of situations outside of personal control

Read the whole article at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/minority-vs-minoritize

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A similar term that I've come across recently is "invisibilized" in contrast to "invisible". It suggests that some groups of people are made invisible...