A minority is a smaller part of a group, often used to describe groups of people who differ in race, religion, language, or culture from the majority in a society. It can also simply mean any group that has fewer members than another group.
From French ‘minorité,’ from Latin ‘minor’ (smaller) plus the abstract noun suffix ‘-ity.’ It originally referred to legal minority, the state of being underage.
‘Minority’ started as a legal term about age, not ethnicity or culture. In some countries, a ‘minority’ group can actually be close to half—or even more than half—of the population, showing that power and numbers aren’t always the same thing.
'Minority' has been used to describe groups with less power, often conflating numerical size with political marginalization. Women have sometimes been inaccurately labeled as a 'minority' despite being roughly half the population, which can obscure power dynamics.
Use 'minority' carefully and contextually; prefer more specific terms like 'racialized group', 'gender minority', or 'politically marginalized group'. Avoid calling women a 'minority' in a population sense.
["marginalized group","underrepresented group","racialized group","gender minority"]
When discussing minorities, recognize intersecting identities (e.g., women in racial or religious minorities) and avoid lumping diverse groups into a single undifferentiated category.
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