Social Marginalization Research Articles

A scoping review of social work with Roma and Traveller communities: introducing the ROMA model

ABSTRACT Although The Strasbourg Declaration on Roma presents a list of priorities that aim to address the social and economic marginalisation of Roma and Traveller people in Europe, the contribution that social work is making to efforts to achieve these aims is unclear. Therefore, a scoping review of current scholarship was conducted to summarise the existing body of knowledge and identify how social work can help to achieve The Strasbourg Declaration on Roma. The databases Academic Search Complete, SAGE Journals Online, ScienceDirect, and Social Care Online were searched resulting in the inclusion of 20 articles published between 2010 and 2024. Two themes were identified: (1) Antigypsyism and (2) Restorative Practice. The findings show that restorative practices could help to promote human rights and the social and intercultural inclusion of Roma and Travellers in Europe. Informed by the articles included in this scoping review, the ‘Reflection, Objective, Movement and Action (ROMA) Model: A Framework for Restorative Practice is introduced as a solution to enable social workers to achieve The Strasbourg Declaration on Roma and future national strategic frameworks for Roma and Traveller inclusion.

The Maternal Body, HIV and Race: Dual Raced and Ambivalent Maternal Experiences in a Vertically Infected HIV-Positive Adolescent

The HIV pandemic in South Africa has tragically left a wake of vertically infected children who have suffered parental loss and social marginalization. Vertically infected HIV-positive children are those who have acquired the virus from their mother during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. In this paper, the development and alienation of the self is explored in a psychoanalytically informed research case study of a black adolescent girl who was vertically infected with HIV and later fostered by a white mother. This case study explores the sociogenic meanings of raced maternal experiences and disease identified in a series of psychoanalytic interviews, using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Drawing from Melanie Klein, Franz Fanon and other feminist and post-colonial psychoanalytic theorists, the early primal raced and diseased scene is considered through internalizations and fixation on the body. Nosipho is first introduced through a short vignette and a discussion of her early maternal relational experiences. The paper then explores the ambivalence experienced by the participant as part of her HIV and raced lived experiences. HIV and raced subjectivities are both powerful internalized conscious as well as unconscious embodied experiences. For Nosipho, it has been a complicated process found in the shared dual mothering experiences between a biological mother who is black and the subsequent white maternal experiences. The interrogation of this embodied dual experiences of having black mothers who are HIV-positive whilst simultaneously having white mothering roles in children who are vertically infected with HIV is a terrain that is infused by deep contradictory and conflicting emotional and affective states around love and hate, joy and despair, fear, and hope, all at once. Consequently, holding both the HIV and the raced subjectivities is deeply painful for black children who are vertically infected with HIV.

How can HIV self-testing facilitate increased access to HIV testing among multiply marginalised populations? Perspectives from GBMSM and trans women in England and Wales

Background HIV self-testing (HIVST) may facilitate marginalised populations’ uptake of HIV testing, but whether the extent of marginalisation challenges individual uptake of HIVST remains under-researched. We aim to explore the perspectives of multiply marginalised cis-gender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and trans women on whether HIVST might increase their uptake of HIV testing. Methods We reanalysed qualitative interview data from SELPHI (the UK’s largest HIVST randomised trial) collected between 2017 and 2020 from marginalised populations, defined as people self-identifying as non-heterosexual, transgender, non-White ethnicity and/or with low educational attainment. Thirty-eight interviews with multiply marginalised individuals were thematically examined using the framework method. We specifically focussed on kit usability (a function of the interaction between blood-based HIVST kits and users), perspectives on how HIVST can improve access to HIV testing and suggestions on need-based scale-up of HIVST. Results HIVST kits were considered usable and acceptable by multiply marginalised GBMSM and trans women. The majority of interviewees highlighted multi-levelled barriers to accessing HIV testing services due to structural and social marginalisation. Their multiply marginalised identities did not impede HIVST uptake but often form motivation to self-test. Three potential roles of HIVST in the HIV testing landscape were identified: (1) alternation of HIVST and facility-based testing, (2) integration of HIVST into sexual health services and (3) substituting facility-based testing with HIVST in the future. Perceived beneficiaries of HIVST included trans communities, individuals with undisclosed sexuality and people with physical disabilities. Discussion HIVST can facilitate marginalised populations’ access and uptake of HIV testing by alternating with, integrating into and substituting for facility-based services in the UK. Marginalised identities did not present challenges but rather opportunities for person-centred scale-up of HIVST. Future implementation programmes should ensure equitable access to HIVST among trans people, men unable to disclose their sexuality, and perhaps people with physical disabilities.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN MEDICAL CARE FOR WOMEN IN SITUATIONS OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY: EXPANDING THE DEBATE ON MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS IN EDUCATION

This paper addresses reflections and discussions on the female figure in the context of social marginalization, linked to threats to human rights, with a focus on access to health care and quality longitudinal monitoring. This debate analyzes the historical process of marginalization and oppression amplified when women are inserted as street dwellers, enhancing the weaknesses of helplessness and substance abuse, thus aggravating violence and stigma. This is a narrative review of literature, of a reflective nature, associated with a report of an educational experience in the construction of a teaching methodology based on a fictitious case that triggers discussion and resolution of problems linked to human rights violations of marginalized women, in the light of philosophies of law and the study of public policies for undergraduate medical students. The development of the work shows the importance of expanding studies on this topic, focusing on historically invisible people, in a problematizing narrative, using the construction of clinical cases containing not only health needs for a resolution of medicalization, based strictly on biological diagnoses, but that challenge the reflective thinking of social medicine, directing the debate towards human rights lines, in a context of interprofessional dialogues and studies of public policies, as essential in the training of doctors committed to guaranteeing equity and access to the most neglected population segments in Brazil.

Exploring Climate Health Risks and Adaptations among Vulnerable Populations in Israel’s Negev Desert

Abstract Background Climate change represents the paramount challenge to global health, disproportionately impacting particular vulnerable individuals and communities. By identifying and elucidating disparities in health-related climate risks among these groups, we can facilitate the development of appropriate and equitable climate adaptation strategies. This research identified climate-related risks, health perceptions and needs, and behaviors among Jewish and Bedouin populations in the Negev Desert, a region highly susceptible to climate change, located at the intersection of geographical and social marginality. Methods Ten focus groups (n = 69) among vulnerable Jewish and Bedouin residents were conducted and systematically analyzed to identify disparities in health-related climate risks and behaviors. Vulnerabilities were defined based on income, age, health status, living environment, and outdoor activities. Results The findings highlight both shared and distinct difficulties and barriers vulnerable Jewish and Bedouin Negev residents face in the context of climate-related health risks. Key themes that emerged address: a) the direct and indirect impacts of climate-related events on health and well-being; b) the exacerbation of climate-related health risks by existing vulnerabilities and systemic barriers; c) the pivotal role of community resources in coping strategies; and d) lack of trust in the state and its institutions which underpin climate-related experiences. Conclusions The complexity of coping with climate change encompasses individual, community, and national/institutional levels. Vulnerable populations’ experiences with climate change are impacted by factors such as poverty, social marginality, violence, and barriers to accessing healthcare and other services, and is not a standalone phenomenon. Therefore, climate change adaptation and mitigation cannot be distinguished from other challenges impacting the health and well-being of populations. Key messages • Climate adaptation efforts must integrate with broader social and health strategies to effectively support vulnerable groups. • Community resources and trust in institutions are crucial for vulnerable populations facing climate change impacts.

Barriers and facilitators to remote healthcare services use: perspectives of women and providers

Abstract Background The remote health services (RHS) proliferation raises concerns regarding relatively low use among minorities. Arab women in Israel belong to a minority that experiences health disparities, stigmatization, social and economic marginalization. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitating means to RHS use relevant to Arab women in Israel from the perspective of women, primary care physicians (PCPs), and nurses. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 Arab women, 18 PCPs, and 4 nurses from different parts in Israel between December 2023-March 2024. We used a positive deviance approach by interviewing 14 women who succeeded in using RHS and 11 who did not. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using Atlas qualitative analysis software. Findings The data distilled three main barriers to RHS use: sociocultural- importance of close relations with PCPs, privacy concerns of revealing the body or conversing with unfamiliar physicians, strict supervision by the family (Bedouin society); logistical-limited internet access and infrastructure, personal- unawareness to RHS, digital literacy, normative conceptions of limited quality of care and believing that only some health conditions are suitable for RHS. Facilitating means to RHS use: gender roles-women’s role as family health caretakers, mothers maintaining work-family balance and younger women generation feeling responsible for the older generation RHS adoption, accessibility- wider access to care due to limited transportation. Conclusions It is important to identify facilitating conditions (e.g., training opportunities, social, technological support), cultured elements (gender roles, limited mobility), and trust to adopting RHS by minority populations. The study provide data for developing requirements to ensure more equitable access to RHS to Arab women including addressing privacy concerns, guidelines for RHS-related information dissemination, and for RHS providers. Key messages • The findings help develop approaches and means to improve RHS use for Arab women from diverse backgrounds by identifying barriers associated with access, culture, and normative conceptions. • Developing RHS systems into routine care must ensure equitable use across social groups and address economic, logistical, and sociocultural barriers and guidelines for RHS information dissemination.

Naming, labelling and the cultural construction of the identity of persons with albinism in East, Central, and West Africa

ABSTRACT Names and labels attributed to persons with albinism (PWA) in East, Central, and West Africa, reflect deeply rooted cultural beliefs, superstitions, and etiological and historical narratives. In these regions, the identity of the black PWA differs by his/her black/white duality – Black but not black, white but not White. Using Labelling and Symbolic Interactionism frameworks, we address three questions: (i) How are PWA named and labelled across East, Central, and West Africa? (ii) How can we categorise the predominant names and labels? (iii) How do these names and labels reflect socio-cultural conceptions, affect behaviour towards PWA, and contribute to the external construction of the identity of PWA? Principal categories emerge: supernatural affiliation, pigmentation, association with economic capital, vegetal and earth affiliations, zoosemic metaphors, and ambiguous/undetermined labels. These categories reflect cultural sentiments ranging from adulation to ostracisation, influencing social behaviour and identity construction. While some cultures regard PWA as celestial entities, others link them to curses or tragedy. Labels that commodify PWA render them targets for exploitation and violence, while vegetal, zoosemic, and ambiguous terminology contribute to alienation and identity crisis. This research demonstrates how cultural constructs of identity through language reinforce stigma and prejudice against PWA, worsening their social marginalisation.

Slavery as a Cultural Legacy: Abdulrazzak Gurnah’s Paradise as a Case Study

Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian-born British novelist who won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in 1948 in Zanzibar, Tanzania (then the Sultanate of Zanzibar). He moved to the UK as a refugee in the 1960s after the Zanzibar Revolution. The vulnerability of slavery has been discussed by many writers. This paper is going to investigate slavery in Gurnah’s novel Paradise1994, particularly in the lives of the protagonist, Yusuf. This paper aims to follow the journey of Yusuf, a young man who is forced into servitude after his father pawns him. Through Yusuf’s experiences, Gurnah delves into how slavery has become a cultural legacy, shaping identities, relationships, and aspects of society. The paper will identify how the characters’ experiences are shaped by their ancestors’ history of slavery. It will also explore how the novel depicts the social, economic, and psychological impacts of slavery on the characters and their communities especially the loss of agency which can lead to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. The paper also shows Social Marginalization as a stigma associated with slavery. Individuals are treated differently based on their ancestry. Yusuf’s experiences illustrate how racial and social hierarchies can be perpetuated through cultural legacies.

Crisis, Confidence, and Conserving Resources: Examining How Adult Education Students Navigate Stressors and Marginalization

Social and systemic barriers contribute to students’ attrition from K-12 education and enrollment in adult basic education (ABE) via the reduction of available resources. Informed by Conservation of Resources Theory, the current study assessed the impact of stress-related risk factors, including trauma and COVID-19-related stress, on ABE students’ ( N = 227) vocational confidence. Understanding these factors can inform ABE program development and retention efforts. Survey methods with convenience sampling were used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and COVID-19-related stress on the outcomes of alcohol use, as a stress response, as well as vocational confidence. On average, past traumatic experiences were more common among ABE students who reported greater social or economic marginalization, especially those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or with a history of being unhoused. More past traumatic experiences predicted higher COVID-19-related stress and alcohol use. Higher COVID-19-related stress, in turn, predicted lower vocational confidence. ABE students experiencing marginalization face compounded barriers to achieving their educational and vocational goals when they experience trauma exposure and subsequent stressors. Based on findings, we make practice recommendations for ABE centers, including targeted psychoeducational resources to offset social and systemic stressors that may bolster the vocational confidence of enrolled students.

Conspiracy Theories as Productive Practices: Toward a Theory of Conspiratorial Style, Agency, and Politics

This article reviews anthropological explorations of conspiracy theories—in dialogue with insights from other disciplines, primarily political science, philosophy, and social psychology—to frame conspiracy theories as productive social practices. While conspiracy theories are often depicted through their epistemological shortcomings and associated with social and political margins, this article traces the nascent threads across anthropological scholarship to reach an emic understanding of those narratives and their sociopolitical reverberations and proposes approaching conspiracy theories through their style, agentive implications, and political effects. Conspiratorial style, the article argues, pertains not to the content of the narrative but to its incessant seeking of covert operations beyond readily visible forms as well as a growing flexibility regarding the narrator's belief in the narrative's veracity. The agentivizing dynamic generated through conspiracism differentiates contemporary conspiracism from its predecessors and involves an empowering current. Finally, the article focuses on how contemporary conspiracism is intricately linked to political contestations.

Citizenship

As a result of increased mobility and restrictive immigration policies in Europe, a growing number of people live in conditional and deportable positions with only limited social rights and access to welfare services. In this keyword, we discuss how the conception of national citizenship that underpins immigration and welfare regimes affects the position of non-citizens, with a particular focus on legal status as an instrument of hierarchisation and social marginalisation in European societies. Immigration systems create hierarchies and divisions by establishing different legal statuses for non-citizens, with wider implications for their position in society. Legal status has become a significant factor in social exclusion and marginality in European societies, intersecting with race, class, gender, and ethnicity to (re)produce social disadvantages. At the same time, migrants’ struggles are situated along the same historical continuum as other previously excluded and marginalised groups, revealing inherent contradictions related to citizenship in modern nation-states and challenging the boundaries of citizenship from the inside.

UK Khat Prohibition and the Making of a Harmful Drug

This article delves into the complex dynamics of khat (Catha edulis) prohibition in the UK, with a particular focus on a Somali community in north-west London. Despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs finding no substantial evidence of khat causing societal or medical harms and recommending public health interventions instead of prohibition, the UK Home Office classified khat as a Class C drug in June 2014. This decision raises critical questions about what constitutes a harmful drug. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted during the peak of prohibition discourse in 2013–14, the article explores how notions of harm operate across moral, political, and epistemological registers as people grapple with framing khat’s drug status and the effects of its use. It illustrates how prohibition discourse not only amplified perceptions of khat’s harmfulness but also sidelined the more nuanced concerns of Somali community members over persistent socioeconomic integration issues, mental health, and social marginalisation. Thus, the harm of khat may not lie in its potency as a psychoactive substance but as an object of prohibition that overshadows interventions to address the adverse conditions associated with its use among certain individuals.

Sociolinguistic Implications of Cancel Culture: The Prose of Language, Power and Social Dynamics in Digital Spaces

In particular, the language, tone, and discourse techniques of cancel culture a phenomenon mostly on social media platforms are the focus of this papers exploration. More importantly the sociolinguistic aspects of "cancel culture." Cancel culture is defined by complicated power dynamics, social norms, and beliefs. It entails public calls for accountability, which can lead to social marginalisation. This study uses linguistic behaviours of internet citizens to explore how language is used to support and challenge ‘cancel culture. It also looks at how participants engage different discourse techniques to deal with questions of justice, morality, forgiveness, and exclusion. Principal concerns are the dimensions of language in conveying ethical assessments. The significance of tone in indicating intention and affiliation. Overall, the manners in which linguistic decisions mirror wider societal power dynamics and cultural transformations. In order to shed light on the wider implications for communication and community in an increasingly digital society, this paper will analyse the rhetoric surrounding cancellation of You Tubers and influencers in order to reveal how language not only reflects but also shapes changing attitudes towards social justice and accountability.

Belongingness in higher education: Fostering decent education to sustain academic progress and equitable access to decent work

Given the critical role of higher education in fostering social mobility and access to decent work, our study investigates how the college experience, shaped by social marginalization and economic constraints, influences students’ academic engagement and work volition before and during COVID-19. Drawing from the psychology of working theory (PWT) and decent education, we assess the mediating role of school belongingness and the moderating effect of COVID-19 timing through structural equation modeling. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 exacerbated the negative effect of social and economic marginalization on work volition and the negative effects of economic constraints on academic engagement, while also diminishing the moderating effect of school belongingness. These insights are crucial considering the profound disruptions in higher education due to the pandemic and underscore the importance of fostering school belongingness as a component of decent education to sustain student engagement and positive views of their work futures.

Effects of climate change on migration in Latin America and Caribbean: a scoping review

Climate change-induced natural disasters such as hurricanes, landslides, forest fires, and changes in precipitation directly affect rural sectors that depend on field production and other dimensions of everyday life. This generates the mobilization of people from their homes to safer places within the same country or across borders. There is a lack of information on the impacts of climate change on environmental migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This scoping review aims to describe the scientific evidence of the health effects of climate change on migrant in LAC. The review was conducted using databases from PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), and Google Scholar in English, Spanish and Portuguese. After screening the title, abstract, and full text of identified hits (n = 726), 31 records were finally included. Evidence indicates that climate change relates to health and healthcare, psychosocial and infrastructure dimensions among migrants in LAC. Health effects refer to limited access to healthcare, underdiagnosis, increased susceptibility to diseases and mental health conditions like stress and anxiety. Psychosocial dimensions refer to a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence, social marginalization, family separation, and loss of identity and culture. Infrastructure refers to environmental degradation and agricultural and urban infrastructure destruction. Multiple adaptations to these conditions are described among migrant populations in the region. Recommendations for improvements are presented. This scoping review suggests climate change’s significant health, psychosocial, and infrastructural associations with migrants in Latin America.

Centering Racial Health Equity in Systematic Reviews Paper 3: A Systematic Review of Definitions For "Racial Health Equity" and Related Terms within Health Related Articles

To systematically evaluate definitions of "racial health equity" and related terms within health-related academic literature. We systematically evaluated definitions of racial health equity and related terms within health-related academic articles. Articles published in English were included, and no date restrictions were imposed. We found 20 original articles containing relevant definitions out of 1816 retrieved articles, thirteen of which were published from 2020-2023. Themes used in the definitions varied, with racism (n= 12) and quality of healthcare (n= 10) being the most common. Additional themes, including social hierarchy or marginalization, discrimination, justice, unmet social needs, and historical events were used by some definitions. Eleven of the included manuscripts defined race as a social construct. This study depicts racial health equity as an emerging concept with limited consensus on racism, quality of health, and social determinants of health as important underlying frameworks. To center equity efforts and actions under a workable and shared vision, we recommend continued discussions regarding underlying meanings of racial health equity concepts and propose establishing a definition that promotes unity across health fields and prevents ambiguity.

Patient and Public Involvement in Research Evaluating Integrated Care for People Experiencing Homelessness: Findings From the PHOENIx Community Pharmacy Pilot Randomised-Controlled Trial.

There is a paucity of research on and a limited understanding of patient and public involvement (PPI) in the context of research in homelessness and, in particular, direct involvement of people with lived and living experience of homelessness (PEH) as expert advisors. We aim to report on outcomes and reflections from lived experience advisory panel (LEAP) meetings and PPI activities, held throughout the study lifecycle of a pilot randomised-controlled trial (RCT) focused on evaluating integrated health and practical support for PEH. Community Pharmacy Homeless Outreach Engagement Non-medical Independent prescribing Rx (PHOENIx Community Pharmacy RCT) is an integrated health and social care intervention for people experiencing homelessness who present to community pharmacy. Intervention includes weekly support from a pharmacist prescriber and a third sector support worker for up to 6 months. PPI activities undertaken throughout the study were documented, including outcomes of LEAP meetings. Outcome reporting followed Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public 2 Short Form (GRIPP2-SF). In total, 17 members were recruited into the LEAP; six meetings (three in two study sites) were held. PPI input was also received through representation from homelessness third sector organisation staff as study co-applicants and core membership in the trial steering committee. Together, the PPI activities helped shape the study proposal, design of study materials, data analysis and dissemination materials. LEAP panel members offered valuable input via their experience and expertise into the delivery and refinement of interventions. Although longitudinal input was received from some LEAP members, ensuring repeat attendance in the pre-planned meetings was challenging. People who face social exclusion and marginalisation can provide highly valuable input as equal partners in co-design and delivery of interventions seeking to improve their health and well-being. Fluid membership and flexible methods of seeking and incorporating advice can offer pragmatic approaches to minimising barriers to continued involvement in research. This study reports findings and learning relevant to involvement of people with lived and living experience of homelessness as advisors in a research study. It is important for researchers to offer fluid memberships and use diverse methods to receive input from lived experience members, as traditional PPI methodology may be insufficient to ensure inclusivity. Staff and volunteers from third sector organisations were important PPI partners who bring their experience based on frontline service provision, often as the first port of call for people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage. ISRCTN88146807.

Difficulties and Social Marginalization of Native English- Speaking Professors in University English Programs

Difficulties and Social Marginalization of Native English- Speaking Professors in University English Programs

Integrating life cycle assessment and multi criteria decision making analysis towards sustainable cocoa production system in Indonesia: An environmental, economic, and social impact perspective

Sustainable Cocoa production practices should be investigated comprehensively to address sustainability requirements and mitigate Cocoa production issues in Indonesia. This study aims to identify the sustainable Cocoa production system considering the environmental, economic, and social impacts. Life cycle framework and multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) were integrated to obtain the study's objectives by comparing Cocoa monocropping system (CM) and Cocoa intercropping systems (IC). The result indicated that in the environmental sustainability aspect, the monocropping system (CM) showed higher performance as indicated by the lower environmental impact in all indicators; for example, CM emitted a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) that has a lower margin of 34.5–55.9 % compared to the intercropping system (IC-I and IC-II). In the economic aspect, both on the short-term and long-term analysis, the Cocoa intercropping system (IC-II) generated higher value-added and economic feasibility, with a higher profit margin of 150–205 % compared to CM and IC-1. Along with the increase of economic benefits in IC II, this system also significantly provides social benefits, as presented by the higher social index margin of 4.9–23.7 % compared to other systems. Furthermore, by applying decision-making analysis, the result determines the highest index on the Cocoa intercropping system II (IC-II). These findings highlight that applying the intercropping system II is recommended to overcome the cocoa issue at the farmer and decision-maker levels. Additionally, the proposed method that combined LCA-MCDM can be applied to another agricultural commodity to achieve sustainable agriculture production.

An Analysis on Caste Practices and the Vulnerabilities Faced by Burial Ground Workers in Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state combined with multi-religious, multi-ethnic and inequality. Formally, Caste is being an indispensable part of cremation process. Whether it is traditional or new techniques it all based on the caste practices followed by each community. The aim of the study is to analysis the caste practices and the vulnerabilities faced by cremation ground workers. It deals with the burying process and preparation of crematorium. The purpose of this analysis is to examine the status and caste differences faced by the crematorium workers in Sivagangai District of Tamil Nadu. The objectives of the Study have discussed to study the discrimination faced by burial ground workers. To analysis the impact of discrimination and the status of crematory workers. To Enact an inclusive policy to build up the marginalized cremation workforce in Sivagangai District of Tamil Nadu. Result of the study implementing the policy measures to create a more inclusive, social and economic equality for the burial ground workers, addressing longstanding gender and caste disparities. These policies aim to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for burial ground workers by addressing gender and caste disparities. Formalizing employment, enacting anti-discrimination laws, and ensuring job security will offer stability and recognition for those in this essential industry, fostering social justice and equality. Findings of the study on Caste intersects with class, gender, and religion, creating complex layers of discrimination that particularly affect burial ground workers, who often face social stigma and marginalization. Predominantly from lower caste, these workers endure systemic discrimination, low wages, job insecurity, and significant occupational hazards, such as exposure to pathogens and harsh working conditions, all while playing a crucial role in public health and the execution of cultural and religious rituals. Living in segregated communities, their families experience social ostracism and limited access to essential services, yet they demonstrate resilience through community solidarity, with local organizations advocating for their rights and improved conditions. Conclusion of the study have the caste system's deep-rooted influence continues to affect Indian society, highlighting the need for ongoing efforts toward social justice. Burial ground workers play a critical, yet often overlooked, role, facing social stigma and poor working conditions. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes legal, social, and economic interventions. Recognizing their contributions and vulnerabilities has been essential for fostering greater inclusivity and equality in the society. This study emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and supporting these workers to promote social progress.