Vulnerability and Marginality in Human Services

Vulnerability has traditionally been conceived as a dichotomised status, where an individual by reason of a personal characteristic, physical and mental disability, age, politics or religion is classified as vulnerable. Contemporary literature argues that vulnerability is not static, and that most, if not all, people are vulnerable at some time in their lives. Marginality is a social construct linked to power and control. This book draw on international research and scholarship related to these constructs, and from a range of professions, including social work, psychology, nursing, and allied health.