How does discrimination marginalize certain groups?

Answer 1

It can. Typically there are two types of discrimination: de facto discrimination, that is discrimination against an individual based on their association or affiliation (connection to) a group; and, solo discrimination, which would be descrimination against an individual due to some bias held by the discriminator that may relate to the target's connection to a group or not.

De facto descrimination definitely results in some marginalization of a group. The level or degree of that marginalization is in direct relation to the amount of influence the discriminator has on society as a whole, and how public that act of discrimination is. For instance, say your neighbor, a white collar businessman, with few actual contacts, who works every day but has few social interactions refused to hire an individual of Oriental ethnicity because of that ethnicity, but no one ever became aware of it, the actual impact the act might have on society as a whole is minimal at best. However, if your neighbor happened to be the President of the United States, and the Oriental person was turned down for a cabinet post for the same reason, the resulting effects on society as a whole would be nearly infinite. some would agree with the President's decision and become more verbal based on a perception of support for that opinion. Still others who disagreed with the position might become very verbal in opposition. Both immediate results would spawn further and further resultant situations.

Answer 2

Discrimination marginalizes certain groups by denying them equal access to resources, opportunities, and rights based on their perceived differences. This can result in reduced social, economic, and political power, limited educational and employment prospects, and increased levels of poverty and inequality. Marginalized groups may face social exclusion, stigmatization, and limited representation, leading to a perpetuation of disadvantage and marginalization.