Interrogates the forces that determine who truly “belongs” in an inclusive society, and who remains on its margins.

How can a society call itself inclusive while systematically excluding those who do not fit the norm? Intersectional Challenges to Cohesion? critically examines how people are marked as “not belonging” based on multiple, intersecting dimensions of identity: race, gender, disability, migration status, and more.

By bringing together diverse academic perspectives, this volume brings to light the lived realities of marginalized individuals at personal and social levels, depicting how systemic exclusion persists despite democratic ideals. Through interdisciplinary research and case studies, the contributors analyze the structures that enforce non-normativity and limit participation and ultimately question the very fabric of social cohesion. Through mapping these intersectional challenges, this book provides crucial insights for scholars and policymakers striving for genuine inclusion.
 

Yudit Namer is assistant professor of mental health and technology in the Department of Psychology, Health, and Technology at the University of Twente, Netherlands. Anne Stöcker is a doctoral researcher in sociology in the Institute for Education and Society at the University of Luxembourg. Amani Ashour is a sociologist and holds a doctoral scholarship from the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Foundation. Janine Dieckmann is a social psychologist and works as deputy director and senior researcher at the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, a part of the Research Institute for Social Cohesion. Philipp Schmidt is an educational scientist and psychotherapist for children and adolescents. Carmen Zurbriggen is a professor in special education at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and an associated member of the RISC Section Bielefeld, Germany.