Understanding of the Factors Affecting Exclusion and Segregation of the Ethnic Minority Groups; Kolys Living in Nobonyad Town, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran

In spite of the fact that Kolys live for many years in Iran, they have always been excluded by the majorities and have been recognized by a special identity in the imagination of them, so that in different cities, including the city of Sari, they have experienced displacement and leaving their place of residence. Therefore, this research has been done by using ethnographic method and qualitative content analysis with the aim of understanding the contexts, conditions, and experiences of Kolys living in the Nobonyad town about exclusion,. The results of this study show that exclusion of Kolys living in the Nobonyad town is due to two main factors which are different culture and continuous social, economic, political, and legal deprivation. Although each of these factors exacerbates the other, the simultaneous effects of these two factors do not apply to all Kolys. These factors lead to generating fear through othering and generalizing negative imaginations. Overcoming this fear, enables a different set of processes such as rejecting the other, strengthening social capital within the group, reducing exposure and effective out-group relationships, and spatial segregation to take place, which lead to the exclusion of Kolys in various dimensions and domains of everyday life.