This paper, which is directed toward adult educators, presents a new approach to understanding the concept of marginalization, as well as a series of educational proposals regarding working with marginalized people that are drawn from transformative learning theory. First, marginalization is defined as being out of religious, legal, and scientific-medical norms. The physical and social consequences of each type of marginalization are discussed. Two additional types of marginalization--cognitive and political--are introduced and considered in the context of transformative learning theory. The concept of meaning perspective and the three types of factors that shape it (epistemic, psychological, and sociolinguistic) are explored from the standpoint of transformative learning theory and their implications for adult educators. Next, the importance of familiarity with transformative learning theory when working with adult learners who belong to marginalized groups is emphasized. The following responsibilities that must be assumed by such adult learners are listed: (1) actively foster learners' critical reflection upon their assumptions; (2) establish communities of rational discourse in classrooms; and (3) help learners learn how to take appropriate action resulting from transformative learning to the extent feasible. The paper ends by introducing a proposal to resolve the marginalization and norms dichotomy. Contains 27 references. (MN)