Reconceptualizing inclusion and exclusion in marketing theory: Insights from Wilkerson’s Caste framework

This essay achieves three objectives. First, we present a novel theorization of inclusion and exclusion based on three premises: inclusion and exclusion are not separate constructs but co-constitutive forces; inclusion and exclusion are inseparable from the power structures that govern them; and the notion of inclusion, and by association, exclusion has been explicitly politicized by hierarchical power regimes around the globe. Second, we introduce Wilkerson’s (2020) Caste framework which conceptualizes eight structural “pillars” through which societies construct and sustain arbitrary hierarchies that result in arbitrary processes of inclusion and exclusion. Third, we contextualize the accepted papers within Wilkerson’s framework, mapping them onto seven of the eight pillars, In doing so, we show the framework’s power to conceptualize inclusion and exclusion in marketing theory while also revealing gaps for future research. We believe Wilkerson’s framework will effectively frame existing articles and help scholars advance their understanding of inclusion and exclusion in marketing.