The 75-year history of marginality theory is reviewed and evaluated, leading to the recommendation that the use of the marginality idea be discarded by social scientists because it lacks construct validity. A review of the literature reveals that, at present, the concept of marginality is employed in five different social science lines of investigation. These models are examined fromthe perspective of their contribution to the validity of the construct and are found wanting. Marginality is shown to be a concept that did not fulfill its promise of explaining the effects on people of immigration, culture clash, and other transitional situations, such as status, role, or class changes. Evidence is presented that marginality is unscientifically founded and has been applied so indiscriminately as to be useless in the social sciences.

Deculturation's history as well as its use in the social science literature is reviewed and its construct validity questioned. According to J. W. Berry (1980), deculturation results when members of nondominant cultures become alienated from the dominant culture and from their own minority society. A reported consequence of deculturation is increased stress and psychopathology for the individuals involved. Deculturation's basic assumption that there can be culture loss without replacement is critically assessed. In particular, the idea that members of nondominant groups can become deculturated, devoid of any culture, is challenged.

This psychologically oriented study examined the use of mental health services by Latino/a college students. Significant differences were found between Latinos/as and non-Latinos/as on four variables: Latinos/as tended to live at home, have more children, be foreign born, and have past depression. Because the data for the Latino/a students revealed subtle signs of psychological distress, such as past depression and indications of suicidal behavior, it was hypothesized that low-level distress could be affecting Latino/a students. Finally, recommendations are made.Resumen: Este estudio orientado psicológicamente examinó el uso de servicios de salud mental para estudiantes universitarios latinos/as. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre latinos/as y no latinos/as en cuatro variables: latinos/as tendieron a vivir con familia, tener más hijos, ser de nacimiento foráneo, y haber tenido depresión. Debido a que la información de los estudiantes latinos/as rebelaron signos sutiles de estrés psicológico como el haber tenido depresión e indicadores de conducta suicida se hipotetizó que el estrés de bajo nivel puede estar afectando a estudiantes latinos/as. Se hacen recomendaciones.