Categorizing is a fundamental behavior people do daily to grasp an understanding of his or her surroundings. This includes other people one may come in contact with. By labeling or judging others, a person gains a better sense of that individual without actually getting to know them. The behavior has become so common in society today to the point that it happens naturally without one realizing it. However, this can be also be considered a bad habit, because labeling can also cause stereotypes and hostility towards others. By fully understanding why people label others, one may be more aware of his or her own thought process. Author Brenda J. Allen addresses this issue in her book, Difference Matters, so people can change their behavior of labeling …show more content…
Why one judges another may be due to the fact that people have been doing so for centuries and it has simply progressed over the years. In her Difference Matters book, Brenda Allen states that a “reason we might suppose that certain persons occupy particular roles… stems from a complex history in the United States of systemic, socially reproduced inequities” (2-3). The problems America faced when becoming a unified country were not easy, as many know. Though social injustices such as racial and religious discrimination, gender inequality, are not as predominant today as they used to be, the history of it remains. People are reminded of the past inequalities and continue to judge others intentionally or subconsciously. Furthermore, the connection between “identity shifts and historical cultural configurations, [suggests] that certain character types are encouraged by cultures through differential socialization practices” (Howard 7). The way people act is influenced by when, where, and who with they were raised. Someone born in the 1930s will have different surroundings, which will effect how that person acts and thinks than compared to someone born in the 2000s. Identity itself and how one perceives another individual’s identity goes hand in hand with the history of how it came to …show more content…
Though there are good intentions, history has taught people that judging others can lead to negative consequences. As Allen states, in distinguishing people by labeling, “efforts to address difference can arouse negative feelings from members of nondominant and dominant groups” (Allen 6). Therefore, people need to be aware of how they are judging others, as sometimes, the judgments can be too harsh or rude instead of helpful. It is natural for someone to group others based on how they present themselves in order to make sense of who that someone is and what the situation is. It is not natural, however, to label others for the intentions of being rude. Knowing the difference can help the change the behavior of labeling others, as the overall act itself is
We’ve all done it: walking down a hallway, judging someone or thinking someone is less than what we perceive ourselves to be based on the color of their skin or how they are dressed, or even their physical features. The author of The Language of Prejudice, Gordon Allport, shares how we live in a society where we are ridiculed for being less than a culture who labels themselves as dominant. This essay reveals the classifications made to the American morale. Allport analyzes in many ways how language can stimulate prejudice and the connection between language and prejudice.
Throughout the history of mankind there have been numerous cases in which people were victims of oppression or hate. Among these cases the sole reasoning behind this oppression or hate being based on the perception of others. History has shown that society is responsible for labeling groups of people, generally these labels are misleading.
In a perfect world, everyone WOULD be judged based on the content of their character. But we do not live in a perfect world and humans have always pre-judged others based on physical and cultural differences. These are the first things we notice about a stranger, and first impressions are hard to forget. Racism and prejudice have caused us to make dire mistakes in the past, but we have learned from these mistakes and have bettered our society. However, society today is filled with stereotypes and prejudices about people of certain races. It is evident in all aspects of our lives, including media, culture, and even the legal system.
In many circles of the world, various groups of people distinguish themselves from one another through religion, language, culture, and sometimes gender. People also develop stereotypes about a particular group of people in order to identify them. However, most of the time, these stereotypes hold true for only some members of a group. Sometimes, these stereotypes are just plain misconceptions that do not even apply to the group it claims to. Stereotypes are placed on people because it is a way to easily identify what type of person or ethnicity an individual is. At one point in time, these stereotypes may have been true; however, in today’s modern society, most of these stereotypes are outdated and false, which leads them to turn into misconceptions. Usually, stereotypes are utilized to humiliate and degrade the person or group; they also do not provide any beneficial outcomes. Stereotypes focus on how a particular group acts because of the radical ideas and actions of the few, how a particular group looks, or how that group is physically lacking in some way. These stereotypes often lead to conflicts because the group does not appreciate the way it is being perceived. Seldom are the stereotypes placed on a group of people truthful and accurate. Some hardly even apply to the particular group people it claims to. It is true that how people are perceived has a big impact on how other individuals interact with them; however, people are not perceiving these groups correctly.
... how society can put an end to labeling? Labeling causes so many afflictions in today’s world? It is sad to say that during the times we live in it is impossible to stop this madness. If only society would stand up for what they truly believe and not follow the norm of labeling, it will help ease racism. So government should not label society for the sole purpose of identifying who you are or where you come from based on your characteristics, educational level, and social statues. “It is time we took ownership of our identities” (Godinho). Society needs to take a good look around and realize that we are all equal and the labeling needs to be put to rest.
that is to label people or things we do not like. When a person is
Throughout the years criminologists have tried to come up with explanations for what makes individuals more prone to engage in criminal activity. The explanations can range from labels given to individuals to the bonds individuals have with others. Over the years, the theories have been tweaked and integrated to help gain a better understanding of why individuals commit crimes. Some theories also call for explanation on how to reduce crime in the future as well. Everything in society is caused by something, which produces the effect. The cause is generally what goes unknown most of the time. This paper will analyze Labeling Theory and Social Bond Theory. First I will clearly describe
Stereotyping is a form of pre judgement that is as prevalent in today's society as it was 2000 years ago. It is a social attitude that has stood the test of time and received much attention by social psychologists and philosophers alike. Many approaches to, or theories of stereotyping have thus been raised. This essay evaluates the cognitive approach that categorisation is an essential cognitive process that inevitably leads to stereotyping. Hamilton (1979) calls this a 'depressing dilemma'.
Bobbie Harro states in “The cycle of socialization” (2000), “No one brings us a survey, in the womb, inquiring which gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, cultural group, ability status, or age we might want to be born. These identities are ascribed to us at birth through no effort or decision or choice of our own” (p.16). I was born into a system, just like everyone else, where I was judged and labeled due to the social categories that I identify with. What I have experienced throughout my schooling has shaped and molded my sense of self and the way that I view myself in terms of my gender and race/ethnicity. I live in a world where I have been both praised and ridiculed for these differing characteristics that seem to define me, but
In today’s society many people are labeled and judged including myself. Everyone is labeled in some sort of category. Personally, I feel like I don’t fit into one specific category. I can be labeled as a cheerleader because I used to be one. Most people probably don’t look at me and automatically think I’m a cheerleader though. I can sometimes maybe be labeled as stuck-up, which I’m not at all. People may think this about me because I’m quiet and shy around people that I don’t know really well. I’m not a huge talker and I don’t talk to people easily. The fact that I don’t talk to everyone could make it look like I think I’m too good for them, which isn’t the case at all.
The Language of Prejudice by Gordon Allport suggests that those who share characteristics such as gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc. will find themselves being labeled by their external status. The majority of the time, the epithets are primarily conveyed as neutral or even positive. But, eventually be thought of as negative labeling because that is how society perceives categorizing in any way. The author indicates that classifying forces us to overlook all other features of a person. Labeling expands the distinction of a human being and disguises the important characteristics of the person. Allport proves his theory because the thoughts and feelings alter after the students recognize the ethnicity of the females. History and cultures
Walker Percy, Danzy Senna’s, and “Two Kinds” has developed many descriptions of different kinds of categories that can be presented in a person. To be categorized is to be judged by different views and opinions. The world has an image of characterizing everyone and everything in a sense of class. Categories takes place in three areas: people, society, and other observant areas.
People often look at others and judge them based on their appearance. It is something everyone does based on human nature, but nobody knows what that person 's story it. Maybe that lady is dressed in ratty clothes because she works two jobs to support her family. People base these judgments on race, sex, and economic class. I often feel misjudged by people and it is hard because people do not know my real story. On the exterior, I look like a middle class white male and that is what I am, but I am much more than that. Nobody would see me and know that I am a Latino and guess how I got to where I am today. Everybody has a different background and everybody has created their own personal history different from the rest of the
Cognitive psychology on the categorization process highlights the explanation for why stereotyping occurs. According to Michigan State University, "People like to, want to, need to categorize the world, both the social and physical world, into preferably neat little groups." [slide 3] This means that people stereotype not because they a rude, but because it is a natural need. By applying all of the group information to all of its members, categorization eventually saves processing time. Stereotyping also satisfies the need to understand and predict the social world. A stereotype contains a general glance at what someone is going to do. By applying a stereotype to a person, a guess can be made on what that person is like. This can lead to either the befriending or dismissing of an individual. As a society that has a constant need to belong, stereotyping can make one feel better about himself. Grouping oneself into a stereotype can make one feel like a part of a whole, a necessary example of a group. Ingroup favorability bias is brought on by this concept. No matter how good or bad someone 's ideas are, there will always be someone who shares them. This extends to always thinking that the idea you hold true is better than someone else 's, which is the definition of ingroup favorability
The main focus of the essay will be the implications of labelling theory and how it affects individuals. It also will be focusing on the creation of particular categories of criminals when labelling theory is applied, in addition it will outline what labelling theory is, how it affects people and how it effects the creation of criminal categories. The purpose of this essay is to allow a better understanding of labelling theory and its implication on creating criminal categories.