"For the expanding middle class of the commercial and industrial societies of Europe and America, the goal of health became an essential component of what it meant to be modern, progressive, rational, and distinctive. The language of health came to signify those middle class persons who were responsible from those who were not, those who were respectable from those were disreputable, those who were safe from those who were dangerous, and ultimately, those who had the right to rule from those who needed supervision, guidance, reform, or incarceration" (Crawford, 1994: 1349).
The Office - Racist Remarks
This video clip from the Office, a popular tv show demonstrates how often we separate people into categories. Michael Scott, the "boss" has very little tact, no class and makes inappropriate comments on a regular basis. Yet people love this show and find it hilarious. Is something wrong with society? These little comments do influence people, and make the line between "us" and "them" more distinct every day.
Video Clip: "Us" vs. "Them"
I found this clip on YouTube, and is a really violent/graphic portrayal of war and the separation between "us" and "them". There are so many powerful elements in this video clip, and I think it speaks for itself about the consequences of separating people into categories, and treating some as not human...
"Under certain social conditions, one of which I believe to be the AIDS epidemic, conflicts within and between identities are intensified. The creation of an external other, people and groups that are negatively stereotyped, deters these conflicts from being openly and fully engaged. The experienced discomfort of internal conflict is temporarily resolved by devaluing, denying, and repressing the proscribed or conflicted aspects of the self and by recreating an imagined and seemingly safer unity through externalization" (Crawford, 1994: 1355).
Images:
This little pill, complete with a smiley face summarizes a lot when it comes to modern medicine, especially in the midst of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pills equal power and wealth, and those who cannot access modern medicine are left to the mercy of this terrible virus/disease. Crawford explains that by removing ourselves from the situation we can create an imaginary unity. We do this all the time by developing expensive medications and leaving those most in need without access.
Sources:
Crawford, Robert. 1994. The Boundaries of the Self and the Unhealthy Other: Reflections on Health, Culture and AIDS. Social Science and Medicine 38(10): 1347-1365.
http://images.google.com/imghp?tab=wi
http://www.youtube.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment