Stigmatization: Growing? or Declining?

The fact that we have stigmas in our society goes against what we claim to be. We, being Americans, claim to be a melting pot of all societies, where all can succeed. When in fact, different people have different chances of succeeding, simply because of the first impression that is conveyed. Stigmas are becoming more metaphorical as the times go on. In Greece, the originator of stigmas, signs were cut or burnt into the body, and everyone had the same stigmas. In today’s society, situations. If I were to show up for a job interview in a t-shirt and jeans, I may not get the job because of my appearance. This is a stigma that this country agrees with, and may have parallels with the stigmatic ideas, but it is a bias nonetheless. In Greece stigmas identified master status’. They revealed social class, criminal record, and ultimately the fact that those people should be shunned. As these people are shunned, they become objects. They are not treated as people, with brains. They are “slaves”, “criminals”, and overall part of a misfit group. Today, “women”, “whites”, “blacks”, “Indians”, “Asians”, “Latinos”, “Arabs”,and “Mexicans”, are some of the groups that have been treated as objects. These groups not only bring bias, but at the same time, incorrectly identify groups for what they are. The “white” groups included the “arab” group 20 years ago. As they are incorrectly identified, they are also viewed as a problem. People don’t believe that those in the group can succeed like those who aren’t stigmatized. When told to the same tasks, they are expected to do worse, and at best equal. When someone who is stigmatized rises up above all others, only then are they respected. And then, only that one person really receive respect, and is considered a sort of mutant from a group of losers, that made it out ok. Traits that are specific to each and every human being are overlooked when someone is identified in a certain group. For instance, a stereotype of the “black” group, is that all blacks are on welfare, and are that way, because they are incapable of keeping a job. Even worse its assumed that those who are on welfare have no self control, and are a weight on all of society. Overall these stigmas are wrong. We have created the stigmas that tear us apart. The only way to eliminate these stigmas, would be to continually cast down discrimination, and to teach our kids to do the same.