Generalization & The Art of Otherness

Generalization is an awful thing that tends to creep up any time one group of people encounters another. We want our definitions to be easy to understand and refer to so we stereotype and believe more of it than we should. In this stereotyping, the Irish are drunks, the French are arrogant, black Americans are all rapping criminals, Americans in general are all fat, and Indians are all feather wearing peace pipe smokers who talk about the Great Spirit and induce visions.

As with all stereotypes, there are many individuals of the cultures who fall into these neat little packages. However, there are almost always far more who do not. These stereotypes are created as a sense of explaining an “Other.” The other can be anyone who is not of the same group as the person creating the stereotype. It is by pointing out the things that make us different that we forget the things that make us the same.

Differences are a type of divisional fear that prevents ordinary people from uniting against the powerful. If there are several groups who are taken over by an oppressor, they can overthrow the oppressor if they band together. By keeping the groups fighting, though, they cannot overcome the oppressor and thus they remain conquered. This is what was done to the Native Americans.

The language used by the government was that of “savage.” Whenever a white person was killed by an Indian they were given a name and a small back story to make people feel bad for them. The Indians, on the other hand, were always talked about in the same language that would be used to talk about wolves or bad weather. This dehumanized the Native Americans and allowed the government to lie, cheat, and do whatever terrible thing they wanted to these people. After all, “they were only savages.”

Generalizing every Indian in the Americas as one people also allowed the government to take one universally hostile stance to get what they wanted. If every group was different then there would be “good” and “bad” groups. Any group labeled as a “good” group would not be able to be taken advantage of when the time came. This would mean the powerful would have to share their power and that was not one of their goals.

This sort of general grouping can be seen all over today’s political spectrum. Muslims are often viewed with fear because most people are very ignorant to their individual beliefs and differences. Much like the crusaders of old, violent fanatics give every one of their fellow believers a bad name. This bad name is difficult to overcome.

The same can be said about black people in the world who have been given a reputation of being more animalistic. In the United States, any time there is talk about gangs or drugs they show black people. Many times these black people are just walking to school or getting on a bus but the camera is shined on them anyway. This is also true when talking about Africa, which thanks to the media is accused of being one of the most dangerous places in the world.

The phrase, “oh crap the boss is coming, look busy,” is a fantastic example of the real vs the spun. The eye of a camera or the gaze of the story teller can color a people or a situation in any way they choose to. A people who are spun in a bad light lose support. Those who lose their support can become victims and no one will rise up to protect them. This is how the Native American was pushed into their present situation. This is why we all need to be more vigilant and not believe everything we hear.