Changing narrative
As states debate whether to keep businesses open in the outbreak of COVID-19, I hear people uttering, “People want to go back to work.” In using the word “want,” the verbiage implies that something was taken away from the people when, in fact, it belies the reality that our country has failed to provide its people with the basic necessities and safety net.[1] It is not that “people want to go back to work” – it is “they need to.”
Such is the power of language. It can take the attention away from the oppressor and place the focus instead on the oppressed.
Stories craft the framework of how we understand ourselves and others.[13] Whereas positive stories bring people together, negative stories about groups of people can turn into sweeping generalizations called stigma. Stigma can be defined as “the co-occurrence of labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination in a context in which power is exercised.”[5] Stigma aims to keep marginalized groups “down, in and out.”[5] It is one reason why, despite progressive measures, civic inequality has persisted; the stigma against people with minority identities remains unchanged.
For instance, when they talk about the woman’s attire at the time of rape, such narrative preserves the culture of victim-blaming and violence against women. When they disparage the looters, such narrative overlooks the protests against White supremacy. When they incriminate only the “bad apples,” such narrative absolves leadership the blame of cultivating a racialized culture in the police force. When they criticize the behaviors of the victims killed by police (e.g., “they should not have…”), such narrative perpetuates the racist theology, marginalization, and brutalization against people of color and those most vulnerable.
This is why the narrative matters.
To ensure sustainable progress, the narratives about people must first change. Otherwise, the wolf merely dons a different sheep skin. Slavery did not end with the Emancipation Proclamation. It instead camouflaged itself as Jim Crow and later War on Drugs, utilizing legalized violence to continue to subjugate Black bodies, destroy Black lives, and oppress generations of Black communities. Stigma hides in the way we speak and gains sustenance in the subtle framing of our words. When unchallenged, it lives on through our behaviors and laws, providing a rationale for continued inequality. [3][5][10][11][12]
Stigma also colors our own perspectives of ourselves. Internalized stigma related to marginalized identities (e.g., age,[7][8] race,[10], mental illness,[9] HIV-status,[6] sexuality and gender identity,[4] etc.) has been associated with poorer health and mood, shortened life expectancy, decreased self-confidence, lower help-seeking behavior, higher isolation, and greater sense of hopelessness.
Changing narrative begins with being mindful of the words we use towards ourselves and others. Instead of using shorthand labels, we can alter our language to honor the shared humanity while respecting each one’s cultural differences. Stigma is often insidious, so it takes conscientious effort to alter the way we think and talk about people. Below are some phrases I commonly hear. Also included are general suggestions deemed more person-centered according to recent literature. Of course, each individual may wish to be identified differently.
Instead of saying… | Say… | |
Aging & elderspeak |
Elderly, senior, old, stubborn, cranky, sweet, pleasantly demented, etc.
These labels have become synonymous with fragility and senility. They undermine the richness of the person’s life experiences. |
Older adults.
Age is relative. The vast majority of older adults have active, thriving lives. Only 5% live in nursing homes, and 5% between ages 65-80 have diagnosable dementia.[2] Let’s respect our older community as fellow human beings, not a demographic. |
Disabilities, physical & mental illnesses |
Addict, alcoholic, cripple, deaf, demented, disabled, crazy, etc.
These labels nullify the complexity of the human experience. No one illness or disability defines the individual’s entire existence. |
This is a person with (substance use, spinal cord injury, hearing impairment, dementia, depression, etc).
This framing places the person first before the disability/illness. |
Race and/or class |
You’re (cool/pretty) for someone who is (specific race, class, identity status).
Where are you/your parents really from? These seemingly benign statements imply the un-American-ness of the individual and reinforces the “othering” of the person. |
How do you identify culturally? What does that mean for you?
Adopt a stance of curiosity. Cultural differences can be celebrated without reinforcing presumptive biases. |
Suicide |
Person X committed suicide.
People do not choose to have suicidal thoughts. Suicidality comes unbidden. Using “commit” places the onus of responsibility on the victims who often do not have a choice in feeling this way. |
Person X died by suicide.
Just as we do not say, “this person committed alcohol poisoning,” suicide is recognized as an illness with heartbreaking impact. |
Additional reads:
- Asian American origin of the model minority myth https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/11/29/the-real-reason-americans-stopped-spitting-on-asian-americans-and-started-praising-them/
- LGBTQ+ common ally questions
https://www.kent.edu/lgbtq/common-ally-questions - Native Americans changing narrative
https://rnt.firstnations.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/MessageGuide-Allies-screen.pdf
Author’s note: Writing this post was difficult as I constantly felt the immense depth of my ignorance. I acknowledge my privilege, my ignorance, and my role in inadvertently perpetuating inequality as a byproduct and citizen of the American system. I acknowledge that my words and thinking are inherently influenced by the overarching heteronormative, White supremacist ideology. These statements may become dated as new understanding and research come to light. Learning is a continuous endeavor.
References
- Alston, P. (2020). US COVID-19 strategy failing the poor, says UN expert. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25798&LangID=E
- American Psychological Association (2017). Older adults’ health and age-related changes: Realty versus myth. APA Office on Aging. https://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/older
- Coates, T. (2015). Between the world and me. New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau.
- Dyar, C., Sarno, E. L., Newcomb, M. E., & Whitton, S. W. (2020). Longitudinal associations between minority stress, internalizing symptoms, and substance use among sexual and gender minority individuals assigned female at birth. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(5), 389–401. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000487
- Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Phelan, J. C., & Link, B. G. (2013). Stigma as a fundamental cause of population health inequalities. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 813–821. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301069
- Lee, R.S., Kochman, A. & Sikkema, K.J. (2002) Internalized stigma among people living with HIV-AIDS. AIDS & Behavior 6, 309–319. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021144511957
- Levy, B. R. (2003). Mind matters: Cognitive and physical effects of aging self-stereotypes. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58(4), P203–P211. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/58.4.P203
- Levy, B. R., Slade, M. D., Kunkel, S. R., & Kasl, S. V. (2002). Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), 261–270. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.261
- Livingston, J. D., & Boyd, J. E. (2010). Correlates and consequences of internalized stigma for people living with mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 71(12), 2150-2161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.09.030
- Liu, W. M., Liu, R. Z., Garrison, Y. L., Kim, J. Y. C., Chan, L., Ho, Y. C. S., & Yeung, C. W. (2019). Racial trauma, microaggressions, and becoming racially innocuous: The role of acculturation and White supremacist ideology. American Psychologist, 74(1), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000368
- McWilliams, J. (2018). Bryan Stevenson on what well-meaning White people need to know about race: An interview with Harvard University-trained public defense lawyer Bryan Stevenson on racial trauma, segregation, and listening to marginalized voices. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/magazine/bryan-stevenson-ps-interview
- Stevenson, B. (2014) Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau.
- Törneke, N. (2010). Learning RFT: An introduction to Relational Frame Theory and its clinical application. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Credits
- Justitia by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay
Book by Trixie Liko from Pixabay
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