How does generalizing affect society?
Generalizations create a lot of strong opinions that are passed down generationally. Because of this, it stifles freedom of speech because people that don’t agree with established generalizations are scared to freely express their opinion as they’ll be judged or considered an outcast. The generalizations in society differ based on demographic, cultural influences, and social economic structures. For example, people living in Amsterdam and using recreational drugs are not judged nearly as much as compared to people in other places where use of recreational drugs is still illegal [3].
Basic human right and equality can also be compromised based on generalizations that are prevalent in respective societies. For example, women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive until Juin, 2018 [2]. In addition, generalizing/categorizing certain groups of people as having the same characteristics can be very damaging and lead to mistreatment.
It also slows development in society because regressive opinions and generalizations prevent progression. For instance, gender equality is important for economic growth, and countries like Afghanistan have suffered due to Afghan women not receiving opportunities for education and employment [1].
- https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/éducation
- https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/opinions/2018/6/24/why-did-saudi-arabia-lift-the-driving-ban-on-women-only-now
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/the-netherlands/articles/why-is-cannabis-legal-in-the-netherlands/
Hi Saachi,
Great job on this post. I liked that you discussed how our morals change based off of laws. I find this very interesting. For example, if murder was legal, we may see it as morally correct. As it is currently VERY illegal, we see it as morally incorrect. Our morals are shaped by laws, which I find quite fascinating.
Great work,
N. Shahram
Hey Saachi, cool stuff! I completely agree with your conclusion that generalizations are virtually always harmful. I believe that this topic and the things you brought up are intriguing and tie in quite well with the discussion of law versus morality. Like Nikki mentioned, when we see that an action is considered lawful, we tend to believe that it is morally correct, yet I feel that this is not always true. For example, while I believe that selling drugs to vulnerable individuals, such as children and the mentally ill, I do not feel that simple possession of drugs for recreational purposes should be illegal, as it hurts no one but the user and is therefore morally correct. Nice post!
There seemed to be a grammatical mistake, oops! I meant to say *For example, while I believe that selling drugs to vulnerable individuals, such as children and the mentally ill, is wrong, I do not feel that simple possession of drugs for recreational purposes should be illegal, as it hurts no one, but possibly the user, and is therefore morally correct.*
Dear Saachi,
I have learned a lot about the meaning behind generalizing society and its negative effects on the cohesive whole we should strive to achieve. I like what you mentioned with the generalization of groups leading to mistreatment; it is very much true and people being put into the same standard of their identifiable groups can cause imbalances in society. Your final point with how generalization making needed actions take a longer time: “regressive opinions and generalizations prevent progression” was super important.
I have 2 questions that you could either take as you wish or answer in your celebration of learning!
1. What are some examples of generalizing society within the North American (the U.S. and Canada cohort) nowadays?
2. Did you feel like you were ever personally affected by generalizations made by the government or individuals in society?
I look forward to your celebration of learning!
Warm Regards,
Galicia
Saachi,
this was a very interesting post! I did not realize how yeah, generalizing does create lots of strong opinions which do pass down! Defenitely agree that freedom of speech becomes harder to share as so many people will have the same strong opinion, causing others with a different opinion to be judged and scared to freely express themselves! I never thought too much about this until this post you have created!
Overall, great round of research! Best of luck on future posts!
Hey Saachi!
I really liked how you discussed specific examples such as the drugs in Amsterdam and the women in Afghanistan. Doing so puts the idea of generalization into context because we now see how it affects specific groups of people.
Generalization is very common because people tend to “group” people and ideas to simplify their understanding, but this can be very harmful. Recently, in one of my classes, we discussed the differences between stereotypes, prejudice, racism and discrimination and how generalization is a linking factor in all these social issues. What do you think? Is generalization the root cause of these issues? What other factors contribute to these things?
Looking forward to your celebration of learning!
Rasee