Analysis Of Minority Effect

In Nancy Mairs’ article for The New York Times, “Disability”, published in 1987, she expresses her distaste with the media's representation of handicapped people. Mairs, who struggled with multiple sclerosis herself, clearly and sharply conveys this disgust by stating, “I’m not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative disease.” (Mairs 13), and that she is actually, “the advertisers’ dream: Ms. Great American Consumer. And yet the advertisers, who determine nowadays who will get represented publicly and who will not, deny the existence of me and my kind absolutely”(Mairs 14). Mairs is greatly upset that disabled people are defined by their disabilities and, therefore, are underrepresented in public media. This might lead to one asking themselves, but why are they? And the answer, according to Mairs, is quite simple, “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of daily life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anybody’s life”(Mairs 14). Mairs concludes by pointing out how this effacement could have dangerous consequences for both disabled people and, as she called everyone else, TAPs (Temporarily Abled Persons) alike. Treating disabilities as an abnormal characteristic (as opposed to viewing them “as a normal characteristic, one that complicates but does not ruin human existence” (Mairs 15)) can cause one of these repercussions, as it makes the

People with a disability are in many ways othered within our society. Othering was expressed by Canales (2010) as, power within relationships for domination and subordination, with the potential consequences of being alienated, marginalized, decreased opportunities, internalized oppression, and excluded. Canales (2010) also suggested that “exclusionary othering is often influenced by the visibility of one's otherness and that these stigmatizing features that are immediately apparent, construct one's identity as other (p.19)… Their otherness is signified by their relational differences; when compared to the ‘ordinary’ and ‘natural’ attributes of persons perceived as socially acceptable (p.19)”.

In the book, The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney’s thesis is that there is more to people than their disabilities, it is not restricting nor is it shameful but infact it is beautiful in its own way. With a plan to travel the United States, Mooney decides to travel in a Short bus with intentions of collecting experiences from people who have overcome--or not overcome--being labeled disabled or abnormal. In this Mooney reinvents this concept that normal people suck; that a simple small message of “you’re not normal” could have a destructive and deteriorating effect. With an idea of what disabilities are, Mooney’s trip gives light to disabilities even he was not prepared to face, that he feared.

The patterns of majority and minority interaction eventually play into prejudice and bigotry themes. Prejudice views differ from bigotry. In some form, a comparison can be drawn between ethnocentric ideas and prejudice ideas. When someone is ethnocentric, they believe their own values and customs to be superior to other cultures. From these ethnocentric ideas, which have been displayed throughout history, prejudice ideas occur. Prejudice ideas occur when a person makes a pre-judgment or assumption in regards to another ethnicity. Therefore, when one makes a pre-judgment they assume that they are unlike the group that they are judging. Bigotry on the other hand plays into the idea of discrimination in the sense that people are not approving of a particular minorities lifestyle or cultural values. Lecture number five does a nice job explaining how all three of these concepts work, “People tend to justify discrimination by rationalizing it on the ground that those whom they discriminate against are less worthy of respect or fair treatment than people like themselves” (Class notes, Lecture 5). An example of modern prejudice ideas or bigotry can be seen within how western countries discuss people of Islamic faith.

Minority status has long since been viewed in a not-so-positive light. From the reflex many people have to lock their doors when they see a homeless person or a person of color, to stereotyping and assumptions based on institutionalized racism, to discrimination, minority status has a part to play in all of it. Similarly, many people have the idea that deaf people cannot do anything for themselves because they are “disabled”. Even though America was once hailed as a melting pot because of the diversity of its citizens, things like “you’re in America now, speak English” are said in today's America. While being defined as a minority isn’t inherently bad, it has become an excuse for some members of the majority to treat minorities as second-class citizens.

Those with disabilities have to accept their lives as being deprived of some joyful instances that may never happen. Individuals with handicaps may not be able to be active with their (or other’s) children, dream jobs may not be within grasp, memories may not be accessible while other’s take them for granted and shun those who desire that which they’ve already acquired (“People With Disabilities”). Provided, life is hard with a disability but additionally, those with handicaps must suffer isolation which is unfavorable in multiple ways. With isolation the person has no help, no support, no companionship, and feel ultimately rejected shutting them down in a social manner (“People With Disabilities”).

Ultimately, as Shapiro emphasized throughout the reading, the stereotypes that exist around the disabled population is that main perpetrator to inequity. The infantilization leads to “the paternalistic assumption that disabled people are not entitled to make their own decisions and lead the lives they chose.” Destroying the stereotypes that disabled people are incapable of living a successful, meaningful life without being the means of pity of inspiration will lead to the destruction of the systematic oppression disabled

The mainstream press today when discussing a disabled celebrity disregards many of the persons accomplishments throughout their life, but instead focuses and finds themselves becoming more and more susceptible to drawing attention to their disability alone. Charles A. Riley II enlightens the able-bodied community on many issue’s throughout his book, “Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change.” He argues that the media is inaccurately depicting the disabled community throughout the use of advertisements, but may also be unintentionally disrespecting the community as well in face-to-face contact. Riley is a professor of journalism at Baruch College, and throughout his career, has received multiple awards for his writing’s on issues relating to disability. In Charles A. Riley II excerpt from “Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change”, Riley argues for a change from the media’s perception of disabled people, as a whole, due to how they are portraying celebrities within today’s media throughout the use of ethos, logos, and pathos.

As with many things pertaining to mental health and minorities, there is substantial lack information on how Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is specifically relevant to minority populations. Often signs or symptoms of this disorder are overlooked or misdiagnosed due in part to varying emphases on the role of parent/child interactions in different cultures and ethnicities. It is known that regardless of upbringing, “an infant’s motivation and behavior are thought to be primarily instinctual and unconscious, early experiences provide the framework for what will become the unconscious mind in adulthood” (Hardy, 2007, p. 29).

In the media today, people with disabilities are perceived as tragic heroes or as medical miracles. They are rarely seen for their intelligence or for their accomplishments excluding their overcoming disability hardships. The textbook, Everything’s an Argument, contains an excerpt from Charles A. Riley II 's book “Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change.” Riley, a journalism professor at New York’s Baruch College, uses appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience that their methods of portraying disabled people are in dire need of change.

Disability has appeared frequently in recent films (Byrd & Elliot, 1988), a reflection of society’s interest in the subject. These films often misrepresent disability using stereotypes. These stereotypes reinforce negative and incorrect social perceptions of, and attitudes towards,

Sins Invalid’s essay was geared towards who falls under the minority spectrum, such as the disabled, queer, trans, people of color, the poor, etc. This essay was to “create a statement on disability justice, engaging in frequent conversations with a national network of disability justice activists and friends in movement” (4). This body of work is to make a point to enforce unity and progression on how to be equal. It does not matter who you are, what matters is that no body is left behind to be ostracized. The focus of Sins Invalid’s essay it to list and suggest what to dod in situations, and events for those are of the minority that are currently seen as an outcast. However, this essay is focused more on the disabled-body and what one can

All people who have brown hair are not alike. All people who have disabilities are not

Ethnicity is having distinctive cultural characteristics in distinction to race which people refer to biological characteristics that distinguish one group of from another. The type of roles played are people with unequal treatment and discern considered to be minority groups. The dominant groups has an advantage of power and being privilege. Progression in political power and cohesive by allocated physical and cultural traits. The dominating groups uses its position to discriminate against those with different supposedly inferior traits. How a group develops being a minorities is by one or two ways. Either through expansion of political boundaries or by cultural, same language, or belonging to the same group. Minority groups and dominant

This week’s discussion dealt with Individuals and Disabilities. Over the years, people who have a “disability" have been subjected to prejudice and more. And the first way to diminish someone is through language, by using words or labels to identify a person as "less-than," as "the others—not like us," and so forth. Once a person has been identified this way, it makes