A topic that I believe is becoming more prominent within the world is the issue of bullying. Within the Western society there are issues of bullying related to judging people on their appearance and labeling them because of the way they look. This plays into the hegemonic Western society because the norms of society emphasize a specific image. Two examples of this kind of bullying that I believe are detrimental to individuals are when women are labeled as sluts and when Muslims are labeled as terrorists. These forms of bullying based on appearance also play into victimizing these individuals, which has negative implications such as suicide or the fear of these individuals.
What is a slut? The definition of a slut has been altered and socially constructed to portray the views of the norms within society; thus making a slut a girl who dresses provocatively with intentions of receiving attention, especially from the male sex.
This picture is a meme of what people think a slut is and there were more photos. If you want to see what society labels a slut, type it into Google and look at the pictures; this is one of many. The majority of the photos were girls dressed in provocative clothing.
In high school, the phenomenon of labeling other girls as sluts has created a form of bullying known as slutbashing. Slutbashing occurs when a female is harassed for their perceived sexual behavior and is done with the intention of harming, degrading and dehumanizing the victim (Gender Studies: Gender, Race and Popular Culture: lecture slides 7). The use of the word ‘slut’ to harm individuals has negative implications on how individuals feel about themselves and can make it hard for them to have a high self-esteem. This can become a bigger problem when the slutbashing is persistent and the individual cannot escape the bullying they are facing.
I always wonder if girls label other girls ‘sluts’ because they have been labeled a ‘slut’ themselves or because they know the harmful effects it can have on an individual and they want to inflict pain on these individuals? Do these individuals think of the consequences of their actions before they persistently bully another person or is it fun for some people? Is there a possibility that slutbashing is so common in the media and television that people do not think anything of calling someone a slut? I can admit I do not know the answers to these questions but I believe that some people want to hurt other individuals but they do not fully realize the consequences and they do not realize that they are victimizing someone.
This type of bullying can cause a person to feel victimized, as if it was their fault and that they did something wrong. One example of a young girl who was victimized was Amanda Todd. She was a beautiful girl who was constantly bullied because she made on a webcam chat room with her friends and a man took a picture of her chest when she did not consent to it. Amanda was labeled a slut and was bullied at three different schools because this guy, who screen-shotted the photo, had followed her and sent this picture around her schools. She had been told to kill herself by many different people, at many different schools and after her cries for help, she killed herself. Suicide has become a popular way for teenagers to escape their problems and many teenagers feel like it is the only solution to the harassment that they are facing.
This is Amanda Todd’s story, she was bullied no matter where she went and she felt like she had no escape. This is just one of many stories about young girls who commit suicide or attempt to because they are victims of slutbashing.
This sickens me to think that people can bully other people and harm them based on actions or their looks without even realizing the negative effects it has on people. I have begun to wonder if judging a person based on the way they dress or an action they made is just one way the norms can keep their superiority? I also wonder if slutbashing has become so popular because we live in a patriarchal society?
Another example of bullying that is seen in Western society is labeling Muslims as terrorists, which has widely been influenced by their race being deemed as bad. Muslims have been judged and bullied by the world because of their race but after the attack of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, they were hated and bullied even more(Reel Bad Arabs).
Muslims in Western society have been excluded and deemed as the ‘other’ because of their race. People within the Western culture have become afraid of Muslims because of the stereotypical view that all Muslims are terrorists. This fear comes from discriminatory comments that are made from the white hegemonic people of society. The comments are usually pertaining to the outfits or appearance of Muslims and bombs and terrorism.
This is just on of the many jokes I have heard about Muslims being terrorists.
Have you ever heard any comments that relate Muslims to terrorism? Is this fair to attach the title of terrorists to all Muslims just because Huessin made a choice to hijack the planes and crash them into the World Trade Center?
These comments have a negative impact on these individuals because it makes them a target for exclusion, harassment and oppression. Islamaphobia is the irrational fear of people who are Muslim and from Islam. This concept has negative implications because people begin to disassociate themselves from Muslims and all Muslims face discrimination for no reason. This plays into the victimization of individuals that are Muslim because they are treated differently and treated as the ‘other’ for being born as a certain race and into a certain religion.
After 9/11 occurred, the airports’ security was increased and the people who were working in the airports were told to do random searches on individuals. This played into Islamaphobia because people who are Muslims were constantly being ‘randomly’ searched whenever they wanted to board the plane. People who were a different race, had long beard and who wore a turban were also searched more than people who were white because they resembled people who were Muslim. This created a negative implication for society because the stereotype was reinforced that all Muslims were terrorists, even when they were not terrorists.
This is another photo I found while looking on the internet, it plays into the stereotype that all Muslims will bomb planes because they are terrorists. Do people not realize how wrong this is?
Do you believe the governments and individuals who are part of the hegemonic society created the irrational fear that people have against Muslims? Do you think that people will ever realize the amount of obstacles and oppression that the government caused with the discriminatory actions against the Muslim community?
I think the hegemony within the Western culture plays a big part in why people are categorized by labels, because these individuals do not conform to the norms within society. I believe to stop the bullying and the labeling that is occurring, individuals must recognize who holds the power in their society and who creates the messages they listen to. Maybe when people realize this, the world may be more equal?
Resources:
Google Images
Reel Bad Arabs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kz2TJNE1V4
Gender Studies: Gender, Race and Popular Culture: lecture slides 7- Consent and Commodification
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