{"id":5915,"date":"2015-10-08T15:24:57","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T22:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=5915"},"modified":"2015-10-08T15:39:58","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T22:39:58","slug":"when-generalization-becomes-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/when-generalization-becomes-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"When Generalization Becomes Discrimination"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Picture<\/a><\/p>\n

Individuality must be taken into account before proceeding with assumption. Therefore, interaction must seek to understand the individual from a position of equality without the stress of sameness. Valentine proposed, \u201cIndividuals and groups have multiple identities, occupying positions along many separate lines of difference at the same time.\u201d[1]<\/a> When one interacts with those who differ from their belief system, gender, age, disability or lifestyle, one must approach them from the position of an unbiased ethnographic perspective. The observer must strive to understand the person, not the projection of the stereotype. This occurs, by allowing the identity of the individual to overshadow personal assumption.<\/p>\n

The author discusses the topic of gentrification and its adverse consequences on minorities, women and elderly. However, I tend to wonder if Valentine is making a vast generalization of this topic, and perpetuating discrimination based on personal bias. When one states that gentrification is mainly done through white young men, one makes a universal claim in regards to a white man\u2019s status compared to minorities and women. Is this right? Is this presumptive? Valentine stated, \u201cThe effect of gentrification (by mainly young white professionals) has been to drive up rent and property prices and to increase the incomes (mainly blue-collar workers, the elderly and ethnic minorities).\u201d[2]<\/a> This type of generalization does not serve to eradicate prejudice, but to form judgements based on a person\u2019s \u201cotherness.\u201d It is a discriminatory presumption to suggest that the color of one’s skin denotes the amount in one\u2019s bank account.<\/p>\n

To assume that minorities are the only ones being victimized by redevelopment, is to assume a racist stance. Valentine goes on to state, \u201cJust as social identities are no longer regarded as fixed categories but are understood as multiple, contested and fluid, so too space is no longer understood as having particular fixed characteristics.\u201d[3]<\/a> Relativistic principles and practices must occur when interacting with those who differ in opinion, belief or lifestyle. One must seek to see others through the scope of the individual\u2019s mores, not in light of one\u2019s own convictions. When we interact with those of a different race, gender, age or creed we must view them from an unbiased perspective, where communication is based on fact, not fictitious presumption. Equality must consider contextualization.<\/p>\n

Who is the subject of our research? What makes them stop and stand in awe? What makes them different than our data results? All these questions challenge us with the task of seeing the individual. They ask us to step away from generalized perception and seek to understand the one under the microscope. They ask us to seek out the person, not the project.<\/p>\n

Valentine guided us on an extravagant journey through diversified lives \u2013 giving us a glimpse of their souls in the hallways of prisons, homes, schools, cities and rural communities. He revealed that life outside of our perspective can differ; both in personal conviction and presentation of self. Valentine suggested that\u00a0globalization requires us to\u00a0have an interdependency on one another \u2013 a diversified patchwork of various views, nationalities, perspectives and cultures that add to the holistic story. [4]<\/a>\u00a0Whether it be in ministry, scholastic endeavors or family life; one thing is certain: God\u2019s Image is diverse and displayed in varied hues.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Gill Valentine,\u00a0Social Geographies: Space and Society<\/em>\u00a0(New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 2001), 3.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Gill Valentine,\u00a0Social Geographies: Space and Society<\/em>\u00a0(New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 2001), 96.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Gill Valentine,\u00a0Social Geographies: Space and Society<\/em>\u00a0(New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 2001), 4.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>\u00a0Gill Valentine,\u00a0Social Geographies: Space and Society<\/em>\u00a0(New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, 2001), 327.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Individuality must be taken into account before proceeding with assumption. Therefore, interaction must seek to understand the individual from a position of equality without the stress of sameness. Valentine proposed, \u201cIndividuals and groups have multiple identities, occupying positions along many separate lines of difference at the same time.\u201d[1] When one interacts with those who differ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[638],"class_list":["post-5915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-valentine","cohort-lgp6"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5915"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5932,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5915\/revisions\/5932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}