Re: "Biases in A SOCIOLOGY OF THE ABSURD
sharon setzer (setzesl4@wfu.edu)
Wed, 6 Mar 1996 18:33:02 -0500 (EST)
Hello everyone! After reading Chrissy's reply to the ongoing debate
about the biases in "A Sociology of the Absurd," I came up with some
observations of my own. First of all, I think that having these terms in
the book serves as a reminder (at least to me) of how cruel society can
be in labelling others as different. By seeing this phenomenon captured
in a book, I am more conscious now of how I think about people who are
different in some way from "society." In one sense the "phrases
in question (the biased phrases in the book)" serve to eliminate historical
amnesia and keep reminding us that we don't want to think of people in
those terms.
This can prevent society from making the same mistakes twice.
(DISCLAIMER: Yes, I know this viewpoint may seem overly optimistic to
some people, but it is a possibility) In another sense, however, these
phrases can serve to feed on the predjudices of society already present and
keep racism, homophobia, and sexism alive. Unfortunatly, I believe
that feeding predjudice already present in society is the
stronger of the two.
Ok.....I'll get off of my soapbox now. Any comments?
On to accounts!
Sharon