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'''Categorism is "[[Facets of categorism|prejudice, bigotry and discrimination]], [[Foci and abstractions of categorism|based on a categorization of human beings]]".''' Note that [[categorization]] itself is not categorism. Categorization is necessary, and usually benign. It becomes categorism only when it stops being a tool for understanding, instead turning into a [[mental prison]], a [[social prison]] or [[CategorismAsADirtyWeapon|a dirty weapon]]. 
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'''Categorism is "[[Expressions of categorism|prejudice, bigotry and discrimination]] [[levels of context and hegemony|at any level]], [[Foci|based on a categorization of people]]".'''  
  
Categorism has three aspects. These are the facets (how the categorism is done), the foci (what categorization the particular case of categorism focuses on) and the abstractions (how categorization itself becomes a case of categorism). Thus, beside being a concept in its own right, categorism is also a conceptual framework that contain these three kinds of other concepts.
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While the phenomenon here called "categorism" is more commonly known either as "[[racism]]" or as "[[bigotry]]", such a wide definition is not the most common useage of either of these two words. It is more common to use each of these two words in more speciffic/narrow sense: Racism being categorism based on categorizing people into different races or skin-colors (a [[foci of categorism]]), bigotry being categorist emotional states (an [[expression of categorism]]).
  
This wiki explores...
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==[[Expressions of categorism]]==
* Various [[facets of categorism]], ranging from the three archtype facets of [[prejudice]], [[bigotry]] and [[discrimination]] to more specific facets such as [[marginalization]], [[stigmatization]] and [[monolithization]].
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"'''[[Prejudice]]'''" refers to unjustified beliefs beyond preconceptions, "'''[[bigotry]]'''" refer to emotional states such as hate/fear/supremacism, and "'''[[discrimination]]'''" refers to actions such as mistreating innocent individuals or implementing policies which causes mistreatment of innocent individuals. [[Prejudice]], [[bigotry]] and [[discrimination]] against a category of people are the three archetypical expressions of categorism, which can be done in many different ways. For example by [[stigmatization|stigmatizing]] people or by [[exploitation|exploiting]] them.
* Various [[foci of categorism]], ranging from widely know ones such as [[racism]], [[sexism]] and [[homophobia]] to more obscure ones like [[gingerism]] and [[witchparanoia]].
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* Various [[abstractions of categorism]], such as "[[no true scotsman fallacy]]" and "[[guilt by association]]".
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...as well as various [[related concepts]]. The wiki is primarily based on the Human Rights Studies Master Thesis "[[The thesis|Categorization of Human Beings versus the Universality of Human Rights]]" by [[Xzenu Cronström Beskow]]. The thesis will soon be available for download from the university's server.
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==[[Levels of context and hegemony]]==
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When categorism is done, it is done in a social context. This context can be interaction between two or a few individuals (micro level), a biger context such as an organization (meso level) or a very big context such as a country or global subculture (macro level). In the given context, a certain form of categorism may be more or less maginalized or more or less hegemonic. When certain people are stuck in a context where categorism against them (through a category they are identified as) is widespread or even hegemonic, it can be reasonable to count these people as being [[oppression|oppressed]].
  
Categorism is closely related to, and intertwined with, [[dichotomism]] and [[narrativism]]. Dichotomism can be summed up as black and white thinking, getting stuck in dichotomies. Narrativism can be summed up as getting stuck in storytelling, viewing people as if they were mrely narative tools rather than people in their own right.
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==[[Foci of categorism]]==
 
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When people do categorism, they do it focused on a certain categorization of people. Such specific foci of categorism are commonly known by names such as '''[[Racism]]''' (when it's based on a categorization of "race", skin-color or ethnic background), '''[[Sexism]]''' (when it's based on a categorization of sex/gender) or '''[[Homophobia]]''' (when it's targeting homosexuals and to some extent other LGBTQ+ people). Note that the categorism model distinguishes between categorism and [[kyriarchy]]: Thus distinguishing between racism and [[kyriarchy#Colonialism|colonialism]] as well as distinguishing between sexism and [[kyriarchy#Patriarchy|patriarchy]]. Categorism and kyriarchy are to a large extent intertwined, but they are not the same thing: While kyriarchy is systems of social/socioeconomic power (whether unfair/oppressive or otherwise), categorism is systems of prejudice/bigotry/discrimination (which any unfair/oppressive system requires to justify and perpetuate itself).
==Development: pre-alpha==
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The development of this wiki is currently at Phase 1. This means that a lot of core concepts from [[the thesis]] are still missing from the wiki, and that there's a high chance that there are still basic structural bugs with the design of the wiki itself. If you have encountered this wiki already, please be patient. :-)
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Latest revision as of 12:30, 16 March 2021

Categorism is "prejudice, bigotry and discrimination at any level, based on a categorization of people".

While the phenomenon here called "categorism" is more commonly known either as "racism" or as "bigotry", such a wide definition is not the most common useage of either of these two words. It is more common to use each of these two words in more speciffic/narrow sense: Racism being categorism based on categorizing people into different races or skin-colors (a foci of categorism), bigotry being categorist emotional states (an expression of categorism).

Expressions of categorism

"Prejudice" refers to unjustified beliefs beyond preconceptions, "bigotry" refer to emotional states such as hate/fear/supremacism, and "discrimination" refers to actions such as mistreating innocent individuals or implementing policies which causes mistreatment of innocent individuals. Prejudice, bigotry and discrimination against a category of people are the three archetypical expressions of categorism, which can be done in many different ways. For example by stigmatizing people or by exploiting them.

Levels of context and hegemony

When categorism is done, it is done in a social context. This context can be interaction between two or a few individuals (micro level), a biger context such as an organization (meso level) or a very big context such as a country or global subculture (macro level). In the given context, a certain form of categorism may be more or less maginalized or more or less hegemonic. When certain people are stuck in a context where categorism against them (through a category they are identified as) is widespread or even hegemonic, it can be reasonable to count these people as being oppressed.

Foci of categorism

When people do categorism, they do it focused on a certain categorization of people. Such specific foci of categorism are commonly known by names such as Racism (when it's based on a categorization of "race", skin-color or ethnic background), Sexism (when it's based on a categorization of sex/gender) or Homophobia (when it's targeting homosexuals and to some extent other LGBTQ+ people). Note that the categorism model distinguishes between categorism and kyriarchy: Thus distinguishing between racism and colonialism as well as distinguishing between sexism and patriarchy. Categorism and kyriarchy are to a large extent intertwined, but they are not the same thing: While kyriarchy is systems of social/socioeconomic power (whether unfair/oppressive or otherwise), categorism is systems of prejudice/bigotry/discrimination (which any unfair/oppressive system requires to justify and perpetuate itself).