Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Categorism.com
Jump to: navigation, search
(Foci of categorism)
 
(56 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Categorism is "[[Facets of categorism|prejudice, bigotry and discrimination]], [[Foci and abstractions of categorism|based on a categorization of human beings]]".'''  
+
'''Categorism is "[[Expressions of categorism|prejudice, bigotry and discrimination]] [[levels of context and hegemony|at any level]], [[Foci|based on a categorization of people]]".'''  
  
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 [[Categorism As a Dirty Weapon|a dirty weapon]]. For example, it is simply a reasonable categorization to claim that some people can be considered "men" while others can be considered "women". It stops being reasonable when the claim expands to insinuating that [[supremacism|women are inferior to men]], that [[stigmatization|women are dirty]], that [[demonization|men are evil]] or that [[monolithization|everyone who is of a certain gender think and feel in a certain way]].
+
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]]).
  
[[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 [[the concept of categorism|concept]] in its own right, categorism is also a [[the conceptual framework of categorism|conceptual framework]] that contain many concepts of these three kinds. It also operates on at least six different [[levels of categorism|levels]].
+
==[[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 [[stigmatization|stigmatizing]] people or by [[exploitation|exploiting]] them.
  
Any comprehensive struggle for [[universal human rights]] is a struggle against ''all'' categorism. Not merely against some specific facet or focus of it. Any [[valid struggle against categorism]] is a struggle for universal human rights. Never to use a person's rights/dignity/freedom/needs as an excuse to deny that person, or someone else, their rights/dignity/freedom/needs. The goal is to liberate people and minds, not to move them from one cage to another.
+
==[[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 [[oppression|oppressed]].
  
This wiki explores...
+
==[[Foci of categorism]]==
* Various [[facets of categorism]], ranging from the three [[archetypical facets]] of [[prejudice]], [[bigotry]] and [[discrimination]] to more specific facets such as [[marginalization]], [[stigmatization]] and [[monolithization]].
+
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).
* Various [[foci of categorism]], ranging from widely know ones such as [[racism]], [[sexism]] and [[homophobia]] to more obscure ones like [[gingerism]] and [[witchparanoia]].  
+
* Various [[abstractions of categorism]], such as "[[no true scotsman fallacy]]" and "[[guilt by association]]".
+
 
+
...as well as various [[examples]], [[related concepts]] and [[recommended reading]]. [[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 is available for download from [https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/36798 the university's server].
+

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).