White Theology blogging.
In this blog I am going to confront a question that Mo raised in here presentation of the reading. The question is “Do you think that being the people that we are, coming from the society we are currently in, we need labels on everyone and everything? Do you think we would feel comfortable not classifying each piece within our lives?” Well, yes and no, but mostly I would have to say no. The only reason I can even see where labels COULD be needed (this is also quite debatable, but that could be a whole other response [response idea for someone! J]) would be for the simple fact of education. Learning about specific groups of people would be quite hard if that group hadn’t been named in the first place. We don’t have to agree with the way in which a particular group is lumped together, but enlightenment though education comes from studying the ways in which groups are oppressed and this enlightenment carried with it the realization that one does not need to group people together in terms of commonalities/race/sex/gender/sexual orientation and all other group labels that have been assigned throughout the centuries. We learn from the labels of the past that labeling is oppressive and is un-needed, but if they weren’t in place in the first place in history, would we ever learn this?
Other than the previously stated argument/observation, labels have no place in society for their existence is a way to reinforce the power structure in place (the white heterosexual gaze?) and to reassure the powerful (white heterosexual man) that he is in fact the dominant being and social force within society. If labels didn’t exist, since they have for so long, the majority of people would not know what to do with themselves and succumb to almost the state of the neurasthenic man of the early century, where nervousness about one’s status/standing/participation in civilization (normalcy?) overcomes ones overall well-being and he therefore retreats into a state of unproductive nervousness and anxiety. How can a society be productive if its citizen’s are retreating to a state in which no forward growth within civilization can occur?
To paint a simpler picture, when one hears the word labels, one thinks of cans, as in a can of soup or vegetables or some other ration that is marketed in a can. What do these labels tell you? They tell you what is in the can! Would you be able to have a cupboard full of unmarked cans and every night at dinnertime, picking a can not knowing what is inside, but you know that whatever is inside is what you are going to have for dinner? Would you want to know what is coming because there is a chance it may be something that you haven’t liked your entire life, or are you willing to excite yourself on the fact that every dinner is a surprise and you always welcome it and make the most of it? Are you really that predictable? Or what about your recipes? Would you be bitter and stop making your recipes because you cannot be sure that you are going to grab the correct unlabeled can? Would this frustrate you? Maybe you should look for a new recipe, maybe one that doesn’t require a canned item to be used.
That may or may not have worked to illustrate the controlling power of labeling, but I tried to make it simple as possible. But that anxiety of needing a can, but not knowing what can you are going to get, and having that anxiety lead you to the decision of saying “oh well, I just wont eat since I am not going to get that I want” that is the state of regression that the neurasthenic man is experiencing when he throws himself out of civilization because simply, he cant hang anymore.
This is the stress that labels cause! Why is it necessary to know everything and how one’s ranks next to a certain someone or something? This reading illustrated the supremacy that one who does the labeling is reinforcing within him. This is also very much like the “white/male gaze”, while although this “gaze” does not carry along with it certain labels to control and oppress others, it does it in a silent way. The “white male gaze” even if we don’t admit it, controls us (most of us, but I have yet to meet someone who there isn’t at least one aspect of life in which this “gaze” affects them) by instilling within us that our validation as true civilized acceptable human beings in society lies in the eyes of another. We need (or think we need) validation from others and without it true personhood is an unachievable goal. Even in the hetero husband/wife relationship one see’s themselves in the other. The teacher/student relationship (as in Ishmael!) ones enlightenment lies in another. This could be where religion comes into question. For religion is a social construction of the “gaze” and ones salvation lies in the blessing of another, even if it is just silent through a prayer. Society is loses its individuality within the “gaze” and then, in an abrupt turn, tries to regain that individuality that was lost by labeling others and attempting to regain superiority.
It would be hard for society to give up its labels of others, maybe even impossible, but with the enlightenment that education brings one can see how unnecessary and destructive labeling can really be and also see how hard it is to change the way in which people view others. There are so many queer things in society that make is such a fun and exciting environment, if you are hanging out trying to find where you fit, you are probably missing it all. Accept the queerness and move on.
This has been a hard blog to write. My mind is going faster than my fingers can type! It is hard to dissect something so concrete within society
Love, Liz
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1 comment:
Liz;
I’ve been on a quest/rant today with the blogging for this class and the other one that I’m in for Dr. Strobel. So since I’ve been writing, I wanted to take the time and respond to another classmate’s blog before Monday’s deadline. So here goes. Remember, take everything I have to say with a grain of salt.
Where do I begin? Labels, labels, labels. I hate them. I love them. They are comforting, they are endearing, they are dependable, they are good and I need those things in my life. I really do. What would happen if we didn’t use labels? Would chaos run rampant? I doubt it.
In your blog you make mention of the anxiety of not knowing a label and I agree. But for the sake of argument, why do us intelligent people (let’s just concentrate on the intelligent people in our society for the moment), hold on to things that make no sense to us? Really does it matter if I introduce you to another person as my sister, classmate, or a friend? Does it? No, the fact that you are with me and that I’m introducing you to another should imply a couple different things. First and foremost is that you have a name. Secondly, it should imply that you are an important person to me, because I’m taking the time to introduce you to another person in my life. That really should be all that there is to it. But, people want to know the who, the why, the what, and the where about any given relationship, when really, it isn’t anybody’s business.
As for labels being around for us to use as a way to oppress others, I agree. Also, I agree that we use labels to help educate others about past injustices. But the realization that we need labels in order to educate us so that we can become enlightened, so that we no longer use labels seems like an endless circle of tail chasing. It is elusive.
As I continue to write my brain, goes faster and faster (just as yours was) and I feel as if I’m no longer making any sense whatsoever. But you ended your blog with the sentiment of accepting the queerness in our society and within yourself and move on. It is like that with religion in my opinion. Because the more you try and chase it, the more elusive it too becomes and really we just need to sit and be still with it. It will reveal itself.
So I’d like to propose an exercise, for those who read this. Try going 1 week, or even 1 day without referring to people through their perspective labels. Their name will be enough of a label. Sit with the uneasiness that this causes. There is an awkwardness. If the other person asks you, “Who is that? How do you know them? Where are they from?” don’t answer them. Try avoiding the questions that will be posed to you. It will be odd, but try it.
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