In
the United States, being white is considered the dominant culture, as Caucasians
make up over half of the population.
“Groups that have the most power (whites, men, heterosexuals)
consciously or unconsciously formulate a communication system that supports
their perception of the world.
This means that co-cultural group members (ethnic minorities, women,
gays) must function in communication systems that often do not represent their experiences”
(Martin & Nakayama, 2013, p. 241). The non-dominant culture, or the
co-cultural group, often faces discrimination through the use of labels and
verbal and nonverbal relational messages due to their social positions or other
dominant features or identities.
The use of labels often results in stereotyping a specific group of
people. “One of the problems with identifying cultural variations in nonverbal
codes is that it is tempting to overgeneralize these variations and stereotype
people” (Martin & Nakayama, 2013, p. 290). Once a stereotype is uttered, it is hard to shake that
stereotype from your perceptions.
Stereotyping places people in a specific group, and once labeled, it is
hard to imagine them as anything else.
In
January Madonna posted a photograph of her son boxing on Instagram. The photograph was not the problem, but
the caption was, as it contained offensive words including the use of the
N-word. Madonna explained that she
did not mean for it to be a racial slur, but a term of endearment toward her
white son (US Magazine, 2014). She
took the photograph down and uploaded it again with a new caption that
contained foul language (CNN, 2014).
After the incident Madonna released a statement of apology. She stated, “I am sorry if I offended
anyone with the use of the N-word on Instagram. It was not meant as a racial
slur. I am not racist. There is no way to defend the use of the word. It was
all about intention, it was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is
white. I appreciate that it’s a provocative word and I apologize if it gave
people the wrong impression. Forgive me” (CNN, 2014, para. 7). Many people had a hard time letting go
of what Madonna said, because she has had issues with her Instagram since the
beginning of January when she documented a picture of her children on vacation
drinking underage (USA Today, 2014).
This raised a lot of controversy amongst her fans and caused them to
question her morals.
 |
| The photograph that was posted on Instagram |
 |
| Madonna and her son |
This
example is connected to co-cultural theory and the power of labels. Labels can be used to describe ourselves,
and those around us. The use of
labels is present between dominant and non-dominant groups and they are
utilized both positively and negatively to make sense of the world. This sense-making process allows us to
discover who we are and to what culture we belong. According to Martin & Nakayama in 2013, “discourse is
tied closely to social structure, so the messages communicated through the use
of labels depend greatly on the social position of the speaker” (p. 246). Labels and messages may not be as
hurtful if they are stated by close acquaintances. When hurtful labels are exchanged between strangers, the
non-dominant group may feel discriminated against, decreasing the likelihood of
positive future relations. It is important
to be aware of social positions in terms of language and intercultural communication. Power
can have a huge impact on how affective labels are. If a speaker in a position of power utters harsh labels and
stereotypes about a group, more listeners are likely to hear, which has the
potential to lead to an alteration of opinions of that specific group. Everyone interprets labels differently,
so it would be in our best interest not to use them at all.
The concept of dominant and co-cultural groups is important
to understand. As being a member
of the dominant group in the United States, Caucasian, I often overlook the use
of labels and how they may affect the co-cultural group that is present in the
United States. It is important to
consider how they may feel, as they are already the non-dominant group present,
and this alone may make it difficult for them to feel a sense of belonging. Although the use of labels may never
disappear, they can be reduced to create collaboration between dominant and
non-dominant groups.
CNN. (2014,
January 18). Madonna: ‘N-word’ hashtag
was ‘term of endearment’ to son, not racial slur. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/18/showbiz/madonna-n-word-apology/
Martin, J.N.,
& Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural
communication in contexts (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
USA Today.
(2014, January 18). Madonna apologizes
for racial slur on Instagram. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/01/18/madonna-instagram-slur/4636491/
US Magazine. (2014,
January 18). Madonna apologizes for using
racial slur in Instagram post of son Rocco: “Forgive me,” says star.
Retrieved from http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-posts-instagram-update-with-n-word-see-the-picture-2014181
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteYou explain the core concepts of chapters 6 and 7 really clearly. You were very thorough and articulate! You bring up an important point when you acknowledge that as a white person, part of the dominant group, it is easy to overlook the significance of labels to members of the non-dominant group. But because we are members of the dominant group, it becomes our responsibility to help advocate for those whose voices are not legitimized by our society.
Hannah, This is a perfect example of how the dominant culture can use labels without much thought and can hurt the minority group. Madonna lost credibility and was shown in a unflattering light. Even though she meant it as a term of "endearment" she insulted a group of people by making light of an awful and brutal history. I wonder if celebrities lose a lot of fans or actually make more fans by being controversial and stirring the pot in this way.
ReplyDeleteGood work! I really enjoyed reading your blog. Sometimes people want to attract attention to themselves. Madonna is one of those individuals who wants to create a stir so people talk about her. In a strange way, she does this to sell more records and stay relevant. She has always labeled groups or individuals to set her own agenda. She is no different than a lot of people in Hollywood or in the political arena.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post!
ReplyDelete