A Brief History of Devaluation
All known human cultures have noticed differences between people, have placed
value (positive or negative) on those differences, and have acted towards people
according to these differences and values.
When these differences are valued negatively and society acts negatively
towards such people, this is called societal devaluation and the people
concerned have been societally devalued.
Throughout history there have been many instances of such devaluations, and
many examples of responses to such devalued states.
Many of these responses have acted negatively on the devalued person.
Some responses have acted positively and sought to assist the person and
society to rescue them from such a devalued state.
The most comprehensive description of such a process of devaluation and the
potential for reversing the process is known as Social Role Valorization,
described and developed by Wolf Wolfensberger.
Devaluation can be said to have occurred when a person is systematically
poorly treated by society (or powerful groups in a society) for reasons based on
the negative valuation of the person or of the group that the person is seen to
belong to.
ADD WOLFENSBERGER'S FORMULATION
