A Question of Difference

Objects differ in many aspects from one another. There are as many potential axes of difference as there are ways of describing an object- size, colour, weight, position, utility etc..

Recognising difference between objects is almost universally an activity that is seen as positive and desired. Plants are objects and are accorded object status by most belief systems.

Some objects are animals. Differing belief systems accord differing status to animals than objects. Belief systems vary in the point on the phylo-genetic scale where animals are accorded higher-level statuses.

People are objects in this world although they are also accorded further recognition as ‘persons’, by differing belief systems. This ‘personhood’ varies in its meaning from time to time and culture to culture.

Recognising difference between persons is not always seen as positive and desired.

Social Utility and Differences Between Persons

Some of these differences between persons have a ‘social utility’ enabling society to function smoothly. In Western civilization these ‘useful’ differences might include- ensuring that Universities admit people who are likely to benefit, ensuring that people receive appropriate medical input for a disease, ensuring that the strong and brave people become fire-fighters etc..

Some differences lack such social utility in Western civilization and are essentially stereotyping and as such are politically and psychologically unsound within our culture- for instance, the policy of refusing to admit African-Americans to Universities in the sixties, denying heart surgery to people with Downs Syndrome or refusing to assess women for fire-fighting roles.

Some such differences may have an uncertain position between social utility and lack of social utility within a society, and remain the subject of internal societal debate. Examples of these in current Western Societies might be: Homosexual parents, people who use or abuse of various drugs, people who break the law for moral reasons etc..

Such differences and variance in differences are socially constructed within each society and form part of the belief systems of each society.

History of Difference

Difference has been treated in many different ways in different times and cultures.

Difference in Cultures

Social Construction and Difference

This course accepts that Difference is mainly caused by Social Construction.

Wolfensberger's 'Sources of Difference'

Wolfensberger analyses difference into various classes- physical and mental, acquired and inherent etc..

Responsibility and Excusability

As noted in this table, some examples of difference are seen as not the responsibility of the individual concerned, whereas others are seen as blameworthy. The decision over which category to apply is largely socially constructed and varies from society to society.

Summary of Difference

Each society will have its own methodology of deciding on who is homogenous with that society and who is different. This is socially constructed and dependent on the deep unconscious beliefs of each society.

Some of the interpretation of difference will be deeply seated within the (unconscious) social beliefs of a society, but some of it may be entirely random.