An interesting concept arose during Thursday's class which I would like to expand upon. This is the understanding that many displays at freak shows were not all that deviant, but rather they were presented in such a distorted, dramatized fashion. This facade created by the institution led people to preconceived notions of the subjects' nature.
Such a facade likely exists in many institutions big and small. It seems as though the only reason institutions might employ the creation of a hierarchical labeling is they have a something to gain, a goal, be it want or need, be it innocently/unconsciously or on purpose, for better or for worse.
Health insurance companies use this discrimination today by excluding people with a "pre-existing condition". Obviously, if agencies had to pay for their care would lose money and perhaps even go bankrupt.
John,
ReplyDeleteYou got it. "Deviance" is created through theatrical display, not from the body being displayed itself. And of course, as you identify, these displays certainly are not limited to freak shows.