In a present-and arguably peretual- state of alienation and divisiveness, how are we to escape scrutiny from marked appearances?
Mar 5, 2017
Liberation through Diversity
In her essay, Deborah Tannen claims that "there is no unmarked woman." Every bit of a woman, from her "decisions about hair, clothing, makeup, and accessories," is under scrutiny; men, on the other hand, have the luxury of choosing between marked and unmarked styles. While biological and linguistic bases for being marked exist, it is established social norms that truly cultivate stigmas against marked styles. The solution, I would argue, is exposure to and acceptance of diversity where everyone is marked in an individual sense and being unconventional is the new established norm. Is it possible? Perhaps not (not anytime soon anyway).
Alienation based on physical differences is not foreign to the history of the world, not even in the recent past. In 2011, France instituted a ban on the burqa. a veil worn by an estimated 2,000 women out of the 5 million Muslims in France. This ban, controlled by the angry and fearful rhetoric of a misunderstanding minority, legally and socially marked the burqa. In 2016, Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed a similar ban in Germany- this was done to alleviate the criticisms of the more conservative and anti-immigrant elements against the open-door-policies benefiting refugees. In essence, the political maneuvering came at the expense of personal freedom, yet again, legally and socially establishing a social norm.
In a present-and arguably peretual- state of alienation and divisiveness, how are we to escape scrutiny from marked appearances?
In a present-and arguably peretual- state of alienation and divisiveness, how are we to escape scrutiny from marked appearances?
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ReplyDeleteMichael, this was a great piece!! I think we wrote somewhat similar things. I love your point on how everyone is marked in an individual sense. I especially like your ending question, it really makes you think. Nice work!!
ReplyDeleteMichael this is a really good point of view. I strongly agree with your solution to this problem of being "marked," especially the fact that in my opinion the world is very slowly starting to embrace diversity and unconventionality. I also liked the example that you gave with France and its ban. Great post and keep up the high quality writing!
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, I like your references to these different countries and their bans. It helps connect your ideas with historical events making your argument stronger.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you kept Tannen's point in mind but created your own solution by encouraging people to be marked and encourage marking. I think that, that would work if we could accept our differences in appearance.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how you came up with a similar idea as what I wrote. I liked how you were able to connect this very old writing to a recent events, proving that it is still a strong issue in our society
ReplyDeleteInteresting Post! I liked how you tied the piece into more modern day events and occurrences. The point of view shared and the ideas about the costs to personal freedom are lots of things to think about.
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