Minority Group Deviance

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For centuries society has constructed social norms and built expectations for its members to follow. When members of the community fail to adhere or simply are unable to conform, they are then singled out and identified as a minority. An individual could be female, Indigenous, Jewish or have a disability, it is from these characteristics that this person will be known as a minority. People whom suffer a mental illness unfortunately are not immune to this type of treatment, and perhaps have arguably suffered the worst (Overton and Median, 2008). Cocks and Allen, 1996 have detailed that over time both language, knowledge and power enable ‘normal’ members of society to devalue minority groups, labelling these people as the ‘others’. This essay …show more content…
This deviance is common when we discuss minority groups, as they would often find themselves outside of these social parameters, creating a stigma around those who don’t seem to fit. The way in which society isolates minority groups today has an historical origin, Overton and Median, 2008 discuss that stigma associated with mental illness involves feelings, attitudes and behaviours and in casting them aside not only disempowers people who have intellectual disabilities it also devalues them throughout society. This devalued role that minority groups are afforded in most scenarios often leads towards less employment opportunities, low quality housing and barriers accessing services which is largely driven by power knowledge and language (Overton and Median, 2008). The power to isolate people with mental illness starts the devaluing process and ends with the term ‘other’. Assigning the term ‘other’ with people who are intellectually disabled labels them to be sub human or rather objects creating the difference between them and the people without intellectual disability (Cocks & Allen, …show more content…
It is through this language that the majority label minority groups as ‘others’. This labelling assists the majority of society to feel more secure and at ease with their thoughts towards people whom they fear. This fear was cemented subconsciously through architectural settings, as both mental institutions and prisons take on similar constructions both with observation wings and towers to monitor people. The similarity between prison and mental institutions created such a connection that Cocks and Allen, 1996 state that people whom are confined to mental health institutions are likened with those who are criminals. In Western Australia in 1837 criminal of madness you were confined to the same place. (291) As society became more knowledgeable and powerful over time they too had the ability to change stereotypes, instead Cocks and Allen, 1996 explain that society did not improve over time as indeed they should, instead a different idea about disability simply replaced what was previously thought of marginalised minority
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