“Community” as a Reference for American Minority Groups: A Theory of Unintended Negative Consequences - Open Journal of Social Sciences

JSS > Vol.5 No.6, June 2017

“Community” as a Reference for American Minority Groups: A Theory of Unintended Negative Consequences ()

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DOI: 10.4236/jss.2017.56020 1,410 Downloads 3,704 Views Citations

Author(s)

Lisa Fisher

Affiliation(s)

College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, USA.

ABSTRACT

The phrase “the _____ community” is commonly used in naming minority groups in the US, for example, the African American community or the Muslim community. The phrase carries some benefits in terms of voice, sentiment, solidarity and empowerment, and it is widely accepted as a respectful reference. However, I argue that its use and meaning also carry unintended negative social psychological implications for how some minority group members may view themselves within the larger society and how some non-minority group members may view persons who identify as members of minority groups. In this paper, I examine the meaning and entailments of the word “community” as a convention of naming. I argue that negative implications stem from ubiquitous discursive emphasis on in-group sameness and groupness, which are rooted in historical practices of distillation and homogenization of diverse groups and demonstrate and invite perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices, reinforce insider/outsider divides, and detract from personhood and social integration.

KEYWORDS

Community, American Minority Groups, Homogenization, Social Psychology

Share and Cite:

Fisher, L. (2017) “Community” as a Reference for American Minority Groups: A Theory of Unintended Negative Consequences. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5, 224-237. doi: 10.4236/jss.2017.56020.

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