About this Project

This project is about how dignity is undermined and promoted in our culture. Each post contains a picture, followed by a text explaning if this picture represents undermining or promoting dignity in our culture.

Undermining Dignity: Size

In our culture, there are two sizes that people dislike; short and overweight. The top picture represents the short compared to a tall man, and the bottom represents the overweight because McDonalds is a main cause of obesity.

Short- When somebody is short, people use name calling, like 'midget,' and bully them because they look weak. It undermines their dignity because they feel like they're all weaklings and they're different from the rest.

Overweight- Overweight people are usually laughed at because people think they are unhealthy, eat a lot of junk food, and are inactive. People call them names and exclude them in sports, thinking that because of their size, they are no good. It undermines their dignity by making them feel like they're no good at any physical activity and that they are different.

Undermining Dignity: Failure

When we fail, our dignity becomes undermined, because we believe that we did not live up to our expectations and that we cannot achieve anything. An example of this is when a student recieves a bad mark for a test. Thinking that he has 'failed' in some way, he will become parinoid on what he may get for the next test and also feel like he is not good at any test. This is a picture of a test with an F (fail) on it, to show a way we can fail. There are also other ways you can fail, like if you fail to keep a promise or a secret.

Promoting Dignity: Giving

When a person recieves a present, their dignity is promoted because he or she knows that there is someone out there that cares about them and are kind enough to give them something. They feel like they are loved. But, it doesn't always have to be a present that is given. It could be the gift of knowledge. If a person were to teach another person something, the person learning will feel happy and cared for that the teaching person would share his knowledge with him or her. No matter the form of gift, the reciever will have their dignity promoted.

Promoting Dignity: Hand Gestures

Hand gestures are easy ways to promote someone's dignity. Positive gestures with the hand towards others is the same way if you were to verbally compliment a person. Like a compliment, people feel good and that somebody appreciates them when a hand gesture is flashed towards them. Sometimes, hand gestures are easier to interpret than words because words can be said wrong. The picture above is a high- five, a way of saying, 'that was awesome! You deserve credit!' The thumbs- up below is a way of saying, 'good job!' Other forms of hand gestures can be applause or a pat on the back.

Undermining Dignity: Income

Like size, there are two types of people disliked because of their income; the poor and the rich. The beggar represents the poor, and the mansion represents the rich.

Poor- Most people think that all poor people were all alcoholics and drug addicts who spent all their money on drinks or drugs. But, it could have been that they were unfortunate enought to have a financial crisis. Also, people think that they are very dirty and extremely helpless. People like to laugh at the poor and pull pranks on them. Yet, all of this is could just be a misunderstanding. This topic is related to stereotypes.

Rich- Rich people are thought as lazy (because they would have servants), they're bossy, they get everything they want, and take everything for granted. People like to call rich people offensive names.

The rich and poor's dignity is undermined just because of the difference of income. They feel like they don't belong, and upset that everyone hates them. It could be that the 'average' person thinks that they are superior over the poor or jealous of the rich.

Undermining Dignity: Exclusion

Exclusion is when a certain person or thing is unaccepted by a group. It happens very often in school; when a student wishes to join a game, sometimes the students already playing may exclude the student from the game just because they dislike the student. When someone is excluded, they feel like they are abnormal, they don't fit in, and humiliated that he or she is not accepted. Therefore, exclusion undermines dignity.

Undermining Dignity: Physical Appearance

Most people have their dignity undermined because of comments of their physical appearance. This is because people are usually judged by their 'cover.' For a quick examination, society declares who you are from the outside, not the inside. Even if you have good personal qualities, good a school and sports, people may treat you bad if you dress or look bad. That is why when somebody has a bad haircut, or is forced to wear unfashionable clothing, they are afraid to go out into public, or in other words, afraid to be judged. In this picture, the boy is sad because of a haircut gone wrong. He is sad because he now has a horrible physical appearance. If people were to laugh at him, he would feel humiliated, depressed, and angry at the criticizers.

Undermining Dignity: Embarrassment

Embarrassment is when you feel shameful or humiliated in public. Nobody likes the feeling when they are embarrrassed because the people around would laugh or think negative thoughts about you. That undermines people's dignity because they feel like they are just a joke to society and they feel shameful and upset. In this picture, a rugby player is pantsed by another player, and sadly, it was caught on camera which is even more embarrassing because people will remember the moment and keep bothering you about it. It is related to bullying. In many forms of bullying, the bully talks or shows embarrassing moments about the victim and then the victim would feel bad and their dignity would be undermined.

Undermining Dignity: Racial Discrimination

Racial discrimination is the discrimination of a race unfavorable to a group or an individual. An example of this, the picture above, with a Chinese boy, probably taking a math class and writing a formula on the blackboard. People discriminate Chinese people, saying how they are 'nerds' because they take extra curricular classes like math and how serious they are about their school marks. Other examples of racial discrimination is appearance, culture, and activities. Racism offends people most because not only are they making fun of a person, but their entire race. The offended person or people's dignity becomes undermined and they feel upset, shocked, embarrassed of their race, and angry.

Undermining Dignity: Stereotypes

A stereotype is a generalized opinion on a group, individual, or things, due to first impressions and information heard. Most of the time, stereotypes are rarely true and only made to use in a joke. But, stereotypes are extremely offensive because most of them offend cultures, races, religions, etc. This is a picture of an obese man holding a plate full of fast- food. He is dressed in an American flag styled suit. This is a perfect example of a stereotype. We think that Americans are all obese or overweight because most fast- food companies originated in U.S.A.. The information is correct, but the assumption is not. Not all Americans are are overweight or obese. Although stereotypes are often untrue, they still undermine people's dignity because the objective of a stereotype is to single out a group or an individual to make fun and humiliate them. So, the person whose dignity is undermined will feel humiliated and angry.

Undermining Dignity: Bullying

This picture shows a young student getting hassled around by an older student. This is a form of physical bullying. Bullying is to treat someone in an intimidating and aggressive manner. Bullying undermines people's dignity because they feel powerless because the bully is intimidating. They also feel angry that some person or people are pushing him around and making fun of them.

Undermining Dignity: Interest

This is a picture shows an anime drawing, a Japanese cartoon. In our school, many people dislike the minority group that enjoys it. When a majority of people are interested in something different than a minority of people are interested in, then the minority group is laughed at. For example, in a school, a minority of kids are interested in anime. The majority dislikes it, so since they are overpowering the minority, they make fun of the minority interest. The minority group's dignity becomes undermined when they are laughed at because they feel different and hated by the rest.

Conclusion

Sadly, in our culture, there are more ways to undermine one's dignity than to promote it. After doing this project, I have learned most of the ways to undermine and promote someone's dignity and learn to avoid the ways to undermine someone's dignity. It is never good to undermine someone's dignity.