I've noticed people using the word 'dehumanise' a lot recently. We all understand the very basic idea of it - eg calling groups of people 'cockroaches' or 'animals' which conceptually strip the group of the qualities that give them 'humanness' which then turns them into ‘legitimate targets’... But when I see people use the word 'dehumanise' a lot and THEN see them constantly dehumanise others, I'm interested in exploring it a bit.
I have experienced almost exactly this, at several levels. From benign social interactions through to EDI sessions with first year undergraduates (the Tory example is almost verbatim). If one was in a relationship with a person like this, you would regard it as emotionally abusive and run for the hills (or the next). Ta for referencing btw, have just pulled down a few of Leyen recent articles on the mind and dehumanisation! As a humble biology/stats type, one rarely gets to dip the toe outside of the field.
Hope you and the family had a most excellent Christmas, and I look forward to more of your writing in 2023!
I have experienced almost exactly this, at several levels. From benign social interactions through to EDI sessions with first year undergraduates (the Tory example is almost verbatim). If one was in a relationship with a person like this, you would regard it as emotionally abusive and run for the hills (or the next). Ta for referencing btw, have just pulled down a few of Leyen recent articles on the mind and dehumanisation! As a humble biology/stats type, one rarely gets to dip the toe outside of the field.
Hope you and the family had a most excellent Christmas, and I look forward to more of your writing in 2023!
Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, always interesting, intelligent and passionate