Dir. Kenner, R. Prod. Kenner, R. Pearlstein, E. Food Inc. Magnolia Pictures, 2009.
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The Emotional Effects of Social Exclusion
(Originally from 2010)
Social exclusion is preventing individuals from participation in social activities or an individual feeling removed from social relationships with peers or members of their community. Social exclusion is more complicated than just simply being alone. It is extremely complex. Humans need to feel as if they belong. As human beings, one of our most basic desires is to have strong, lasting social bonds with others. ( Dewall & Baumeister, 2006). When this need is not met, there can be serious problems in the way that we function. Evidence shows that social exclusion can have lasting adverse emotional effects. It can affect a person physically, psychologically, and cognitively. ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002). These effects can be felt at anytime throughout the span of a person’s life. Most cases starting in early childhood.
With this strong need of belonging for our own physical and mental health , from a psychological perspective, we would think that people, when faced with the problem of social exclusion, would show adaptive responses to gain inclusion in society. However, this does not appear to be the case. Usually, social Exclusion leads to behaviors that further alienate those who suffer from it and diminish the chances of gaining acceptance in the future.( Dewall, & Baumeister, 2006).
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The Effects of Social Isolation in Childhood
Children develop critical interpersonal relationship skills through peer interaction. ( Rubin & Mills, 1988). Children in a child’s peer group serve as models of socially appropriate behavior. Childhood peer relationship difficulties serve as a reflection of adjustments problems and may also be a predictor of later psychological maladjustment.( Rubin, & Mills, 1988). A number of antisocial behaviors, dropping out of school and poor mental health can all be related to aggression and rejection by peers in a person’s childhood.( Rubin & Mills, 1988). Rubin & Mills describe two forms of behavioral solitude: passive isolation and active isolation. Passive isolation involves internalizing problems. It could include quiet, constructive, exploratory behavior. Active isolation is characterized by externalizing problems. This includes immature and rambunctious behavior. These forms are normal in early childhood, but if continued to the later stage of childhood, could lead to social isolation. Continued passive isolation can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and depression. While aggression, hostility, and disruptiveness are the results of continued active isolation.
On average, these forms of isolation should resolve before late childhood ( about age ten ). If these continue past late childhood, this could be a predictor that the child will continue to be social withdrawn. There is a positive relationship between early passive withdrawal and nonclinical depression. That helps support the view that children that do not receive positive reinforcement from there peers, may develop feelings of depression.( Rubin, et al., 1988).
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Solitude & Exclusion Leads to Anxiety, Socially Helpless Behavior
Peer exclusion is a form of behavioral rejection. It includes leaving a child out of group activities, not allowing a child to participate in an activity if they attempt to join, or simply ignoring the child altogether. ( Gazelle, & Druhen, 2009). For social interaction to be effective, one must have the ability to respond appropriately to social setbacks.( Gazelle, & Druhen, 2009). Once a child has been excluded by its peers, they become extremely reluctant to attempt subsequent social interactions. They always have a fear of rejection. This anxiety inhibits them from forming new relationships. Peer exclusion has rendered them socially helpless. Social helplessness is a person not believing they make an impact in social events. When a person feels this way they will not take initiative in social situations and will easily give up when faced with a social challenge. ( Gazelle, & Druhen, 2009). Children are more likely to show helplessness in a social challenge if they have experienced peer exclusion.( Gazelle, et al., 2009).
Anxious solitary children have trouble initiating interaction and develop affective responses to social challenges. They often watch peers interacting without joining, display problems with verbal communication with familiar peers, and feel themselves wanting to interact with peers but do not because they have constant worries about how they should act or the other people’s opinions of them. ( Gazelle, et al., 2009). Anxious solitary children are also especially sensitive to rejection. Anxious expectation of rejection will lead to withdrawal. ( Gazelle, et al., 2009). Due to low social self-efficacy, the child will not attempt to make successful social interactions that would help dismiss these believes.( Gazelle, et al., 2009).
There is a link between emotion regulation and anxiety. Emotion regulation is the body’s management of emotions. In the case of solitary excluded children, more internal resources are used to cope with behavioral rejection over a longer period of time than others. This includes higher cardiac vagal tones and increased heart rate. ( Gazelle, et al., 2009).
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All of these negative effects can cause long lasting, sometimes permanent problems on a person’s emotional and physical health. Gazelle and Druhen say, “Once heightened emotional and behavioral responses to behavioral rejection are present these responses likely serve to maintain social and emotional difficulties. These children carry past experiences into new situations, approach social encounters with caution, and are especially reactive to the reception they receive. ( Gazelle, al et., 2009).
Altered Cognition
Human beings have to have higher levels of intelligence than other animals to survive. We use our critical thinking skills to solve problems, avoid danger, and to use the resources that surround us to live. Over time, humans have learned to rely on others. Sharing resources and information, to meet some of these needs and take the burden off of each individual having to provide all the tools necessary for survival.( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002). Some would think, that not being in a group, there would be a higher need for intelligence to get by on your own. But some evidence shows that this might be the exact opposite of the truth. There is evidence that shows a link between social belongingness and intelligent thought. ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002). Other than bodily harm, social exclusion is almost the only source of anxiety and high levels of emotional distress can be found among the ostracized. ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002).
There are countless other ways in which social exclusion can affect cognition. Increases in aggressive behavior and self-defeating behavior, and higher crime rates. There is a disproportionately high rate of children of single parents found in prison. Single men commit more crimes than married men. Rejected children are more aggressive than accepted, or popular children. ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002). There are three major hypotheses as to why social exclusion may have an impact on the cognitive functioning of a person. They are increases in arousal causing the facilitation of complex task to be impaired. ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002). The preoccupation of the self-regulation system attempting to cushion emotional reactions to the threat of social exclusion, making them less available for cognitive processes ( Baumeister, Twenge, & Nuss, 2002)., and lastly, the final theory is that people constantly thinking about being socially excluded distracts them from processing incoming information and reduces their attention to other task, impairing the performance of cognitive task. Baumeister, Twenge, and Nuss say the best way to explain this is, “social exclusion constitutes a threatening, aversive event but that people strive to suppress their emotional distress, and the resulting drain on their executive function impairs their controlled processes.”
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Altered Pain Threshold, Pain Tolerance, and Empathy
Social exclusion can cause serious problems with a person’s physical and psychological well-being. There is plenty of evidence to help support this. From the higher rates of physical as well as mental illnesses among people who live alone compared to those who have people around them. ( Dewall, Baumeister, 2006).
There have been a number laboratory studies that have shown that people respond to social exclusion in a sort of detached and emotionally indifferent manner. Why is this the case? When reacting to certain interpersonal events, such as something like social rejection, the human body’s pain response system is activated. This activation during this time has the potential to change how the body registers physical and emotional pain. ( Dewall, Baumeister, 2006). When someone is injured, the body goes through processes to prevent the person from feeling long lasting physical pain. Since it is believed that the body uses the same systems to respond to emotional or interpersonal pain or injury as it does to respond to physical injuries, then it might be safe to assume that after experiencing emotional pain, the body may become less sensitive to emotion for protection. Studies show that people who have suffered from social rejection show abnormalities in emotional reaction to current events as well as their forecast of emotional response to future events. They also lose their empathy for someone else who has suffered rejection and the physical suffering of another person. ( Dewall, Baumeister, 2006).
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Conclusion
Social exclusion is a person being or feeling like they are being prevented from participation in society. It is not just a person being alone. It is extremely complex. For those who have suffered through a form of social exclusion or rejection, the results can be very problematic. Social exclusion can cause a number of negative effects on a person’s emotional health. It can affect a person’s physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning.
People usually start feeling the effects of social exclusion in their childhood and most never adapt to become more socially acceptable. It usually causes them to further remove themselves with undesirable behavior. Once a person has experienced social rejection, it causes them to socially withdraw themselves which lessens their opportunities for positive social interactions which keeps them apprehensive for a lifetime. It causes anxiety and emotional distress. It changes the way the body reacts to emotional stimuli as well. They have higher threshold for pain and also become less empathetic to others’ feelings. Most of the effects are lifelong and can lead to serious mental health issues. People who have suffered from social exclusion are at a high risk for developing disorders such as depression. There seems to be little help for these people unless they engage in more social interactions to experience positive social situations.
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References
Baumeister, R. F., Twenge, & J. M., Nuss, C. K., (2002). Effects of social exclusion on cognitive processes: Anticipated aloneness reduces intelligent thought. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 817-827. Doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.83.4.817
Dewall, C. N., & Baumeister, R. F., (2006). Alone but feeling no pain: Effects of social exclusion on physical pain tolerance and pain threshold, affective forecasting,, and interpersonal empathy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 1-15. Doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.1.1
Dewall, C. N., Maner, J. K.,& Rouby, D. A., (2009). Social exclusion and early-stage interpersonal perception: Selective attention to signs of acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 729-71. Doi: 10.1037/a0014634
Gazelle, H., & Druhen, M. J., (2009). Anxious solitude and peer exclusion predict helplessness, upset affect, and vagal regulation in response to behavioral rejection by a friend. Developmental Psychology, 45, 1077-1096. Doi: 10.1037/a0016165
Rubin, K. H., & Mills, R. S., (1988). The many faces of social isolation in childhood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 916-924. Doi:10.1037/0022-006X.56.6.916
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Crash: Privilege & Difference in America Exposed
(Originally from 2010)
Privilege, Power, and Difference is a book that addresses a myriad of controversial issues such as racism, discrimination, and oppression which are very much still alive in today’s society. It explores the reasons why there are different social classes. It looks at how we perpetuate all of this and what we need to do to put an end to it once and for all ( Johnson, 2006). The movie Crash ties in really well with the book because it touches on many of the same themes that are in Privilege, Power, and Difference. Both focus on racism, discrimination, oppression, and social classism as well.
In the book, the author explains there is a major problem in America: difference. Most of this has to do with capitalism. White men have built America on the backs Africans and other indigenous peoples and on the notion that they were superior to everyone else. They created race to differentiate themselves from others. They have built themselves up by breaking everyone else down. They have created two different types of people: the privileged and the oppressed.( Johnson, 2006).
Now that America has done away with slavery, the difference is still here. There is still the privileged and the oppressed. Privilege is in the hands of the white, upper-class, heterosexual, able bodied males. Everyone who does not fall under this category is under some form of oppression. Women, the disabled, homosexuals, lower class, and minority groups such as African Americans. Now when it is said those who do not fall under the category of white, upper-class, heterosexual, able bodied males are under “some” form of oppression, it means there is a paradox to privilege. One can be privileged and oppressed at the same time. Such as a white woman or a black male. The former has the advantages of being white but the disadvantages of being female. The latter is privileged by being male but also at a disadvantage by being black.( Johnson, 2006).
Privilege and difference are very complex issues. They have been around for centuries. They are very touchy and often times are not addressed because they cause so much tension. People with privilege diffuse their responsibilities in a number of ways. In order to put an end to these problems, we have to take ownership of these issue, acknowledge our part in this, and speak about it. ( Johnson, 2006).
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The movie, Crash, is about race relations in the city of Los Angeles. The issue of privilege and difference are prevalent. There was a wide array of characters and the stories of interactions with one another. There was an extremely racist, white policeman and his partner. The racist white policeman has a sick father. He is trying to get him help and calls his father’s health insurance company. A black woman is the case manager and he degrades her with remarks full of racial and gender discrimination.
An African American couple. They are pulled over by the racist cop and his partner for perfoming oral sex in their car. The wife mouths off and then the policeman administers an inappropriate pat down on her. Her husband can not say anything for fear he might be arrested. An African American detective. Two African American lower- class men who have been reduced to robbery. A Persian convenience store owner and his daughter. There was a Mexican handyman and his wife and daughter. The handyman was working on the door of the Persian man’s shop. The Persian wrongfully accuses him of trying to rip him off. . A wealthy district attorney and his wife. They are carjacked by the two robbers. This all contributes to the claims made in Privilege, Power, and Difference.
This book was incredible to me. It was eye- opening and I really appreciated its honesty. The ideas explore in Privilege, Power, and Difference were easy for me to relate to. I feel like I encounter any one of these situations on a day- to -day bases. I t was very relevant in everyday life in my opinion.
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I found it quite shocking at how much difference affects us still today. Difference is still a powerful tool in perpetuating privilege and oppression in society. Even though it seems that we have come so far in race relations and tolerance of other social issues that were once much more problematic. Its not where it should be by any means. This book made me realize how much further we truly have to go. This book also taught me that individualism really does not exist. Everyone is apart of a larger group and is making this system work by participating in society. Therefore, not only are the privileged at fault, but the oppressed as well. Everyone is responsible.
Another important thing that I learned from this book and found quite interesting was the role of capitalism in privilege, power, and difference. After reading this book, I now believe that capitalism is a very evil economic system and is the main reason for all of the suffer in the world today. Capitalism inspires greed and competition to live in the hearts of all. It divides us. It puts money over community. It drives us to seek financial prosperity on the backs of others. I believe there can be no changes in the way things are now unless we get rid of the capitalistic economy in place. Otherwise there will always be this divide.
The movie Crash are the issues of the book Privilege, Power, and Difference come to life. We can see connections right away. The film begins with a scene of a car crash between two women of different races. They shout overt racist remarks at each other. Showing us that there are certain stereotypes and prejudice that everyone holds against people of different races that they might not always show outwardly, but sometimes come out in certain situations. When the Persian store owner and his daughter are trying to buy a gun, the clerk assumed they were Arabs and made comments about them being terrorist. The problem still exists and everyone is a part of the problem.( Johnson, 2006).
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Ludacris and Larenz Tate’s roles as the robbers are an example of how some people have certain opportunities that come with being privileged while others do not. Some people have advantages in this type of society. They have the plight of being African Americans. They might not be able to find jobs as easily as their white counterparts. They were not allotted some of the advantages and are now economically oppressed. They are in the lower class. To relieve themselves from some of the economic oppression, they must rob others. When the two cross paths with the district attorney and his wife, they steal their car. Sandra Bullock, who plays the wife of the district attorney, was afraid of the two men immediately after she saw them because they were black and what she thought she knew about black men. She had a bad feeling about what was happening and was thinking about using one of the exclusion mechanisms used in Privilege, Power, and Difference. In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Johnson says, “Of all human needs, few are as powerful as the need to be seen, included, and accepted by other people. This is why being shunned or banished is among the most painful punishments to endure, a social death. It’s not surprising, then, that inclusion and acceptance are key aspects of privilege. To see how, consider all the choices people can make that affect whether other people feel welcome and valued or like outsiders who don’t belong.” Then he goes on to list avoiding someone walking down the street and crossing the street in order to not cross paths with them.( Johnson 55-56). The district attorney does not want the robbery to get much publicity because he fears it will hurt his campaign in an upcoming election because the men who robbed him were African American and could lose him votes with the African Americans. In doing this he is taking the path of least resistance because he is scared of losing his privilege. Johnson, 2006).
Another important theme in the book is this idea of the paradox of privilege. In the book, Johnson says, “ There is more than one set of categories, which means a person can belong to the privileged category in one set and an unprivileged category in another.”, and, “ Categories that define privilege exist all at once and in relation to one another.” ( Johnson 49-50). One of the best examples of the paradox of privilege in the movie can be seen through Terrance Howard’s character. In Crash, Terrance Howard portrays a wealthy, African American television and movie director. He has achieved success through his hard work. He might have thought that since he had made it into the upper class, he would have equivalent privileges to the white man. He is still harassed by the police because he is black. He is harassed by his wife and accused of trying to be white. Even with all the success that he has acquired, he was still a black man, and that meant could not be the same as them and will always have that as a disadvantage.
The movie Crash show us a myriad of examples of the themes expressed in the book Privilege, Power, and Difference. They both focus on race relations, prejudice, oppression, and a number of other components of the framework of society. They complement each other well.
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Bibliography
Johnson, A. Privilege, Power, and Difference. Boston, MA.: McGraw- Hill, 2006.
Dir. Haggis, J. Prod. Haggis, J. Crash. Lions Gate Films, 2004.
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Poems
33
The Good Thing about Rejection
Rejection is a good thing,
it strengthens,
leaves you resilient
34
The Bad Thing about Rejection
Rejection is no fun,
it hurts,
leaves you broken-hearted
35
Success
Did it anyway
36
Stubborn be Winning
I knew I was right
37
Moving Day
they kicked me out a month ago
I never moved my furniture
and now my ass is sittin'
on that couch that’s by the door
My forks are in the kitchen
My clothes are in the laundry room
I have no funds to relocate
I smoke all day to elevate,
my mood up to the ceiling
I drink all night to alleviate
this pain that I been feelin'
Anguish it won’t leave me ‘lone
then I wouldn’t live this way
Strife is gonna kill me,
kill me til I’m dead and gone
They will find me waitin'
this nameless, faceless, homeless stray.
38
When I Became a Writer
Then I was a writer.
39
MMI
You were here with me for a time
For us to share the same space and energy,
I’m grateful my mommy visited me
Even if it was in a dream.
40
Persistence Pays Off
Its been a mighty long road
Many nights I had no sleep
Persistence pays off
41
Two Worlds
Some say I can’t do anything right
They say I laugh too loud and have too much fun
And ask why I’m not normal:
Complacent, silent, miserable and hopeless like everyone
Some say I can’t do anything right
They say I’m not concerned with the right things
Like cars, and drugs and hoes with tongue rings
They say I’ll never succeed, just have more fun
And ask why I’m not normal:
Complacent, silent, miserable, and hopeless like everyone.
42
Torture Yourself
If I could stay out my head, I would be happier
but that would never happen
Misery isn’t that terrible.
43
Celebrate Yourself
If whatever you do is never enough for yourself
You may accomplish much, and be loved
but feel worthless and alone inside.
44
Mind Free
Stop to think. Clear your mind
45
For Doubters
I’m wasting my time with all this ,
Cuz I already am without it!”
What’s wrong with creativity?”
46
Weariness
If your mind with criticism from others
If your sacred vision you restraint not
If you faint not.
47
Weak Spot Courage Chant
Still, I pick up that pen
Distribute my vulnerabilities
the inner me.
48
49
Before You Knew
I was working so hard
I neglected myself
Then I crashed before I knew.
50
What You Weren’t
I just realized
I once felt you were worth my time, my
energy, my body, my heart, my mind
Damn.
51
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53
FML, but Wait…
The sun shines instantly
54
Midtown Melee
He was the janitor in a 3 room property where some renters lived
he needed to get out the trash.
One man that lived there was mad, told him to never come in his room.
The janitor thought he would pay him no mind-
continue his job he assumed.
The man got mad as hell and contested his presence more belligerently.
As the tenants filled the hall,
The janitor questioned the man’s sanity
Reason for him being there was the job-
So they argued back and forth,
The janitor making his appeal, but the man was paranoid from using dope
his anger, by words, could not be healed.
Blindly he grabbed a lock
beating him savagely til blood filled the hall.
The tenants hesitated to interrupt his drug-induced insanity
but finally, the altercation did cease.
Janitor left in an ambulance
The man exited with the help of the police.
55
LLC
They said let’s go.
Ah, join a fucking marching band!
57
Depleted
When you do something right,
They got shit to say bout it
When you do something wrong,
They got shit to say bout it
When you try to fight back,
When you bite your tongue,
They searching for you heavy.
Your glow is a little more
your skull.
58
Toxic People
I run the other way
59
Circus Dust
When clowns give you advice,
but are unaware they are clowns
Dust.
60
Ugh, Brat!!!
I’m damn near homeless
61
Ghetto Nomad
Didn’t know where he would smoke his
Didn’t know where his next egg sandwich
was coming from
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Boundary Issue
They’d charge you an arm and a leg for shipping
I’m good on your box.
63
Common
Don’t think that I don’t know
Don’t think I don’t see that shit
I know how you be spinning it
Know you be grinning when
You out here sinning slick.
I’m what they call a vision-
Common.
64
Cybersex Quan
When Dee walked in the room
Quan was chatting on video
Dee needed to be informed why
was Kita revealing her kitty-hole
Did he conclude she had retired
to the other room for the night?
Was this common practice when she wasn’t around?
Quan replied that his affinity to indulge in the
infraction was contextual
but was mostly the effect of Dee’s
He was also aroused by the non-conventional
That’s why he was on-screen, exposing
Dee was dumbfounded and unbelieving
Then informed Quan it was her bat, she would
When Dee went back into the room
Quan hit the door.
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Help!: A Great Prayer
We’ll figure somethin’ out…
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67
Boundary Issue
If you put me in a box,
They’d charge you an arm and a leg for shipping
I’m good on your box.
68
A Weapon
To some words fly off the tongue
they fade into the wind
For others, they invade like a disease, and kill them
Slowly
69
The Disability
Your hearing is intact
but your listening is impaired
it is an equal detriment
70
Nuisance
Something like a nuisance,
Something about a nuisance,
that enters your bloodline
your misery’s streamlined
Something that a nuisance,
infiltrate your wellness,
That chaotic energy remains
and the nuisance persists:
then repeats after this…
71
Keep Up Season
Could it be you can’t cut off everyone?
That you’re not as independent as you believed
You need someone, some time.
72
Truth be Told
We can be lied to by anyone at any given
don’t judge too harshly, reasoning
sometimes in their mind, they're
telling the truth
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76
Flow
there is sanity.
77
Y Factor
You compare her to certain men in her position,
yet you don’t consider the boundaries
and believe she is brutal in her decisions
then downplay her demeanor
But a woman works overtime
maintain respect for her vision
so certain men who share the same position
Perhaps there is an angle
your position is dismissive.
78
Zip it
Last word,
the last word,
I need it,
give it to me,
Correct,
I am,
but you don’t see clearly,
you don’t understand fully,
you don’t contemplate wisely
so if you can’t arrive at my conclusion,
I will discount you entirely
and argue with you defiantly,
and constantly,
and loudly
See my arrogance,
see my stubbornness,
I wear it very proudly
But is it?
is it that?
when you’re truly stating facts?
or should you let it go?
when you know what you know ,
when you know that you know
Is it better to relinquish a disagreement
and surrender your control?
sometimes a relation can be sustained
indefinitely,
or mended immediately,
should you play the humble role.
79
Essential
Essential,
important,
of pertinence,
you matter
to me
all because you foster
my vulnerability
you give my feelings
validity
you smile
when the world
showed me immense cruelty
now that I have established,
in your arms,
a sense of security,
we are as one
essentially.
Essential,
detrimental,
imperatively speaking
how healing your love is
to my being.
A substantial length of time
I was seeking
to discover this essential love
