Dehumanization
- Alienation
- Self-alienation
Description
When typical human attributes, whether qualities or mental or physical activities, are restricted or denied full outlet, then a person is said to be dehumanized. This is self-inflicted but is exacerbated by repetitive, mindless employment which reduces those carrying it out to the level of components in a machine. A society which treats the majority of people as simply instruments for the minority, which cares little or not at all for human dignity and whose institutions dominate people and rob them of their rights may be referred to as a dehumanizing society.
Alienation and boredom results when the social world is omnipresent and repressive. The oppressive security, stability and certainty of everyday life ensure that action produces little or no effect; and the individual feels powerless to change the situation. When the result is predictable, every act appears as drudgery. The individual may seek escape from such a situation by indulging in an activity such as mountaineering, which engenders a situation of controlled uncertainty and allows creative expression.
Related
Metadata
Database
Human development
Type
(M) Modes of awareness
Content quality
Yet to rate
Language
English
Last update
Dec 3, 2024