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John Braithwaite: The Concept Of Human Dignity

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We have learned in previous lessons that society is stratified into various social classes based on their gender, race and social status. Such stratifications may be beneficial for the creation of societies because it enables individuals who share the same conditions in life to interact and in a sense, understand each other. On the other hand, social stratification can lead to inequality, where resources, opportunities and privileges are distributed to individuals based on their current social hierarchy. The wealthy few become even wealthier because they can influence states and control markets. Meanwhile, the poor continue to be poor as they get trapped in the social process that does not look after their needs.

The Concept of Human Dignity …show more content…

Note that humiliation in this sense differs significantly from the kind of humiliation used as a social control, the latter referred to by John Braithwaite as reintegrative shaming or the social process of expressing disapproval (such as angry mutterings and reprimands) with the intent of invoking remorse in the offender. The other kind of humiliation, the one the violates human dignity, Braithwaite refers to as stigmatic shaming which sets the offender apart from his or her society for the rest of his or her life. Some examples include marking the offender's with signs like "I am an offender" or "I am a drunk driver", or in certain cultures, the marking of slaves.

Instrumentalization or objectification refers to the act of treating another individual as a means to achieve some goal. It often involves a disregard for the person's desires and personality. A common example of objectification is the use of female bodies in ads.

Degradation refers to acts that degrade the value of human beings. Practices like slavery, and being subjected to inhuman living conditions are some example of this.

Dehumanization refers to acts that strip a person or a group of all its human characteristics. Domestic violence, genocides and in a sense, wars, are examples of this type of …show more content…

Human dignity is universal - it is not dependent on one's status in society, or the wealth one owns. In a sense, upholding human dignity is the greatest of all values because it ensures that all other aspects of culture serve to help persons achieve their true and full humanity. Any action that deters individuals from achieving such goal should be tagged as deviant acts, and must be subjected to social

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