“The self is constantly under-construction by the society, molded by social interactions and environment”, I’ve stated this in my last blog which is also relevant in this one.
In Eleni Andreouli’s “Identity, Positioning and Self-Other Relations”, there were two conceptualizations of positioning that was analyzed. The first one was about the social representation theory which talks about how social representation “provides various possible identities which allow people to position themselves in a variety of ways in relation to the symbolic field of culture”, as stated by Gerard Duveen. Second, is the positioning theory, that states “the discursive process whereby people are located in conversations as observably and subjectively coherent participants in jointly produced storylines”.
To dig deeper, positioning theory is the construction of identities by communicating. For example, I am a student here in UP, and whenever I talk to others, like uneducated people, my relatives, and neighbors, and they would ask which college or university I go to, I’ll answer them “Sa UP po”, and they’ll either look astonished or disgusted. Why? Astonished because they’ll say “All the students there are intellectuals”, and disgusted because they see me as “Potential NPA”.
Another evident example is when I met my aunt that I haven’t seen for years, she asked me which college I’m in, and when I said UP, she replied “Your teachers teach you how to be activists right? Don’t let them get into you, or else you’ll be an NPA like as seen in the news”. Still bearing respect, I responded ” No Tita, our teachers don’t even care about our political propaganda and views, all they do is teach us how to be critical thinkers to be able to stand up for the oppressed. We are being taught to be FOR the mass, not AGAINST the mass”. I left her with an excuse that I need to go to the bathroom.
This just proves that collective identities create problems among other identities, like stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. But always remember, when there are problems, there are solutions.
To state an example of a marginalized group, the all people in jail are being stereotyped and generalized as as monsters and guilty of their crimes, when in fact some of them are just victims of injustice and other factors like, being paid as a stand-man for the real person who committed the crime, or not being able to win the case due to lack of money. These people, even though they do get out of jail, people will still see them as monsters as they are because of the stereotype and nameplate they’ll always carry. This would result in them not being accepted for jobs, and not being given the voice they need. This is why some of them go back to their old ways and even prefer to go back to jail wherein they could at least eat a meal a day and have a livelihood.
How do we converse with them when in the first place we take their ability to speak for themselves? How do we break the stereotype made by society to their collective when we don’t go the extra mile of lending our ears?
People who are marginalized like them need to be heard. They need to fight for what’s left of them – their own identities. They need to rise against what society tells them.
In addition, being a UP student, I have an issue of how society tries to silence me and students like me, as well as tag me as an activist or “potential NPA”. However, I won’t just concur and let them continue with their stereotype “naivete”. I am choosing my position, I am destined to serve THE people, and not AGAINST the people.
Are you being stereotyped? Then answer this, what would be your position?
Rachell Anne T. Capaning 