laurathistle
04-30-2008, 08:23 PM
The dictionary definition of labelling is “a short word or phrase descriptive of a person, group, intellectual movement, etc.”
A label can be applied to a single person or a group of people and it can be either positive or negative. It could be as simple as describing someone a friend or identifying them as a nurse or it could describe their race, personality or status. In many cases labels are used to describe illness or disease, for example people who have diabetes are called diabetics. It can be useful to know this about a person because if their health or behaviour changed, it could be an indicator that something is wrong and people around them would be able to help them and in serious cases, seek medical attention. In many cases it can be negative. Someone who has mental health problems may be referred to as ‘crazy’ or ‘nuts’. This causes stigma against that person and apart from being offensive, it is discriminating. It can also have a negative affect on the way a person behaves. If you constantly tell someone they are stupid then they will eventually believe it. It lowers their self esteem and self worth, in turn affecting their behaviour and may lead them to under achieve.
Discrimination literally means to distinguish between. From a social perspective, discrimination distinguishes between people on the basis of a label without regard to individual merit or ability.
People with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are often labelled. Even referring to someone as having a learning difficulty and/or disability is attaching a label to them. Again, a label can be helpful but only if it is founded on the results of medical tests or assessments. If someone is then accurately labelled (say, as being dyslexic) they may then be able to access help and support previously only available to those who have been ‘diagnosed.’
Labels may be beneficial in a school setting. In am mainstream school if a child is identified as having a particular learning need an (learning need being a label in itself) then an Individual Education Plan (formally known as a record of need) will be put in place. The child’s specific need may be assessed and diagnosed and the need refined to give a further label given, for example the child may have Asperger Syndrome.
People - my self included - are often afraid to use certain words when referring to people with learning difficulties and/or special needs. This is partly because it is not always clear what the politically correct terminology to use is, for example Special Learning Needs is now being replaced by Additional Support Needs and partly because they/I don’t want to label people unnecessarily.
In conclusion, labels can certainly be useful if used in the correct context. But they can also be extremely damaging as well as hurtful if used incorrectly.
A label can be applied to a single person or a group of people and it can be either positive or negative. It could be as simple as describing someone a friend or identifying them as a nurse or it could describe their race, personality or status. In many cases labels are used to describe illness or disease, for example people who have diabetes are called diabetics. It can be useful to know this about a person because if their health or behaviour changed, it could be an indicator that something is wrong and people around them would be able to help them and in serious cases, seek medical attention. In many cases it can be negative. Someone who has mental health problems may be referred to as ‘crazy’ or ‘nuts’. This causes stigma against that person and apart from being offensive, it is discriminating. It can also have a negative affect on the way a person behaves. If you constantly tell someone they are stupid then they will eventually believe it. It lowers their self esteem and self worth, in turn affecting their behaviour and may lead them to under achieve.
Discrimination literally means to distinguish between. From a social perspective, discrimination distinguishes between people on the basis of a label without regard to individual merit or ability.
People with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are often labelled. Even referring to someone as having a learning difficulty and/or disability is attaching a label to them. Again, a label can be helpful but only if it is founded on the results of medical tests or assessments. If someone is then accurately labelled (say, as being dyslexic) they may then be able to access help and support previously only available to those who have been ‘diagnosed.’
Labels may be beneficial in a school setting. In am mainstream school if a child is identified as having a particular learning need an (learning need being a label in itself) then an Individual Education Plan (formally known as a record of need) will be put in place. The child’s specific need may be assessed and diagnosed and the need refined to give a further label given, for example the child may have Asperger Syndrome.
People - my self included - are often afraid to use certain words when referring to people with learning difficulties and/or special needs. This is partly because it is not always clear what the politically correct terminology to use is, for example Special Learning Needs is now being replaced by Additional Support Needs and partly because they/I don’t want to label people unnecessarily.
In conclusion, labels can certainly be useful if used in the correct context. But they can also be extremely damaging as well as hurtful if used incorrectly.