What Makes Humans Bad? {Social Sciences}

What Makes Humans Bad? {Social Sciences} 

In inquiring on the theme of “what makes humans bad” through the scope of the social sciences, I discovered that we cannot come to a conclusion about one’s action or behaviors based solely on one variable.  Over the past three class meetings, we have discussed the perception of being “bad” as it relates to mental health, bullying and the extortion of power.  

The studies that we analyzed help conceptualize how the social sciences differ from the humanities.  Knowledge acquired from the humanities can be based on a person's mere true belief, rather than fact.  This can explain why we have so many differing beliefs, for example Locke vs. Hobbes on the nature of man.  On the other hand, knowledge acquired from the social sciences can have its own shortcomings as well.  In a recent study about bullying the researchers admitted that the study had limitations (Shetgiri, et al., 2012).  For example, parents may have a biased view of their child and underestimate their capacity to be a bully.  This may cause some parents to underreport bad behaviors and, in turn, result in inaccurate data.  

"Fear of "Blaming Victims" Perpetuates
Bullying Epidemic." Psychology
Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.

Probably the most important thing I learned was that knowledge based in the social sciences does not seek to assign blame.  Often times we look at the effects of bullying or mental illness and we want to find a scapegoat; it is much easier to accept a truth when we can find someone or something to blame.  As we will see, however, social science findings are usually much more ambiguous than that.  

Are Bullies Born Bad?  

I have always held the mere true belief that people who consistently torment others who are weaker than them behave this way to regain a sense of power that is lacking in their own lives.  The study on bullying helped me understand that the social sciences can help me discover unbiased answers to my questions.  When the discussion of bullies comes up, many people want to assign blame, whether it is the fault of the parents, teachers, individual, or society.  The social science approach does not look to assign blame, but rather looks at the influences that may cause one to behave a certain way. 

Bullies Are Not Bad! My Mere True Beliefs About Bullies.                                                                                                                                   

The issues relating to bullying really struck a chord with me because I, like many other kids across school campuses, was bullied as a child.  The girls at school liked to tease my “nappy” hair, and my hand-me down clothes (previously worn by my brothers).

My utterly shy disposition and bookworm demeanor did not help the situation.  I say all this not out of self-pity, but because I realized at a very early age that bullies were not bad people.  They were just kids who had a far worse home life than I did, and I was their outlet.  Their stories of growing up in La Puente as daughters of immigrants and sisters of cholos were not too different than mine.  The difference was—and I knew this even back then—that I had supportive parents who were very involved in every aspect of my life.  I also did not have to raise little brothers and sisters and I did not get daily beatings like so many of them did.  In this respect, I realized that bullies were just kids who chose to do bad things.   

Do my mere true beliefs support what the psychological studies suggest? Not exactly.  My beliefs are just that, beliefs.   The study does suggest that parents have a major influence on their children’s behaviors, however they are not necessarily the only variable in a child’s life that can contribute to bullying.   The findings revealed that ethnicity and economic background are other factors that can contribute to bully characteristics in children.  Particularly 10-12 year old African American and Hispanic children who live in low-income households have a higher risk of becoming bullies.  

"Understanding a Bully." 's Mind:The Psychology
of Bullying. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.

Part of these findings reinforced my mere true belief that lack of parental involvement helps perpetuate “bad” behaviors in children.  Using those same schoolgirls as an example, I can surmise that living in poverty and being Hispanic also contributed to their behaviors.  The study does not give a hypothesis as to why children who come from low-income families, or are Hispanic or African American have higher odds of becoming bullies.  From my experiences of living in poverty, I can say that at times the future can looked pretty bleak.  I have also experienced discrimination as both a Latina and a female.  While my experiences were not everyday occurrences, they were enough to cast a shadow of self-doubt and insecurities.  Finally, being abused by parents, which reinforces the feeling that parents are always disappointed, can embitter a child.  This additional factor was not something I experienced, and may have meant the difference of me being the bullied vs. the bully. 

How Does The Prison Guard Mentality Play Into This?

"ReMix: The Zimbardo Papers." ReMix: The Zimbardo
Papers. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.

One thing I would have like to explore further was the relationship between bullying and the prison guard mindset that was described in Philip Zimbardo's Stanford prison guard experiment.  Zimbardo's experiment showed that people who are given authority will use that power to to mistreat those who have relinquished their authority (in this case it is prisoners).  I see parallels here between guards and prisoners, and bullies and victims.  Bullying, which is defined as the "intentional, repeated aggression perpetrated by a more powerful person or group on a less powerful victim," may be an example of the prison guard mindset (Zimbardo, et al., 1973).  The parallels between both behaviors may warrant further research.     

Are People Who Are Mentally Ill Bad?

Prior to higher education I was one of the many who feared the mentally ill.  One of my worst nightmares was being stuck in a mental asylum and being the only sane person there.  I realize now how ignorant those fears were.  A course I took last spring on redefining disabilities helped me realize that almost everyone has some form of a disability.  For some, the handicap may be physical, for others it may be cognitive.  What I learned from this class, however, was rooted in the humanities school of thought.  The social sciences have given me a new perspective on what it means to be mentally ill.

Almost Everyone Can Have a Mental Illness! My Mere True Belief About Being Mentally Ill.

Personally, I have always thought that I am a shy person.  It did not help that everyone always demanded that I “stop being so shy!”  It was not until years into adulthood that I found out that I may have had a form of anxiety called Selective Mutism (yes I am self diagnosing, but I have heavily researched this).  Selective mutism affects children and is “characterized by a child's inability to speak and communicate effectively inselect social settings, such as school. These children are able to speak andcommunicate in settings where they are comfortable, secure, and relaxed.”  It may be possible that many other “normal” people also have a hidden mental disorder, but are either uninformed or in denial. 

How Does the Media Play a Role On Our Perceptions?

A 2006 Study showed that the pressure to produce high ratings has given media agencies free range to sensationalize stories about people with mental illnesses (Shetgiri, et al., 2012).  The frequency of these negative portrayals has created a stigma that characterizes people with a mental illness as dangerous.  Sitcoms and children’s television also add to the misrepresentation of mental illness.  According to the same study, “one in four mentally ill characters kill someone, and half are portrayed as hurting others.” (Shetgiri, et al., 2012)  During our discussion of the media’s portrayal of mental illness, the facilitators also brought to light the frequency of the use of negative synonyms for mentally ill.

Media Portrayal vs. Reality of Mental Illness

This video compilation was created by college

students.   It does a great job of highlighting 

the major differences between the media 

version of people with mental illness and the

realities of having a mental illness. 

What We Know About People With Mental Illness

Friday's discussion with clinical social worker Dayanira Blanco-Reyes, helped me gain an insider's perspective on understanding mental illness.  Blanco-Reyes holds the mere-true belief that her clients are not bad, but rather they have higher opportunities for bad behavior.  Furthermore, their illness, lack of ability to cope, and social rejection is what makes her clients bad.  

Blanco-Reyes also pointed out many misconceptions we have about people with mental illness.  We first have to realize that the spectrum of mental disorders is very wide.  We also cannot assume that when someone takes medication that they are suddenly "fixed."  Medication can have side effects and it does not always balance out hormones.  We also need to know more about a person's medical history, for example people who have hypothyroidism can be misclassified as bipolar.  

Images such as this one reinforce the over
trivialization of mental illness.  Notice the

admission that there is no scientific basis

on the results. 

"Scrapbook of Truth." Scrapbook of Truth. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 

Nov. 2015.

Blanco-Reyes left we two very strong impressions.  First, we must stop using mental illness terms so trivially.  When people make comments such as "I'm depressed" or "she's bipolar" to identify small lapses of "bad" behavior, they are generalizing something that is much more serious than moments of sadness or anger.  Second, I was made aware of the hypocrisy of our views of a "normal" human.  Blanco-Reyes said that "we are so accepting of any of our body parts breaking down except our brains."  This is something that I believe rings very true in most societies.  When someone becomes disabled we tend to pity or honor that person, yet when we realize someone has "lost their mind" we fear them.  

So...What Makes Humans Bad?

My finding over the past two weeks has helped me get closer to the answer of the question “what makes humans bad?”  I still hold on to the mere true belief that this is a question that cannot be easily answered in black or white terms.  Originally I said that I like to look for the good in people.  This is something that I think has kept me resilient over the years and I hope never changes in me.  Now, however I am starting to lean towards the mere true belief that, while humans may not be born bad, different variables in our lives can make us become bad.   

References 

Banks, C., Haney C., Zimbardo P. (1973).  Interpersonal Dynamics in a Simulated Prison. International Journal of Criminology and Penology, 1. (69-97).

Brownlim100.  (2011, May 25).  Media Portrayal vs. Reality of Mental Illness. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Z4saePzYQbU

Hobbes, T., & Gaskin, J. (1998). Leviathan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Locke, J. (1689). Essay concerning human understanding (38th ed.). London: Tegg.

Shetgiri, R., Lin, H., Avila, R., & Flores, G. (2012). Parental Characteristics Associated With Bullying Perpetration in US Children Aged 10 to 17 Years. Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health, 102(12), 2280-2286.