Sociology Now, Census Update

1.Minstrelization:If you’re virtually alone and have very little power, you can over-
conform to the stereotypes that others have about you. To act like a minstrel,
Goffman says, is to exaggerate the differences between the stigmatized and
the dominant group. Thus, for example, did African Americans overact as
happy-go-lucky entertainers when they had no other recourse. A contemporary
example might be women who act ultrafeminine—helpless and dependent—in
potentially harassing situations. Note that minstrels exaggerate difference in the
face of those with more power; when they are with other stigmatized people, they
may laugh about the fact that the powerful “actually think we’re like this!” That’s
often the only sort of power that they feel they have.

2.Normification:If you have even a small amount of power, you might try to
minimizethe differences between the stigmatized groups. “Look,” you’ll say,
“we’re the same as you are, so there is no difference to discriminate against us.”
Normification is the process that gays and lesbians refer to when they argue for
same-sex marriage or that women use when they say they want to be engineers
or physicists. Normification involves exaggerating the similarities and downplay-
ing the differences.

3.Militant chauvinism:When your group’s level of power and organization is high-
est, you may decide to again maximizedifferences with the dominant group. But
militant chauvinists don’t just say “we’re different,” they say “we’re also better.”

CONFORMITY AND SOCIAL CONTROL 171

Censoring Perceived Deviance

All groups have tendencies toward social control. The desire to censor people or ideas we think

are deviant is strong, especially when those ideas seem in opposition to widely held values. At

the same time, America prides itself on being a free country, and free speech is protected by the

U.S. Constitution. Let’s look at how you and other Americans feel about an antireligionist, a

homosexual, and a racist teaching college or having books in the library. So, what do you think?

See the back of the chapter to compare your answers to national survey data.

6.1

What

do

you

think

1.Should someone who is against all church and religion

be allowed to teach in a college or university, or not?

❍Allowed

❍Not allowed

2.And what about a man who admits he is a homosexual?

❍Allowed

❍Not allowed

3.Should a person who believes Blacks are genetically

inferior be allowed to teach?

❍Allowed

❍Not allowed

4.Should an antireligion book be removed from the

library?

❍Remove

❍Don’t remove

5.What about a book written in favor of homosexuality?

❍Remove

❍Don’t remove

6.What about a book that suggests Blacks are inferior?

❍Remove

❍Don’t remove

?