Objectification is an extreme form of emotional distancing that can take many forms: sexual harassment; violence and subjugation; discrimination in all its terrible incarnations… just to name a few. Because so many of us have been affected by it one way or another, objectification demands public discussion. Therefore, this week I decided to share an edited except from my upcoming book Unleashed:
“The way objectification works is by fragmenting an individual’s selfhood to reduce their identity to specific aspects of who they are while dismissing the rest; so that the part comes to typify the whole. The objectified individual then becomes an oversimplified version of Self that can be stereotyped in line with culturally pre-established ideas, expectations and prejudices; be it by skin color, sex, or any other particular trait or characteristic.
The goal is to marginalize, disempower and, to varying degrees, dehumanize the Other. After all, objectification enables othering with no bearings on logic or fact. However, it is contingent on perception. Hence, objectification requires supporting narratives be created, introduced, and solidified through word and action in the collective consciousness. Considering the resources and influence required to establish dominant social narratives, it follows, then, that objectification can only be accomplished by those in positions of power.
Far from innocuous, objectification robs those objectified of their right to self-assert and, in this sense, is a cardinal aggression. As to me, this translated to the evanescence of my identity as a bicultural Peruvian-American and high-performing professional. On the one hand, my biculturality was taken apart and stripped of my American identity; while on the other, I was divested of my humanness, sexualized and reduced to solely ‘woman.’ No longer a complex multicultural individual, I was made into the Other and identified simply as “Latina.”
In the wake of this experience, I lost my Self. A profound distrust in my own perception of reality and my sense of identity had been planted deep within me by my objectifier. Was I ever who I thought myself to be? Left in the rubble, the only way forward was to collect the pieces.”
—Ursula Pfeiffer, Unleashed
Awareness is always the first step towards change. Consider discussing this topic with your friends and family. From my experience, the best way to approach prickly topics is usually through questions and choosing a moment in which all parties can open themselves to different points of views. Self-awareness is also important. I have learned to take a pause each time I catch myself categorizing and judging someone. Only you have the right to determine who you are.
