EM.2: Deep Dive – How Our Feeling of Disgust Can Be Used to Reinforce Racial, Gender, Sexual and Other Prejudices

Approximate reading time: 3 minutes

Disgust, while serving an evolutionary purpose in protecting humans from harm, can also be manipulated within societies to foster and sustain prejudice against certain groups or behaviours. This process often begins by associating a particular group or behaviour with negative or harmful attributes. For instance, by repeatedly portraying a specific community in media or discourse as unclean or unhealthy, society can instill a sense of disgust towards that group. This portrayal can be subtle, e.g., through language that subtly conveys notions of contamination or, more overtly, through images that exaggerate or fabricate unhygienic practices.

Once the association is established, the emotion of disgust starts to act as a barrier, preventing empathetic or rational engagement with the targeted group. This barrier is not just psychological; it can manifest in physical avoidance or exclusionary practices, further entrenching the divide. The targeted group becomes not just othered but actively repelled, making it easier for societal norms and laws to reflect and reinforce this exclusion without significant public outcry or resistance.

Moreover, by promoting the reaction of disgust, the perpetrators leverage social learning mechanisms in which individuals learn behaviors and attitudes by observing others, especially authority figures or peers. Leaders or influential figures who express disgust towards a group or behavior legitimise and normalise that reaction in the wider population. Over time, this learned disgust becomes deeply ingrained and is often passed down through generations, making it a persistent aspect of societal prejudice.

The maintenance of prejudice through disgust is further reinforced by the emotion’s self-reinforcing nature. Once an aversion is established, individuals are less likely to seek out counter-narratives or experiences that might challenge their prejudiced views. This avoidance ensures that the initial disgust response is not questioned but rather continuously validated, by selective engagement with information and experiences that confirm the prejudiced stance.

Understanding how disgust can be taught and used to maintain prejudice underscores the importance of critically examining our emotional responses and the societal narratives that shape them. By recognising and challenging the use of misplaced disgust, societies can work towards dismantling prejudices and building more inclusive and empathetic communities.