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Experiences of Alienation

According to Fromm, experiences of alienation can be found throughout all segments of society. In America, this seems especially true when one examines the conditions of African-Americans, Chicanos, and other minorities. Fromm claimed that the structure of society encourages feelings of separation and alienation among various groups of people. Alba (1990) agrees with this view by noting that ethnicity has the power to divide social interactions into two basic categories: "between those with whom one shares a common origin, or at least some similarity of origin, and those who are ethnically different" (p. 125).

Fromm theorized that many people feel alienated from others because of their perception of distinctiveness or separation from others. Ethnicity contributes to this type of alienation because it makes people aware of how they are different. Bell (1992) points out that racial segregation has been a legacy for black people throughout American history (p. 8). In addition, racism, prejudice and discrimination have all contributed to the sense that blacks are somehow different from others. Fanon (1967), speaking of the blacks in the Antilles Islands, claims that "the Negro is comparison" (p. 211). In other words, all aspects of the black person's life are related to how they compare with those of the white people. All interactions with other people provide a reminder of how the black person is different. Thus, "every position of one's own, every effort at security, is based on relations of dependence, with the diminution of the other" (Fanon, 1967, p. 211). This type of relationship with other people results in a sense of alienation as described by Fromm in his writings. It should be noted that poverty, which is more common among racial minorities than whites, is also a source for alienation because it results in a lack of opportunities for overcoming the problems of segregation. Fromm also pointed out that systems o...

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Experiences of Alienation. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 11:46, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1682163.html