How Does Dehumanization Exist Today?

Although many may not realize it, there is still human slavery today that rears its ugly head in such ways as child labor, “enforced prostitution, and state sponsored forced labor” (Datzberger, 2015). Slavery today is actually at an all time high. We search for labels on fair trade in hopes that we are not supporting any kind of human slavery; however, this is not always the case. Children, rather than being educated, are being used to work the fields where much of our coffee is grown as well as to make other products and be used in child pornography. Women are forced into prostitution while people justify the need for such ladies as well as the stating facts such as they are not women; they are possessions. And human trafficking is seen in “118 different countries” resulting in low cost labors for “restaurants, fisheries, brothels, farms, and homes” (Datzberger, 2015).
Not having been aware of these facts, this has a huge impact on me as far as how I think about what products I would purchase, where I would eat out, and whether or not I should patronize any establishment prior to investigating these places and items deeper than ever before. These facts open my eyes and make me desire to analyze communications carefully in order to make more informed decisions. In today’s world, we truly never know who may be guilty of dehumanizing people in order to make sure their product or service is appealing. Being more defensive in this regard and more aware – researching everything becomes more and more important in order to stop this kind of thing from happening in our world.
Datzberger, S. 2015. Modern Slavery: Why Dehumanizing the ‘Other’ Concerns All of Us. Retrieved from http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/ideas/2013/04/modern-slavery-why-dehumanizing-the-other-concerns-all-of-us/