Rankism

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Rankism is a term coined by physicist, educationalist and citizen diplomat Robert W. Fuller. Fuller has defined rankism as: "abusive, discriminatory, or exploitative behavior towards people who have less power because of their lower rank in a particular hierarchy"[1]. Note this definition does not mean that rankism is a form of social discrimination since it does not make a distinction between:

  • rank assigned on the basis of class or category and
  • rank assigned on the basis of individual merit

Fuller claims that rankism also describes the abuse of the power inherent in superior rank, with the view that rank-based abuse underlies many other phenomena such as bullying, racism, sexism, and homophobia.

The term rankism first appeared in print in the Oberlin Alumni Magazine for fall of 1997 in an article by Fuller. Fuller later wrote a book on the topic called Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, which he began distributing on his web site as a free e-book in 2000. Somebodies and Nobodies was published in 2003.

Fuller asserts that rankism involves:

  • exploiting one's position within a hierarchy to secure unwarranted advantages and benefits, without regard to the deprivation of people deemed to be inferior;
  • illegitimate use of rank (e.g., abusive parent or priest, corrupt CEO, bully boss, prisoner abuse, etc.);
  • treating rank as a shield that permits one person to insult or humiliate others with impunity;
  • using rank to perpetuate position long after it can be justified while quashing talented people who might challenge that position;
  • exporting rank achieved in one sphere of activity to claim superior importance as a person;
  • use of rank illegitimately acquired or held (as in situations resting on specious distinctions of social rank such as racism, sexism, etc.).

Fuller has also written that:

  • victims of rankists may find themselves publicly humiliated or ignored and treated as invisible.
  • society facilitates the rankist liberty to insult when whole groups are stereotyped as weak and vulnerable[2].
  • the opponents of rankism believe that position and power should be used to serve the group over which one holds authority.

Members of the Dignitarian Movement claim to apply the concept of rankism as the precise cause of indignity. For Dignitarians, indignity is a litmus test for rankism. The Dignitarian Movement asserts that their aim is to overcome rankism in the same way that the civil rights and women's movements target racism and sexism.

[edit] References

  • Berger, Daniel (August 2005). "Book review: Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 198 (8): 571. 
  • ^  Fuller, Robert W. (2003). Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers. ISBN 0-86571-486-X. 
  • Kleiner, Art (2004). "Diversity and its discontents". Strategy + Business (Spring 2004). 
  • Knisely, Robert (April 2003). "Rank prejudice". Washington Monthly 35 (4). 
  • Richardson, Elaina (April 2003). "Respect". O Magazine. 
  • Schultz, Connie (January 14, 2006). "Taking it out on the clerks". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

[edit] External links

  • Brazen Careerist - Penelope Trunk, (August 27, 2006) "Battle Cry Against Power Tripping" interview with Robert Fuller, at Brazen Careerist
  • DigDi.org - 'The Dignitarian Dialogues' (website that seeks to start a public discussion of rankism)
  • Dignitarians.org - 'The Dignitarian Foundation: Protecting the dignity of others as you would your own' (foundation dedicated to developing training materials and advocacy tools to fight rankism)
  • Right-Rank.com – 'Right-Rank is a tool for dealing with rankism, the abuse of rank within a hierarchy. Respect for everyone, regardless of rank.' (integrates concept of rankism into a therapeutic practice)
  • SomebodyBook.com - I Feel Like Nobody When... I Feel Like a Somebody When... (children's book that introduces issues related to rankism), Stephanie Heuer (2005)
  • YubaNet.com - '"Executive" monkeys influenced by other executives, not subordinates', Duke University Medical Center (March 22, 2006)