Are Humans Norm-Referenced?
Today I was thinking about how society seems to be norm-referenced. Ed Glossary says:
“Norm-referenced refers to standardized tests that are designed to compare and rank test takers in relation to one another….Calculating norm-referenced scores is called the “norming process,” and the comparison group is known as the “norming group.””
Obviously, I’m looking beyond testing and thinking about groups of people.
Essentially, when I look around it seems to me that society seems to have created “norming groups” that we use as standards to establish what is “right” or considered acceptable. If you’re part of the “norm”, you automatically have a step up.
We do this within all sorts of small segments —
Muslims, Hindus, Quakers, Christians, and other religious groups all have a “norming group” and “norming process” that members are expected to adhere to. So do political groups. So do {fill in the blank}.
Those who fit the norm, belong. Those who don't, tend to be ostracized, viewed with suspicion, or marginalized.
When you’re part of the norm, sometimes you can’t even see it.
I noticed this come up when I was writing about my own intersections earlier this week. Female and Christian were easy for me to write about, and I think that’s partially because they are more outside of the wider social “norm reference”. Because of that, I can more clearly see the ways that I exist within them.
Even if I don’t mean too….I contrast being a “female” against being male, and within “Christianity” I contrast gender roles, denominational stances, and theological positions to gain more clarity on my own position and role. I’m always looking for the “norm reference” point to understand who I am and what it all means (for better or worse).
Conversely, “white” was a lot harder for me to write about at first. I am white, and in American society white is a norm-referenced point. It’s harder for me to see it because I am it. I don’t have a constant mirror being held up for me to reflect against….so unless I make an effort to really do so, it just doesn’t happen.
These thoughts aren’t fully fledged — I was literally thinking them through on a walk today, and I realized that any identity that makes me (and people in general?) part of the norm-reference is really hard to see and have a sense of transparency and self-knowing about.
If you hold the identities of:
Male
White
Natural Born Citizen
Able-bodied
Middle Class / Upper Class
I wonder if it’s harder to “see” them because they are normed. Thoughts? Agree or disagree? I’m not overly attached to the concept yet, just playing with it as a big idea!
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