Protecting vulnerable people from objectivity

Sorry. I've already abused millions of people and I've only written a title. If this label is sometimes applied to you, I hope what follows might be of use, and please believe I usually try not to use the term except for ironic or dramatic effect. If you ever talk about or work with 'vulnerable' people, then you should understand this (that is, I hope you already understand this).

What is objectivity, and why must some people be protected from it? Let's start with some more dramatic language, and then think about some examples. Objectivity not only fixes some people with labels, it is also an excuse, a lie, and full of contradictions.

Objectivity fixing people with labels
This is an obvious one: 'you are autistic'; 'you have learning disabilities'; 'you are black'; 'you are a woman'; 'you are a child'; 'you are disabled'; 'you are a paranoid schizophrenic'; 'you have adhd'; you are sick, you are inadequate, you will never be able to escape from this because this is who you are and 'I am an expert'.

Once you have been categorised, objectified, by experts or by common opinion, it's very difficult to escape. As I reported with Ronelle and Shara, if Shara had been taken into care because of an admin error and because Ronelle had changed address so she didn't know about the Court proceedings, the objective fact would be that Shara had been in care. This objective information would have stayed with her for the rest of her life, and at the very least for the next 17 years and 7 months, until she reached adulthood. 'Shara has been in care (because her mother didn't pay a fine) and is thus vulnerable'.

Objectivity is an excuse
'We can't prove that in a court, therefore we can't do anything about it'; 'we can't take action without objective evidence, so you must keep a diary of the racist abuse against you over the next three months'; 'we're sorry, but you were the only witness, so it's your word against their's (and you have a learning disability or whatever) so we can't possibly take any action/believe you.' I could go on. It's worth pointing out that these are all things that I have actually heard professionals say repeatedly over the last couple of years. I expect most people reading this will quickly recognise these excuses.

Objectivity is a lie
'We saw your flatmate apologise for hitting you, but we can't objectively establish that he did hit you because you both have learning disabilities and we don't believe you are capable of objective and consistent communication, therefore we don't believe you, i.e. we have decided that you are lying'; 'we can find no objective evidence to support what you say, we do not accept that your subjective evidence (what you feel or believe) has any weight, therefore we demand that you withdraw your subjective evidence (i.e. apologise for 'lying')'.

Objectivity is full of contradictions
What is the most objective thing you can imagine? 2+2=4? Maybe this is true, but mathematics is in many ways a completely abstact system. It has been constructed to be objective. You're right: maths is the most objective thing you can think of; arithmetic, adding, is the most simple form of this objectivity. 2+2=4. But it is also true that 2+2=11 (in base 3). And it is also true that even the most basic and 'objective' system, like arithmetic, is not objective! (or see the more comprehensive Wikipedia article).

Objectivity is everywhere, and we all need protection from it
'You claim your manager did this to you, but you are unshaved, very agitated, your story isn't very consistent, you keep on bringing up other incidents, and we can't keep track of what you're saying. On the other hand your ex-manager is very calm and well presented, he has explained all the difficulties he has had with you and the ways he has tried to help, but you didn't cooperate...'

Objectivity really started taking hold of life in the enlightenment, when science was taking over from religion as the dominant guiding force of society. It is the basis of today's education: learn these objective truths, and we will objectify you by your capacity to remember them. Many of us are stuck in the world of objectivity, and as we grow older and 'wiser' we learn to fit in even more to the unwritten rules of society and not rock the boat too much. If we don't fit into these rules we are in danger of becoming outcasts, outlaws, or lunatics. (N.B. That's very far from saying religion was a better system, for religion was also an attempt at reifying [sic] certain beliefs and excluding lunatics and heathens.) Foucault writes a good history of all this.

What are the alternatives?
Many feminist activists have shown us ways forward: let me have the freedom to be who I want to be; let me act and show what I can do; do not objectify me as a woman or a housewife; don't insist that I use your language; don't make the mistake of believing that you can understand me. Rosa Parks believed in her right to sit near the front of a bus, despite her 'racial classification'. Ghandi's non-violent campaigns also showed us ways forward. Both of these have unfortunately been transformed from the simplicity of principled action into systems of objective human rights (which I and many others can never support), but there are many good contemporary examples.

Advocacy is another good way forward. We don't believe in (objectively) representing people's 'views' (or even worse, their 'best interests'). We listen to their thoughts and feelings and wishes and help to express them. In many instances this is helpful. It's more than helpful: it's the most positive way forward I know. The more people are forced to listen and take account of thoughts and feelings and wishes and other such subjective and occasionally irrational kinds of communication, the less likely they are to come down hard and refuse and deny and lie and avoid and label and abuse.

Because this is what's happening at the moment, and we need to open our eyes and ears and hearts to it and protect people.

And then we need to come to a time when we can forget about the negativities of protection and vulnerability, and open our eyes and ears and hearts to life.