“Community” as a Reference for American Minority Groups: A Theory of Unintended Negative Consequences

Abstract

The phrase "the _____ community" is commonly used in naming minority groups in the US, for example, the African American community or the Mus-lim community. The phrase carries some benefits in terms of voice, sentiment, solidarity and empowerment, and it is widely accepted as a respectful reference. However, I argue that its use and meaning also carry unintended negative social psychological implications for how some minority group members may view themselves within the larger society and how some non-minority group members may view persons who identify as members of minority groups. In this paper, I examine the meaning and entailments of the word "community" as a convention of naming. I argue that negative implications stem from ubiquitous discursive emphasis on in-group sameness and group-ness, which are rooted in historical practices of distillation and homogeniza-tion of diverse groups and demonstrate and invite perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices, reinforce insider/outsider divides, and detract from person-hood and social integration.