Dehumanisoidaan

Dehumanisoidaan is a Finnish verb phrase meaning “is being dehumanized” or “are being dehumanized.” It is the present passive form of the verb dehumanisoida, which means to dehumanize—i.e., to deprive someone of human qualities or to portray them as less than human. The term is used in sociopolitical and academic discourse to describe rhetorical or structural processes that treat a group as non-human or morally inferior.

Etymology and form: The verb dehumanisoida is formed from the English loanword dehumanize with the Finnish -oida infinitive suffix. The present passive ending in Finnish is typically -aan or -ään, yielding dehumanisoidaan. This form does not specify the agent; the subject performing the action is left implicit, which is typical of the passive voice in Finnish.

Usage: Dehumanisoidaan appears in neutral or analytical statements about rhetoric, propaganda, or policy where a group is depicted as lacking agency, emotion, or rights. It is often paired with nouns such as ryhmä, vastapuoli, or ihmisryhmä. The related noun dehumanisointi means dehumanization, and the adjective dehumanisoiva means dehumanizing.

Examples: Tässä ihmisryhmää dehumanisoidaan julkisuudessa käyttämällä epäinhimillisiä kuvia. Poliittinen puhe dehumanisoi vastapuolta, ja dehumanisointi tiedostetaan usein riskinä.

See also: dehumanisointi, dehumanisoiva, propaganda, ihmisoikeudet.