Dehumanization

Dehumanization is a psychological and social process in which individuals or groups are perceived or treated as lacking human qualities. It involves attributing non-human characteristics to others, denying agency or subjectivity, and reducing them to objects, animals, or subhuman categories. The phenomenon occurs across cultures and is studied in psychology, sociology, political science, and history, where it is linked to prejudice, discrimination, and violent conflict.

Mechanisms include language and imagery that compare people to animals or machines; depersonalization through labeling; moral disengagement that justifies harm; and social identity processes that heighten in-group/out-group hostility. Media rhetoric, propaganda, and online discourse can normalize dehumanization by erasing individuality and framing others as threats or objects of contempt.

Historical and contemporary contexts include wartime propaganda, colonial conquest, genocides, and discriminatory policies. Examples range from animal metaphors used to legitimize violence to portrayals of rivals as pests or disease. Dehumanization also occurs in everyday life, shaping attitudes toward immigrants, racial minorities, and other marginalized groups through stereotypes and systemic inequalities.

Consequences include reduced empathy, increased willingness to endorse or commit violence, and justification for rights restrictions and mistreatment. It can erode moral and legal protections and influence policy as well as personal behavior. Measurement methods include self-report scales, implicit association tests, and linguistic analysis. Countermeasures emphasize education, cross-group contact, and narratives that affirm shared humanity and individual dignity. See also: objectification, moral disengagement, in-group/out-group bias.