The Librarian Mystique

 Now the Star-Belly Sneetches  Had bellies with stars.  The Plain-Belly Sneetches Had none upon thars.   Those stars weren't so big. They were really so small.  You might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all.    (Dr Seuss, 1957) In Erving Goffman’s 1963 book Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity, the term stigma is explained.  “The term stigma, then, will be used to refer to an attribute that is deeply discrediting, but it should be seen that a language of relationships, not attributes, is really needed” (Goffman, p, 13). What Goffman means by this is that stigma is not an automatic standard response from one person to another, but one determined by context. There is often an automatic stigma about certain indicators of “difference” in society. For instance, if we meet a person in a wheelchair, we may be tempted to treat them differently than others as an automatic response to their perceived inability to perform things ...

From rising COVID19 cases in construction to a mandatory vaccine requirement, the explosive strike and ensuing riots, it’s all escalated so quickly that it felt out of control. But could it have been prevented?  Although I am not endorsing the behaviour of a group that lists among its demands that the Australian government widely distribute ivermectin, vitamin C and zinc rather than vaccines, it’s helpful to look at the way the situation escalated, and why. It’s easy to separate ourselves from “them” and enjoy the moral higher ground and moral indignation of being part of the socially accepted, who are willing to comply with stay at home orders and be vaccinated. First, let’s look at what Premier Andrews demanded after allowing the COVID19 cases to rise in the construction industry for weeks before acting. “Construction workers state-wide will need to show evidence to their employer that they have had at least a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by 11.59pm on the 23rd of Septembe...