UC Santa Cruz Magazine: A new research hub at UC Santa Cruz called the Center for Monster Studies may have a fanciful name, but its leaders say these frightful beings can help us better understand the world, explain human fears, teach us empathy, and cultivate a sense of compassion toward those who may be seen as disturbing or threateningly different.
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There is a lot of polarizing in this day and age, where we quickly write off who is right and who is wrong; who is good and who is evil; who is a hero and who is a monster. So I think it’s smart to take a step back and examine the power of the word monster beyond its connotations: why are we dehumanizing people to the level of monsters? The example of Frankenstein’s monster stuck with me: it is literally referred to by that name as its main source of identification. However, in the actual book, the so-called “monster” is just as much a victim, and being called a monster and abandoned is what drives him to fulfill that prophecy by performing monstrous acts on those who wronged him (specifically Dr. Frankenstein). Alienating people from our society by diminishing them to the level of monsters can only breed more hatred and resentment, and the idea of monsters has been weaponized against minorities to justify them being oppressed. This course of study is a great idea to encourage people to think more critically before employing this concept and assigning negative connotations to things that make us different.
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