Bonus post: White Babies

To draw the picture for the previous post, "8 days difference" I googled pictures of babies to help me get the proportions right. The result was still the creepiest thing I have ever drawn. No matter, it did the job.

The think that perturbed me after I'd drawn the picture, (aside from the fact that I'd inadvertently shaded it in the colours of UKIP) is that all the reference material on Google images I had looked at was of white babies. To find pictures of non-caucasian babies you have to scroll down a long way or make your search more specific. Therefore, in a sense and according to google images, the default baby is white.

I know it seems like I am trying to find an issue in every little thing, and I know it is not a crucial issue in itself (I don't have a conspiracy theory that google is trying to subconsciously influence us or anything), but it reflects a tendency in our culture to idealise and hold up people who are born a certain way as 'ideal'. Also if white is the default or 'normal' race/skin colour from birth then surely that illustrates a deep rooted bias in society in favour of white/caucasian people that begins at a very early age.

I am not saying that we should pretend everyone is the same, it is important to recognise the differences between people. We shouldn't ignore what makes us different, our differences make us human and it is important that we all have our own racial and individual pride. However, to have one group established as 'default', automatically makes the remaining groups 'other' and therefore, unfortunately, at risk of discrimination.

Written by Ellen

Picture Credit: Ellen