Beyond their semantic and evaluative tone: Derogatory group labels as a social tool of disempowerment

In this chapter, we will review three distinct, though related, theo- retical perspectives that have conceptualized DGLs differently. The first perspective is focused on the lexical aspects of DGLs, and suggests that label semantics account for both the appraisal and the psychological consequences of exposure to DGLs (Mullen & Leader, 2005). The second perspective stems from Allport’s insight suggesting that DGLs are ‘emo- tionally toned labels’ (Allport, 1954/1979, p.181). Accordingly, DGLs are framed as ‘a telegraphic shorthand for hostile prejudice’ (Mullen & Lead- er, 2005), thus highlighting the close interplay between DGLs and preju- dice. The third perspective was introduced by Maass and later developed by other scholars; this perspective has emphasized the role of DGLs in highlighting the lower status of a stigmatized group and the disempow- ering of that group (Carnaghi & Maass, 2007a; Wang et al., 2017).