Reply to comment

I think I am convinced about the idea that individuals each have unique perceptions of color. Even before taking this course I have wondered whether color is perceived by all in the exact same way. But now I don't feel like I have to wonder about that anymore because I am leaning towards the opinion that color is a construction of the brain. This makes me question the idea of emotions that are associated with color. Advertisements often use specific colors to invoke certain emotions from their target audience members. For example, reds and oranges might be used to excite the audience but if we perceive these colors differently from one another how can they stimulate the same emotions. Maybe it comes from the descriptions we apply to colors. Reds and oranges are usually described as bright and warm. This may be part of a process of socialization that leads to many people sharing sentiments about certain colors. I should also recognize that I'm thinking about this from an American perspective. In other cultures different emotions might be associated with reds and oranges.

On a different, but hopefully related, note I've thought about the idea of "disabilities" as we term them. An example mentioned in class was color blindness. It can be viewed as a difference and not necessarily a disability. It is only a disability when placed in the context of an environment that leaves a person with that difference at a disadvantage. I've also thought about my ADHD which makes it hard for me to block out noise distractions sometimes. I personally see it as a disadvantage to me but I find it interesting that I feel more sensitive to a type of sensory input than the average person. So here we have one disabillity, color-blindness, that limits input and another that fails to ignore some unwanted input. Both of these are "disabilities" but for different reasons so it seems like "disabilities" could be a social construction. People who sense inputs in ways that deviate from the average are said to be disabled. But where do we draw the line between disabled and different?