When it comes to the definition of the term “wild,” many dictionaries would agree that “wild” means something along the lines of undomesticated species. For example, Merriam-Webster defines “wild” as “not inhabited or cultivated” and “not subject to restraint or regulation.” Within these definitions, it is clear that scholars are typically in agreement that “wild” is essentially the opposite of civilized ways of living. Furthermore, the Cambridge dictionary defines “wild” as being “uncontrolled, violent, or extreme,” a far more intense perspective of the term in question. Overall, the definition of “wild” seems to limit its function to describe the abnormal.
While these definitions of “wild” characterize this term as the opposite of the norm, I would respectfully have to disagree. In my own view, the term “wild” essentially creates its own definition of “normal,” which might appear “abnormal” to an outsider looking in. For example, when studying undomesticated animals or uncivilized peoples, an outsider might characterize these ways of life as wild; however, the inhabitants of these “wild” groups might view modern-day civilizations as “abnormal” or “wild.” Additionally, when looking at the alternative definition of “wild,” in which “wild” is described as unrestrained or uncontrolled, it almost places a negative connotation on the inability to tame the “wild.” I would reply that “wild” is undeserving of this pessimistic view. Again, it is simply in the perspective of scholars and individuals in power that characteristics such as “uncontrolled” or “unrestrained” might be problematic to society. This issue is vital because terminology and labels such as “wild,” can have a polarizing effect on those who have been labeled as such, essentially othering and ostracizing them from “normal” society. Therefore, it is essential to establish definitions that refrain from othering and utilize words, such as “wild,” in a careful context to avoid labeling people with harmful terms.
-Juliette Chartier
I really like that you challenged the negative connotation sometimes placed on the term “wild” & tied that back to how it can harm and exclude groups of people that don’t fit into whatever standards mainstream society has arbitrarily decided are normal! I think that’s a really important thing to keep in mind, especially when describing certain behavior as wild. There’s a deep history of people with cultural or behavioral differences from the mainstream society (i.e. white american patriarchal capitalist society) being violently oppressed, criminalized, and excluded from the rest of the world because they have been labeled as “abnormal” or “wild”.