Article review: Cultural Studies and Community

Article Review: Cultural Studies and Community

The social environment in the United States has changed over the years. Today, the minorities can boast of a certain level of recognition, respect, and liberty. However, more has to be done to ensure absolute equality and freedom for all. While many laws have been passed to support the marginalized in the society, it is undeniable that most policies exist on paper (Clatterbaugh, 1997). The hardest part is in the implementation where most individuals—including the affected and the vulnerable—find it hard to resist the old traditions.

In the three articles, for instance, the authors agree that in the United States, there is more than it meets the eye, with regards to the advocacy of the rights of a minority and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT).The authors of three different articles are established researchers that base their arguments on first-hand information and years of lengthy research. 

To the general public, the animosity towards the marginalized people emanates from the majority. They base their beliefs on the mainstream activities about human behavior. However,   Christina’s close scrutiny of lives of LGBT reveals insightful information: the observed animosity emanates from within the LGBT circle. For instance, she finds out that the White LGBT views the people of color with discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation. On the other hand, the victims of discrimination have accepted their position in the society. This makes them more marginalized than before (Plummer, 2002). In the long run, cracks in the LGBT society emerge from within, hence making it harder to push for implementation of proposed reforms to bring about a change.

In his article Against Romance of the Community, Joseph supports Christina’s argument. He offers a case of Jane, who was openly discriminative of fellow gays and lesbians that were white. In a conversation, Jane admits that she feels more comfortable being associated to an African American lesbian group rather than with LGBT society. The admission confirms the worst fears that the society—though pushing hard for reforms and general public—still has a long way to cover in search for absolute freedom and equality.  In addition, the author discovers that most gays and lesbians are inclined towards seclusion from the general public, but the feeling is inspired by the fear of the unknown and the need for peaceful coexistence.

It is a pity that the modern society is consciously or unconsciously nullifying most gains of the 20^th century with regards to freedom and Cultural Revolution. In an educational setting, for instance, sharp divisions exist between the different races and ethnic groups, despite the level of enlightenment of the young population. Amanda Garvin et al., in Collaborative Futures share concerns about the college education’s dark future on collaboration should the rising needs fail to be addressed with immediate effect. Similar to Joseph and Christina, the author of Collaborative Futures observe that the government is addressing symptoms rather than the real cause of the disparity. He argues that the diversity in the education system can be used to improve learning rather than to inspire hatred and to brew discontent that can trigger violent outbursts.  From his analysis, it is possible to expand the learning environment through a collaboration of students from various backgrounds.

It is clear that the authors are raising genuine concern regarding the cultural disparity and the lives of the minority and marginalized people in a modern American society. However, the arguments fall short at offering step-by-step means the relevant authorities can utilize to close the gap. In the end, questions regarding the need for genuine freedom and recognition of the rights of vulnerable individuals still looms (Day & Schoenrade, 2000).

References

Clatterbaugh, K. C. (1997). Contemporary perspectives on masculinity: Men, women, and politics in modern society. Westview Pr.

Day, N. E., & Schoenrade, P. (2000). The relationship among reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies, top management support and work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees. Personnel Review,29(3), 346-363.

Plummer, K. (Ed.). (2002). Modern Homosexualities: Fragments of Lesbian and Gay Experiences. Routledge.