Category: Activism

As to the discussion for when to intervene in situations of injustice arises, society is often caught in between two polarized options: action and inaction. And, often enough, inaction is the choice. Personal, alongside non-personal factors, directly contribute to this decision-making process. Personal factors can include relentless dedication, sustained effort to positively contribute, and even having “lived” the problem under discussion. For example, some self-entitled feminists refuse to consider this same right of entitlement for men. The motive seems quite clear to them; feminism is the fight for women by women. However, as research has shown, making active participation and/or self-entitlement unreachable for some, is a considered motive to not engage in activism at all. Therefore, as Bobel (2007) concludes, these factors often force the conclusion that being an activist and engaging in activism is somewhat out-of-reach.

As to the non-personal factors, Zevallos (2013) mentions that resources such as time, money, and technology, when scarce, strongly affect one’s decision to become a social justice spokesperson. Adding to this argument, Klink, Hielscher, and Haß (2014) affirm that the real problem lays in the incapacity of mobilizing these resources from organizations to action strategies. But possibly, a more heavily considered non-personal intervenor is the political system one lives under. As research has proven, a government that offers its population either many or few political influences’ opportunities, is often faced with high rates of non-activist (Klink, Hielscher, & Haß, 2014).

However, even with all these considered barriers, the issues are too serious to simply be put aside. According to the United Nations Women (2019), 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence. 40.3 million people are victims of human trafficking globally (International Labor Organization, 2016). 800.000 people die yearly due to suicide (World Health Organization, 2019). Between 2030 and 2050, 250.000 additional deaths, per year, will happen if climate change is not properly addressed (World Health Organization, 2019). And, 10.7% of people in the world were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2016 (United Nations Food and Agriculture, 2017), even though enough food was produced, that same year, to feed the global population on its whole. The numbers are alarming. But, even with all this information at hand, some still opt to not actively participate in the solution-building process.

All the abstract pro-non-activism arguments presented have one common aspect; they are all solvable, or, at the very least, manageable. Moreover, these statistics can change. But only if society does as well. And, now, more than ever, it is time to understand the advantages of action that outbalance inaction.

So, what is activism? And who are the considered activists?

In post-modern democracies, every person is a possible activist. Although some might have high expectations of what being an activist is and what it takes to merit the label, an activist is a person who, in short, translates his/her private concerns into public issues that ought to be addressed (Klink, Hielscher, & Haß, 2014). Conjunction of actions, from planning campaigns (Zevallos, 2013), advocating for any political cause via any means (Klar & Kasser, 2009) to deeply understanding social conditions (Gorski & Weixia, 2015) and acting on them, while influencing others to do so as well, are all forms of activism. And, arguments that question these statements, ought to be better understood and deeply analyzed.

Although activism is, overall, a great way to drive society towards true success, connections between activism and well-being are not as broadly addressed as the downsides of being a social justice advocate, which can put forth the wrong idea that activism can only hold negative aspects in one’s life. Therefore, in an attempt to influence mobilization, the relationship between activism and well-being needs to be more strongly, and more publicly, presented.

What is well-being?

Well-being can be described, in summary, as an individual understanding of happiness sources and a constant desire, alongside an action, to work on one’s true self. In other words, it is a process of building a positive environment, where one feels as if achieving true potential is possible. Under the concept of well-being, Seligman (2011) explores “PERMA”. P(positive emotions), E(engagement), R(relationships), M(eaning), and A(accomplishment) are the terms that form this acronym. PERMA is extremely important to the full comprehension of the benefits of activism since both concepts integrate components of Hedonia – the experience of positive aspects and satisfaction of desires (Deci & Ryan, 2008) – and Eudaimonia – the presence of meaning and development of one’s potential (Deci & Ryan, 2008). And, therefore, strongly correlate.

How do activism and well-being relate?

According to Ryff (1989), psychological well-being is constituted by self-acceptance, personal growth, relatedness, autonomy, relationships, environmental mastery (competence), and purpose in life. The way activism relates to this model is theoretically simple. Self-acceptance, for instance, is the first step to many in the process of becoming an advocate for any social movement and, in the case of activism, might walk hand-in-hand with the concept of relatedness. The idea behind this notion is that, for most people, when the problem is one that directly affects them or one that, at least, they find easy to self-identify with, they tend to engage in higher rates.

Moreover, personal growth has been strongly associated with Erikson’s (1950) idea of generativity – the concern with fostering the welfare of others. Erikson believed in the strong correlation between this idea of generativity and political activism since the concern with something “bigger than the self” – generativity – (Erikson, 1989) is the number one prerequisite to social movements-engagement.

Other well-being studies consist of the definitions of terms such as, “PERMA”, “Hedonia” and “Eudaimonia”, all of which relate to activism. For example, the acronym PERMA suggests that well-being is constituted by the presence of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Kasser (2002) argues that the pursuit of goals within activism is intrinsically associated with motivated behavior and creates circumstances that allow greater psychological satisfaction, which can be interpreted as positive emotions. Engagement is actively present in activism since engagement in social movements allows one to participate in decision-making processes at a local, federal, or even global level. Carver and Baird, 1998; Kasser and Ryan, 1993; Ryan et al (1996) put forth the idea that; the higher the importance of community feeling, the higher one’s well-being. Finally, accomplishment comes from the feeling of knowing one did all in his/her power to help. This feeling might vary from person to person and, to some, it might be considered as a way in which activism can backlash. For example, if one dedicates time, money, and energy to social movements and the results are not visible or non-existent, it might make one feel non-importance in his/her actions – which can later lead to burnout.

With this in mind, we can start to dismantle the misconceptions surrounding activism. Such misconceptions, some already briefly introduced, can also be described as the considered barriers to engaging in activism. Examples of such can vary from lack of information regarding a problem, not enough resources, idealization of what activists and activism look like, to political systems, non-appealing campaigns regarding a project, negative effects of being an activist, and social taboos surrounding social movements.

The argument that people now do not engage in activism, as they did in the past, because access to information is limited to those who search for it, could not be further from the truth. As Statista (2019) shows the growing numbers of internet users worldwide from 2005 to 2018, it is reasonable to conclude that structural resources – in this case, technology – have never been more favorable for civic engagement (Anheier, 2013, p. 80). Therefore, it is not a matter of searching for it, but of simply seeing what is already at hand. Technology and forms of activism overlap when the misconception of high-risk activism as the only existing kind, arises. Although some might think that activism calls for active forms of protest – tying oneself to a tree in a protest against deforestation, dedicating time and energy to rallies on a weekly, or even daily, basis – researchers have shown that activism is a simple act of action. For example, this can be either sharing news on the internet or thoughtfully raising awareness among those around you.

Another considered barrier is the feeling of powerlessness. One might feel as if his/her action is not capable of changing the political scenario, for example. However, history has proven that, sometimes, the tail wags the dog. With famous names such as Gandhi, Malala, and Nelson Mandela proving that indeed one person can change the entire course of history, the feeling of powerlessness becomes very abstract. Mass mobilizations start with only one strike and Greta Thunberg is the perfect example to explain it. Passionate about climate change and willing to do the possible to have the issue properly addressed, the young women have already inspired millions to stand up against government actions.

Yet another highly addressed barrier is the experience of burnout amongst activists. However, as this article has shown, the relationships between activism and well-being are endless. Research on the negative effects of activism often relies on the stress that activists face. According to them, these can lead to feelings of anxiety or depression, health problems, such as high blood pressure, increased procrastination, and so on. However, society is faced with stressors daily – with these varying from loud noises and traffic to the loss of a loved one, financial obligations, and educational systems. So, if these stressors are not considered barriers to moving on with life, why would activism-burnout be one? This leads to the belief that the real issue is not the downsides of activism, but the unwillingness to act.

The Gilded Age or the idea of a better opportunity or quality of life, ‘covered in gold’, brought with it many different representations of people seeking this form of life. Between 1860 and 1900 alone the northern states grew almost fivefold. The bustling cities attracted native countryside migrants, European and Italian immigrants, and even African Americans. Cities like Chicago were heavily overpopulated, creating a cultural melting pot fueled by economic growth and attractive cultural amenities. The quality of life also created challenges, surrounding crowded housing, mixtures of the poor, unskilled, healthy and unhealthy alike.

The genuine concern for these issues garnered the attention of legacy social reformers like Jane Addams and Jacob Riis. The activists of The Gilded Age, raised questions still relevant today. “What, if any, responsibility do privileged Americans have for the poor?”, “What are the best methods for reducing poverty?”, “How can the rich and poor bridge the gaps that divide them?”, “Can the United States be both highly diverse and unified at the same time?”. These all qualifying calls for mobilization at this time, and the spear heading of social activism driven change.

Nobel Prize for Peace recipient Jane Addams and friend Ellen Star created a settlement house named ‘Hull House’. The very first of a series to follow, Hull House, while sectioned in the worst part of the city, created a social hub of opportunity for immigrants and poor alike. The goal being to speak directly to bridging the disconnect. Hull house provided cooking and sewing classes, programs and schools for children. The haven for the destitute and transitioning, even connected local professors to the less fortunate. The thought that it was important to connect, educate, and unify those both established and foreign for greater social change, magnified early activism as a tool to combat local issues.

Jacob Riis, an immigrant himself, utilized photography and his role as a newspaper reporter, as a platform beckoning change. His thought process and cause for concern were the living conditions of the poor. The articles and visuals he introduced to the cozy and privileged, gave direct perspective on how environment effected the morality and trajectory of an individual. These think pieces highlighted crime ridden streets, overpopulated tenement buildings, and the slums of the city. He was an early innovator of a tactic still used today as a form of social activism and mobilization.

A large population of the city of Chicago was made up of black migrants. While these individuals escaped some of the perils of the south, were also allowed to vote and attend schools with whites, they still faced challenges. Discriminatory tactics still presented themselves in being denied better job opportunities, housing and even civil rights being violated. Black focused activism groups like The National Association of Colored Women, created schools, hospitals, orphanages, and combatted national racial issues collectively in The Gilded Age.

The Great Depression brought about more challenges for all. Cases like ‘The Scottsboro Boys’ highlighted this when a group of black young men hopped a train seeking work, and a small altercation with a group of white men on the train, later led to heightened charges from the accusations of two white women onboard. The women accused the young black men of assault and rape. Even with a strong lack of evidence, the men were sentenced to death. Efforts to fight the case, included marches, rallies, even retrials, lasting until the end of the 1930’s, and supported by the NAACP and International Labor Defense, ultimately resulting in the charges being dropped for five defendants. Finally, all accused were absolved officially in 1976, with only one of the defendants still living. Revisited cases today are commonly overturned, some even resulting in significant payouts for the wrongly accused like the highly publicized Central Park Five’.

Post War conditions of the United States in modern America, even raised critique from scientist like Albert Einstein. The scientist, notorious for his political and socialistic views, was even a part of a committee defending the aforementioned ‘Scottsboro Boys’. He also opposed war and the use of atomic weapons, sharing thoughts that capitalistic competitiveness and advancement of technology, equaled less jobs. America, is still embattled with this type of economic struggle, as companies like Amazon gear toward a more technology driven consumer experience, often annihilating in store brand competitors. Social justice warriors like Professor Richard D. Wolff use speaking engagements and his radio show ‘Economic update with Richard D. Wolff’ to bring these issues to light.

Organizations like The Black Panther Party facilitated a more boots to the ground approach as opposed to forerunners of the civil rights movement. The party educated it’s members and community alike, and heavily critiqued public education offered at the time. Our current system is often accused of a ‘teach to test’ atmosphere. This approach is highlighted by the former ‘No Child Left Behind Act’, later replaced with the ‘Every Student Succeeds Act’. Professor of African American studies Mark Naison combats the political blanket treatment for education, by defending students and teachers against these policies. He co-founded ‘The Badass Teachers Association’ and utilized the voices of its contributors to bring these issues to the forefront via publication and social media.

Today’s activism is spearheaded by issues being brought to the light via public platform and creates a unified effort and social responsibility to galvanize and create change for us all.

Environmental activism is related to different people and organizations working in different areas like scientific social conservational and political fields related to environmental. Those people and different organizations in nineteenth century when the conservationists and that are included in this movement are also known as green movement as it relates to our environment. It began natural historian groups formed in Europe and North America in different fields like animal welfare, forestry, national parks and wildlife preservation as well as urban sanitation. Also several western nations established many new policies and law to oversee the environmental issues. This topic is very important as we are living on earth, so it is our duty to keep our environment safe and livable. It includes crucial topics of our daily life like climate change, pollution, forestry and animal preservation.

Individual and political action demonstrates the environmental activism. This type of activism is aimed at declining the gases concentration of greenhouses gases in atmosphere. They mainly focus on minimizing the effects of climate change.The political actions taken by individual activists lead to change that are directly related to climate change. Activists in the 1960’s and 70’s believed in the climactic environmentalism. They were depressed about the nature and were worried about the survival of living beings on earth. However, in the 1970’s activists try to advocate some strategies that would limit the degradation of environment.

Ecological modernization

The economy will only have benefits if it always be noted by keep in mind the importance of environmentalism.In 1980 the group scholars started this idea. It was the thinking of the activists that economy and ecology can be combined by environmental productivity. Environmental productivity is based on the idea that natural resources should be used in a productive manner for the economic growth in the future. To illustrate, conservation of the environment could lead to an increase in energy efficiency and, therefore, the industries would be able to use clean technologies in order to decrease the use of the hazardous products. In the nut shell, it is clear that environment can highly effected by these factors so they should be concerned.

Environmental justice activism

It is defined as social movements that mainly focus on a fair and equal distribution of benefits and burdens in the environment. The activists look for social justice for resolving the issue of environmental inequity. Most waste management sites are located in areas that are occupied by the minority group. The activists believe this to be a form of environmental discrimination and a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Environmental Justice Movements are spread across the world with an aim of ensuring that environmental equity becomes a right. The activists in this movement are based on the fight in areas where discrimination levels are very high.

REFRENCES

1. Scale Policy?’ World Development 15, supplement (Autumn 1987).Annis, Sheldon. ‘Giving Voice to the Poor.’ Foreign Policy 84 (Fall 1991) MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)
2. Wapner, Paul Kevin. Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics. State University of New York Press, 1996.
3. Page 211Doyle, Michael. ‘Kant, Liberalism and Foreign Affairs.’ [part one] Philosophy and Public Affairs 12, no. 3.Drabek, Anne. ‘Developing Alternatives: The Challenge for NGOs¬¬An Overview of the Issues.’ World Development 15, supplement (Autumn 1987)
4. Feld, Werner, and Robert Jordan. International Organizations: A Comparative Approach. New York: Praeger, 1983 MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)
5. Wapner, Paul Kevin. Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics. State University of New York Press, 1996. APA (American Psychological Assoc.)
6. Wapner, P. K. (1996) Feld, Werner, and Robert Jordan. International Organizations: A Comparative Approach. New York: Praeger, 1983 MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)
7. Wapner, Paul Kevin. Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics. State University of New York Press, 1996.
8. https.//www.pc.pc.ca

During this essay I will be arguing and explaining how the changes in contemporary society have influenced the growing phenomena of consumer activism and as a result have posed new risks as well as positive attributes and experiences for the stakeholders involved e.g. business organisations, consumers and employees. Consumer activism is the process of action with the intent to “protect consumers in their economic role by bringing attention to the political, ethical and moral aspects of consumption (behaviour) and consumerism (ideology)” (McGregor 2016; Holzer et al 2010). Even though the act of consumer activism has been around for hundreds of years, this action of consumers voicing their issues and opinions on organisations, products and brands has become a more pressing and important aspect in contemporary society as information is more readily available due to the internet and other available media platforms as “consumer behaviour is highly influenced by the opinion of others for their product choices and usage” (Kumar 2015). I will be specifically discussing contemporary issues of how technology and the current turbulent political environment are impacting ethical behaviours of both consumers and organizations and whether these behaviours are either posing risks or generating benefits for the stakeholders involved as well as identifying the demands it makes us as moral actors.

The phenomena and action of consumer activism is usually represented through civil society organisations (CSO) and non-governmental organisations (NGO) which are “non-governmental, non-profit organisations that do not present commercial interests and pursue a common purpose in the public interest” (Beinare & McCarthy 2011). They represent collections of consumers, local community members, members of social movements and other groups e.g. trade unions, charities, pressure groups and religious organisations. When trying to understand CSO’s and NGO’s and how they facilitate consumer activism, it is best to look at the ‘Third Sector Model’ which defines civil society as including “all associations and networks between the family, market and the state except firms” (Edwards 2000) and provides a visual representation and counterbalance of power within the market, state and corporations. CSO’s engage with civil society through lobbying, media efforts, protests and non-violent direct action, lobbying and many more. In contemporary society, there has been a rise in CSO’s due to the increasing size of the state and market economy which has “grown so virtual, large and hyper-real that it actively alienates us” (Gray & Bebbington 2006), due to vast globalisation. So, this rise in CSO’s means the likelihood of consumer activism is imminent and an increase in activity from consumers helps shape ethical behaviour and experiences in contemporary society.

Technology is a massive part and recent development in contemporary society with the introduction of the internet helping to breed and initiate a lot of consumer activism discussion. Consumers do not make buying decisions in the same way anymore with “survey evidence regularly showing that significant proportions of consumers are fully willing to incorporate ethical decisions into their product purchase decisions” (Crane 2001) and most consumers seek to find this information on the internet. With the internet, information is more readily available to a consumer who seeks to purchase with an ethical mindset and therefore can access a “whole set of issues and considerations that might impinge upon the purchase decision such as product safety, environmental impacts” (Crane 2001). These issues and considerations raised about products and organisations can be mainly accessed through discussions of consumer activists through platforms such as social media, especially Twitter as consumers now feel “obliged to rise up and fix a broken world themselves, using ballots, banners and Twitter and other mechanisms at their disposal” (Horst 2018). This change in ethical behaviour from consumers being openly more active, with one out of five Americans being involved in consumer activities (Horst 2018), shows there is now more demand for us as the consumer to make purchases that are more ethical as well as having pressure for consumers themselves now needing to demand organisations to change their policies by taking an ethical stand against them. These groups of activists banding together are NGO’s which are “high profile actors in the field of international development, both as providers of services to vulnerable individuals and communities as a campaigning policy advocate” (Lewis & Kanji 2009). NGO’s are “increasingly focusing their powers of persuasion on firms” (Spar & La Mure 2003) as they use consumers and public pressure to damage a firm. A classic example of this is when the app Uber saw consumer outrage with the manifestation of the #DeleteUber movement which surrounded the company’s perceived profiting from Trump’s administration travel-ban protests which is an “exemplar that incorporates the evolving media landscape” (Fraustino & Kennedy 2018). Due to consumers boycotting Uber, they lost 200,000 users and resulted in competitors such as Lyft experiencing an increase in downloads. As a result, Uber then released that it had now set a $3 million fund aside to help drivers affected by the immigration ban (Isaac 2017), which shows how the pressure from NGO’s with the use of social media, results in a firm, in turn, trying to “limit the damage by bringing its behaviour in line with the NGO’s mandate” (Spar & La Mure 2003). This example shows the power of this phenomena when changing ethical behaviours of organisations as it shows that activism impacts brand image, transaction costs and competitive position, and therefore firms need to “treat activism as another cost of doing business, one that demands a rational and well-calculated response” (Spar & La Mure 2003). On top of this example of boycotting, there are also now websites such as ‘theethicalconsumer.org’ that have their own boycott list (appendix 1) which encourages consumers who are trying to consume ethically to boycott and expose companies who might not be deemed to be carrying out ethical practices. This is again encouraging ethical behaviour from consumers to one another as by exposing organisations on a large public platform such as the internet, this means that more consumers are going to be aware of these brands ‘unethical’ actions that might not have known beforehand, helping them to question their own ethical behaviour as moral actors of consumption.

On the other hand, due to developments in technology and the internet “interaction between firms and activist groups stand out as a fairly recent phenomenon” (Spar & La Mure 2003) and therefore organisations can also benefit from consumers being more vocal about how they conduct their business operations and create their brand image. An example of this is the very successful cosmetics company The Body Shop who prides itself on being an ethical and environmentally responsible business and have gained praise as they welcome activist discussions and opinions within their business (Hobbs 2017). Their actions in 2017 to end their relationship with the Daily Mail is an example of The Body Shop’s success of working with the NGO ‘Stop the Hate’ that suggested to the Bodyshop in a tweet to “stop advertising in newspapers it considers to be promoting bigotry” (Smith 2017). This strategic move from The Body Shop could be seen to be taking on the view and approach of Mcdonnell and Kings 2013 hypothesis where “firms that enjoy a higher position in their field have more to lose when that position is threatened” as The Body Shop are aware of this threat, so welcome consumer activist opinions. This can help to minimise potential risks, mainly financial and brand image damage, as they are working alongside activists who can easily injure their business, as well as the fact that one of their main USP’s is that they are ethically and environmentally responsible. This change in ethical behaviour from organisations is essential in contemporary society as even though activists have always been around, brands must be more careful now as their transgressions are more visible as a result of the developments of technology, the internet and other media platforms.

Another issue that has now arisen in contemporary society with this phenomenon is that the recent turbulent political times are now playing a big role in how both consumers and organisations are choosing to conduct themselves when it comes to their ethical stance as “consumption itself has become an increasingly problematic realm of contemporary governance” (Clarke et al 2007). Brands are now having more involvement within the political sphere with bigger companies being more likely to be dragged into politics due to the globalisation of businesses. Brands are ‘influencers’ and are finding that they can no longer stand on the side-lines and avoid engaging in political debate as they are “coming under pressure to clarify their brand values and take a stance on some of these highly polarising issues” (Bacon 2016). A classic example of where a successful brand was forced to reconsider and change its policies and strategy was when Kellogg’s fell under scrutiny for advertising with right-wing website ‘Breitbart’ as activists claimed that the news outlet promoted racism, misogyny, and hate speech so an online campaign was created to prompt customer complaint towards Kellogg’s. Kellogg’s strategically responded to this claim by pulling its advertising from the news outlet as it wants to “ensure our ads do no appear on sites that aren’t aligned with our values as a company” (Helmore 2016). This example shows how organisations are now starting to take the MSI (Multi-Stakeholder Initiative) approach as “corporate leaders have now begun to corporate with representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and other civil society actors to develop new regulatory standards and procedures” (Moog et al 2015).

However, other brands have gotten ahead of the game and have decided to take a political stance without the need of direct pressure from NGO’s and other sectors of civil society. This is to minimise risks and to take a strategic approach as even though as “odd as It may sound, firms can occasionally differentiate themselves by conceding first- being the first in the industry to accede to NGO demands” (Spar & La Mure 2003), especially in industries when all firms are under the same activist attack. An example of a brand getting ahead of the game is Starbucks as they responded to Trumps travel ban by promising to hire 10,000 migrant refugees in the next five years as they claim that they “will neither stand, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new administrations actions grows with each passing day” (Schultz 2017; Vaughn & Rushe 2017). This shows that Starbucks is now taking responsibility for the power and influence they possess as a very global brand and are aware that they need to change their ethical stance and behaviour to supporting high profile causes and NGO’s, even though it may not be the most strategic or financially benefitting strategy. This change in behaviour is due to the demands made as we are in an era of highly publicised scandals as well needing to address the public concern for environmental ruin and poor labor conditions as organisations are “increasingly confronted with the need to address new social and environmental concerns” (Moog et al 2015).

To conclude, it is clear from my research of this phenomena that consumer activism will always be a part of society’s day to day life, as there will always be a need, want or demand from consumers for change within organisations. This argument therefore brings us to the question that is raised that will organisations ever be able to do enough to satisfy all consumers from an ethical standpoint? From this essay’s findings, it is evident ethical behaviours have certainly changed for both consumers and organisations, as consumers wants and demands for ethical products has grown and due to developments in technology and having greater access to the internet, they are certainly able to be more vocal with their demands. Whereas, organisation’s ethical behaviours have changed in contemporary society as they are now starting to work more with CSO’s, NGO’s and MSI’s, showing that they are too addressing issues that could have once been ignored. Showing that they are now being more strategic when facing consumer activism. Therefore, this phenomenon has certainly changed ethical behaviours and experiences for the stakeholders involved due to changes in contemporary society. But, for organisations it is almost definitely impossible to become ‘completely ethical’ without negatively affecting profits and other aspects of the organisation.

Introduction

In the wake of people raising awareness of various social and political issues, there has been a debate regarding celebrities talking about them. This also involves athletes since, recently, they have started discussing various problems concerning modern society. While there are some people who think it is senseless for them to discuss those issues, there are reasons to believe that athletes have every right to explore and depict various social flaws and problems.

“Dear Athletes: Keep Your Politics Out Of Sports” Article

In the article, Dear Athletes: Keep Your Politics Out Of Sports, Senior Contributor to The Federalist Libby Emmons expresses her dislike for athletes discussing various issues and expressing their opinions on various causes. She states that since Tommie Smith and John Carlos demonstrated their views at the Mexico City Summer Olympics of 1968, the validity of athletes discussing various issues became a common topic for discourse (Emmons, 2021). This event, along with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee in 2016, has encouraged the author to reveal her opinion on the matter.

Throughout the article, Libby demonstrates negative feelings about athletes advocating for certain issues on the field. She believes that they should focus more on the game instead of getting their fans involved in situations the latter do not understand. The contributor states that athletes putting brief statements on their uniforms is a vague action and irrelevant to the event they attend (Emmons, 2021). Moreover, Simmons states that sportspeople have not been open about Republican views or problems like China’s annexation of Hong Kong (Emmons, 2021). While this statement may trigger a very interesting discussion, it is best to focus on the idea of athlete activism in general.

I do not agree with her viewpoint since I believe that everyone has the right to express their opinion on certain issues and problems that concern society. Undeniably, one should be unbiased and well-informed on a certain concern. However, it is also quite clear that athletes are public figures, and as public figures, they are rather influential and may affect how a certain issue is approached. The idea of sportspeople greatly influencing their fans and audience is, perhaps, one of Libby’s few points I support (Emmons, 2021). However, the other viewpoints, such as statements alienating the general audience and politics being irrelevant to sports events, are not entirely accurate. Thus, I consider most of the author’s opinions to be very flawed.

“George Floyd changed the world of athlete activism” Article

The second article, George Floyd changed the world of athlete activism, provides an in-depth and comprehensive review of how his death affected US sportspeople and why it mattered to them. It mentions that Floyd was previously an athlete himself, which made his colleagues resonate with him (Suddler, 2021). However, unfortunately, athletes tend to be more frequently targeted and questioned by police officers, as the latter profile them because of their features.

While athlete activism, as mentioned previously, is not a new phenomenon, the article states that it was not as common in the 20^th century as it has become since the 2010s. The aforementioned profiling and the backlash against black activist athletes outweighed the possible positive outcomes (Suddler, 2021). However, with the rise of social media and societal awareness, the newer generations of athletes became more open about their views and started discussing those issues more frequently. The article is concluded with a quote by sociologist Harry Edwards, who emphasizes the value of the audience’s response to a black athlete’s words. This could possibly play a significant role in relations between races and athlete activism in general.

I agree with this article more, as it approaches the issue of athlete activism with a better understanding of the matter. Moreover, the article briefly touches on the history of black athlete activism while also explaining why it experienced a strong decrease from the 80s till the start of the 2010s (Suddler, 2021). The writers reference the Chauvin murder trial, cases of racial profiling that black athletes have experienced and how it has affected newer generations of athletes, encouraging them to raise awareness of the topic (Suddler, 2021). This accentuates the concerns the writer has for the depicted issue.

Other reasons why I find this article agreeable include it relying on valid sources instead of fearful musings based on the author’s opinion regarding athlete activism. Whenever the author does express fear in the text, it is supported by statistical data and real-life cases that validate their concern (Suddler, 2021). It is important to mention that the writer ensures that they approach the topic with the utmost sensitivity, helping the readers understand the problem better and commiserating with the outcomes of these cases.

“Athletes and activists: The same uniform” Article

The third article, Athletes and activists: The same uniform, provides a more broad depiction of how activism and sports correlate. It starts with depicting a case when a sportswoman named Allyson Felix experienced a 70% pay cut due to her pregnancy (Steel, 2021). Fortunately, the young woman succeeded in defending her rights, thus leading to a policy that guaranteed 18 paid months for pregnant female athletes instead of 12 (Steel, 2021). Thus, the athlete’s calls for justice helped improve the situation.

Just like the second article, it references George Floyd’s death as well. Alas, it states that for some athlete activists, their attempts at raising awareness resulted in negative outcomes, such as Colin Kaepernick’s, who is “now a free agent” (Steel, 2021). This moment further emphasizes how the topic of racism is avoided by American society. Unfortunately, this avoidance results in athletes facing backlash for being vocal about it.

The article is concluded with a significantly more positive moment. It depicts a famous athlete Carl Nassib coming out as gay (Steel, 2021). This resulted in his jersey being the highest-sold one during Pride Month (Steel, 2021). The text is concluded with an emphasis on the contrast between how activism in sports was perceived previously and how it is perceived nowadays. The final sentences are more optimistic and hopeful, making it clear that the author has faith in the future of activism in sports.

I find the third article to be the most optimistic compared to the previous two. While I understand that the writer seems very hopeful for the future, I think that their approach to the issue seems too naive (Steel, 2021). Nonetheless, I appreciate that the writer of the text, just like the person who wrote the previous one, has a sensitive and understanding way of depicting the issue. Unlike the contributor who posted the first article, the author of the third one is less prejudiced toward athletes partaking in activism.

Moreover, it seems that the writer glossed over the LGBT activism aspect of the article. Perhaps, they didn’t see themselves as well-informed enough to discuss how this topic may have affected athletes and sports in general (Steel, 2021). While it is clear that they are hopeful for the future of LGBT activism in sports, there is no denying that their depiction of feminism and anti-racist activism is more detailed.

However, there is no denying that the writer depicted the perception of anti-racist activism in sports significantly more groundedly. Considering the severity of anti-black racism, it is clear that it negatively affected the athletes who attempted to raise awareness of it (Steel, 2021). And fortunately, the author of the article reviewed this aspect in a more rational way, fully understanding the severity of the depicted issue.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I reviewed three different sources with various opinions on athletes expressing their opinions on political and social justice issues. The first article strongly disliked this phenomenon, as the writer believes that politics and sports are irrelevant to each other. The second text reviews how George Floyd’s death affected athletes and sparked an uprise in athletes promoting anti-racist activism. The third one provided a more broad depiction of how an athlete’s activism is perceived while being too optimistic by the end of the text. These opinions provide various approaches to the matter, with the second and third being more sensitive to the issue than the first. Thus, I gravitate more towards these sources than the text from The Federalist.

All three of the articles I reviewed have cemented my belief regarding the importance of activism in athletics. I believe that many people lack the context and knowledge to understand why it is so important. However, I do not support naive optimism regarding the matter either, as I find it just as damaging. Activism is a serious topic, regardless of who is discussing it. Thus, athletes, writers, and audiences should approach it with the utmost sensitivity while unlearning their biases against it.

Works Cited

Emmons, Libby.“Dear Athletes: Keep Your Politics out of Sports”The Federalist, 2020.

Steel, Alisa “Athletes and activists: The same uniform”.The Daily Californian, 2021.

Suddler, Carl. “George Floyd changed the world of athlete activism”The Washington Post, 2021.

Introduction

The engagement of men in social issues such as domestic violence is critical for ensuring the success of various initiatives targeting the problem. It is essential to include different people in the movements that fight against injustices to ensure the development of an appropriate cultural environment. This paper aims to analyze the article “Engaging Diverse Men: An Intersectionality Analysis of Men’s Pathways to Antiviolence Activism” and define the implications of this work for presets and the future.

Main body

The primary idea of the article in question is that while research on men’s experience with a variety of social issues exists, it is predominantly focused on the majority – while heterosexual men, which fails to represent other groups. Peretz (2017) states that Muslim and queer men should be considered when researching the involvement in feminist and antiviolence projects. From personal experience I can conclude that the author has a valid point when arguing that most researchers focus on examining groups who are relatively privileged, leaving out minorities. Therefore, the representation of the actual outcome and effect is biased and does not correspond to the actual state of things.

The article in question contributes to Woods’s (2017) opinion regarding violence against specific groups that are facilitated through shared beliefs and values. Based on the arguments of both authors it can be concluded that involving men in movements that oppose domestic violence and other forms of harassment is crucial because it helps create awareness of the problem within a specific group. The reasoning that explains why individuals choose to join antiviolence movements can help increase the number of men allies

Conclusion

The findings affect both present and future situations because they highlight the importance of considering different perspectives of the issue. The article by Peretz (2017) focuses on two groups of African-American men engaged in anti-violence movements due to their intersecting identities described by the author. All the participants had either a personal connection or were invited to join the movement. Overall, the article by Peretz helps to understand the importance of collaboration with men in movements that target domestic violence and determine specific factors that facilitate their involvement.

References

Peretz, T. (2017). Engaging diverse men: An intersectional analysis of men’s pathways to antiviolence activism. Gender & Society, 31(4), 526–548. Web.

Woods, J. T. (2017). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publication.

Introduction

Every society promotes specific human behaviors, norms, and ideas that resonate with the established values, gender roles, and ethical principles. This kind of practice informs the understanding of identity. Many scholars and researchers analyze this concept as a social construct since it dictates a person’s position, relationship with others, and connections in a given community. The outcome is a symbolical representation of ideas, thoughts, and even emotions that pertain to a specific person or group. This paper applies the constructs of politics and identity to women’s activism and the challenges many women face when challenging established gender expectations. It goes further to explain why some female groups oppose such actions or initiatives.

Main body

Identity can differ significantly when describing a self, group, state, or society. This is true since groups in a particular state might have diverse views, roles, positions, and expectations. This means that the concept of identity is applicable to a state, a community, a social group, or a given individual. The term “identity” is, therefore, defined as what an individual or group is in a given society (Emejulu, 2018).

Every person or community is expected to focus on established gender norms and responsibilities if desired outcomes are to be recorded. Although identity and politics might refer to different ideas, the outstanding fact is that they are inseparable. This is true since politics is what defines the way people are governed or pursue their objectives (Sa’ar, 2001). Identity becomes a powerful tool for informing the politics specific individuals, societies, or states associated with. The outcome is a leadership model that is implemented in such a way that the targeted followers prioritize their needs and concerns in accordance with their cultural, ethnic, sexual, racial, or sexual goals.

These notions of identity and politics are essential when analyzing and defining gender roles and expectations in every society. For instance, many communities have been associated with a wide range of responsibilities that are designed for specific groups, such as children and women. There are also specific positions and identities that have been associated with women. This kind of social reality has resulted in diverse challenges, including disempowerment of females, denial of natural liberties and rights, and poor education attainment (Kandiyoti, 1988). Young children are forced to take up roles of homemakers even if they are underage or premature.

In some African settings, females are forced or required to go through female genital mutilation (FGM). This is common malpractice that continues to attract the attention of women rights activists and leaders. Fortunately, the changes experienced in the modern world have created new identities and gender roles that remain unacceptable in specific regions. Some women in these societies have worked tirelessly and collaborated to challenge such gender expectations (Emejulu, 2018).

Due to the presence of the above-outlined issues, they have decided to engage in activism and identify oppressive norms and social constructs. Such feminists usually promote actions, behaviors, attitudes, and initiatives that can challenge the existing status quo, thereby being able to pursue their objectives (Kandiyoti, 1988). Unfortunately, these groups encounter numerous setbacks that make it impossible for them to succeed.

For example, the majority of them might be labeled or identified as rebels in their own communities. Others are usually exiled, murdered, or forced to go through certain rituals. Emejulu (2018) goes further to indicate that women who oppose such expectations may lose their jobs, fail to win their counterparts’ support, or be rejected in their own societies. The lack of resources and financial support is another outstanding barrier that affects the success of such individuals. Consequently, they end up lacking visibility or incapable of engaging in future social dialogues that have the potential to transform their experiences.

The nature of these predicaments explains why many female activists have been reluctant to engage in protests. Emejulu (2018) argues that such problems will continue to discourage more women from participating fully in organizations that oppose social norms and inappropriate gender expectations. There are also specific women who chose to fight existing practices in their respective societies, such as polygamy or polyandry.

Such individuals will have increased chances of being punished and even denied to marry (Sa’ar, 2001). This challenge has remained a major barrier for many women to promote ideas and notions that support their welfare. Sa’ar (2001) indicates that women who engage in activism or become too powerful in their respective families and societies will lose the protection of their brothers, husbands, and fathers. Their fellow sisters and mothers will be unwilling to associate with them. These obstacles continue to discourage many women from challenging the gender expectations and roles in their societies. This is a clear indication that the selected authors offer similar arguments regarding the issue of gender-based struggles in different regions.

Opposition to Women’s Struggles and Efforts

The existence or establishment of a patriarchal society explains why many women tend to be opposed to the struggle for a better life. This is the case since they prefer coping mechanisms that will help them avoid conflicts with each other (Kandiyoti, 1988). the decision to adopt is an effort that arises from the identifiable systems that promote domestic or cultural practices. The understanding of social identity makes it impossible for many people in different communities to have a positive idea regarding the issue of modern feminist consciousness (Kandiyoti, 1988). According to them, it is appropriate to support every social consensus instead of attacking it.

This practice will make it possible for them to reduce potential struggles and challenges that can result in community breakdown. Narayan (2008) goes further to indicate that many women believe that the transformation of marriages and family steps is not necessary. This is the case since the process tends to defy the natural arrangements existing between men and women.

The issue of kinship emerges as another reason why many women will not be willing to engage in activism. Sa’ar (2001) indicates that they have reduced chances of being identified with their respective families. The main role they have to do is to promote their husbands’ goals. The loyalty of women to their respective social norms or groups is something that many community members consider respectable and appropriate. Sa’ar (2001) goes further to present an additional argument to explain why women ignore the relevance or role of activism.

He argues that Arab women embrace strategizing capabilities in an attempt to achieve their objectives and support the posterity of the community (Sa’ar, 2001). This kind of practice explains why many women continue to receive untimely support from their respective fathers, brothers, and other members of society.

The existence of defined traditions is a major reason why many women in the underdeveloped worlds would be unwilling to struggle for their rights. They have become institutionalized in their respective communities and focus on their social and group identities. Narayan (2008) approaches the same question from a different perspective. He explains why there is a need for women to acknowledge that gender identities and roles can change without necessarily having to challenge established norms (Narayan, 2008).

The most important thing is to have honest conversations that are aimed at tackling most of the challenges different women encounter in their respective societies. This means that female activists can struggle for better life without fearing issues that might emerge. Those who are opposed to this kind of struggle should think critically and consider actions that will address most of the problems they face and eventually make them successful.

Conclusion

The concept of identity explains why women tend to be identified and defined from a societal perspective or norm. The above discussion has utilized this idea to explain why gender roles and expectations have remained a reality in every society. Women who decide to challenge such roles and positions through their behaviors, activities, or feminist attitudes usually encounter numerous challenges, such as rejection, punishment, lack of resources, and terminated support.

There are also those who fail to associate with strategies in an attempt to improve women’s welfare because of the established norms, social principles, and expectations. In conclusion, any action plan aimed at changing the current status quo will benefit more females without undermining the integrity of the targeted culture and its political objectives.

References

Emejulu, A. (2018). On the problems and possibilities of feminist solidarity: The Women’s March one year on. Progressive Review, 24(4), 257-273. Web.

Kandiyoti, D. (1988). Bargaining with patriarchy. Gender and Society, 2(3), 274-290.

Narayan, U. (2001). “Westernization”, respect for cultures and third-world feminists. In S. Seidman & J. C. Alexander (Eds.), The new social theory reader (pp. 376-389). New York, NY: Routledge.

Sa’ar, A. (2001). Lonely in your firm grip: Women in Israeli-Palestinian families. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 7(4), 723-739.

The documentary movie “How to Survive a Plague” tells a story of the activist movement that fought for the rights of people with HIV/AIDS and advocated for the development of cures for the disease during the 1980s-1990s. The picture shows that the views of the activists and the US government were very different and, in some cases, even opposing to each other. It shows how different perceptions of the illness have led the construction of popular opinion on AIDS attaching some specific meanings and symbolism to it. Researchers define social construction of anything or event as “a dynamic process” involving “a multiplicity of social forces that combine to create and modify the phenomenon” (Conroy, Yeatman and Dovel 2). The story of the ACT UP movement, its confrontation with the federal agencies and political figures, the actions of each party involved in the described historical events, the changes in their knowledge and relationships perfectly demonstrate the dynamic nature of social constructivism. In this paper, I will evaluate the differences in the positions of ACT UP members, policymakers, and the media to analyze the process of social construction and marginalization of HIV/AIDS.

Distinct Perspectives

The main parties involved in the process of the social construction of AIDS in the USA were the activists, policymakers, and the media. ACT UP members regarded the disease from a personal point of view because many of them were HIV-positive. They felt that their needs and interests were ignored by the government, and no adequate strategies were created to help them. At the same time, it seemed like the fact that the majority of people with HIV/AIDS were the representatives of the LGBT community, and that the virus became widespread through certain behaviors which are openly criticized by the society set policymakers and conservative institutions against the activists and their efforts. For this reason, for a long time, neither the president nor the FDA wanted to accelerate the process of drug development and approval and were not encouraged enough to change something. Additionally, the media mainly focused on the conflicts between the two parties and passed on the sense of AIDS-related fatalism that many affected people had at that time.

As stated by Hallett and Cannella, “the mainstream news media paid little attention to HIV/AIDS until fears of transmission to the dominant culture were reaffirmed by medical testimony” (18). It is possible to say that by broadcasting a congressman’s verbal attacks on the activists, representing the latter as criminals, focusing on their anger and grief, providing insufficient or no scientific evidence about the problem, the media only promoted hostility towards AIDS and those who had it and spread the fear of the virus among people. It is likely that because the disease is now associated with many controversial views that provoke unpleasant thoughts and feelings many people prefer to ignore the problem.

Activists’ Strategies

Many times ACT UP used the strategy of taking over the facilities and blocking the streets. The advantage of such behavior is that it attracts attention. It was probably effective in the current situation when the interests of HIV-positive people were uncared of. The disadvantage of this approach is that it is illegal and frequently may result in aggression and violence.

Another strategy they used can be viewed as action research. This approach includes such steps as the investigation of a problem, the collection of research evidence and data, the sharing of information, and the utilization of findings in practice (Bergold and Thomas par. 2). It is possible to say that the real progress in the activists’ advocacy process happened when they started to research the problem from the scientific point of view and make evidence-based proposals to the agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and experts. The major advantage of this strategy is that it is rational and almost entirely excludes the emotional component which is often seen by strict institutions as a sign of childishness. Thus, it helped ACT UP to show that they are serious about their intentions. The main weakness of this approach is that it requires a lot of time.

It is possible to say that by focusing on the research of HIV/AIDS mechanisms and treatment, the activists could improve their relationships with experts. By educating themselves in the field of medicine, they became able to have a productive dialog with specialists and to collaborate with them. Before it happened and before ACT UP had any data to support their demands and statements, their relationships with expert claim-makers were rather tense. Therefore, action research may be considered an effective advocacy strategy.

Summary

It is possible to say that the social construct of HIV/AIDS remains linked to fatalistic beliefs even today. People still argue a lot about this problem because it is related to many ethical and behavioral issues that never had a simple answer. However, the example of ACT UP demonstrates that, with the right approach and appropriate means, a small group of people can influence the popular views on a phenomenon and can change dominant public attitudes. To do so, one needs to be in a dialog with those who have opposing positions and interests. A successful activist should make reasonable statements but stay inspired by emotions and a strong feeling of the need for change.

Works Cited

Bergold, Jarg, and Stefan Thomas. “Participatory Research Methods: A Methodological Approach in Motion.” Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol. 13, no. 1, 2012. Web.

Conroy, Amy, Sara Yeatman, and Kathryn Dovel. “The Social Construction of AIDS During a Time of Evolving Access to Antiretroviral Therapy in Rural Malawi.” Culture, health & sexuality, vol. 15, no. 8, 2013, pp. 1-14.

Hallett, Michael, and David Cannella. “Gatekeeping Through Media Format: Strategies of Voice for HIV-Positive via Human Interest News Formats and Organizations.” Activism and Marginalization in the AIDS Crisis, edited by Michael Hallett, Routledge, 2013, pp. 17-36.

The Visions of the Activists, Media, and Policy Makers

The AIDS crisis in the United States (and in New York, its epicenter, particularly) was viewed differently by activists, media, and policymakers. The activists’ vision presented in the documentary (How to Survive a Plague) was that the government was not handling the crisis successfully and, in fact, denied the right to health care because many people who had HIV or AIDS could not receive necessary treatment or medications. The roots of this crisis were seen by the activists in prejudice against gay people and hatred of them. One of the activists claims to have heard from his supervisor that “they all [gay men] deserve to die because they took it up the butt” (How to Survive a Plague), and during ACT UP meetings, many people declared that this negative attitude toward gay people is an unacceptable condition that prevents thousands of people from receiving proper health care services.

The vision of the media was that the crisis was a major event in the social life and civil society activity in the United States. Media were interested in the public aspects of the campaigns conducted by ACT UP only; they covered ACT UP protests and meetings with hospitals’ administrators and the mayor of New York. In their coverage, media are supposed to be objective, and in the case of ACT UP activities, both sides were presented: non-violent protests and the position of the government. This position was to deny the fact of the crisis and blame activists for promoting their agenda inadequately. For example, Ed Koch, the mayor of New York, said that ACT UP used fascist tactics. According to the activists (the documentary mostly presents their perspective), the government asked hospitals not to diagnose people with AIDS to avoid declaring a state of emergency. Therefore, it can be said that the policymakers viewed the crisis as a serious threat to their power because it could cause protests and undermine the health care system that was unable to provide necessary services to all the people with AIDS.

ACT UP Strategies: Advantages and Limits

One of the strategies that ACT UP activists used to push their claims was protesting against the position of the government and that of hospitals. The protests were mostly non-violent, and the documentary contains footage of mass gatherings of activists in the streets where they screamed out different chants, such as “Act up! Fight back!” and lied down on the ground when asked to disperse. The advantage of the non-violent strategy is that activists who adopt it manage to promote their agenda without being perceived as aggressive or hostile (Gingrich-Philbrook 83). Such a perception could shape a negative attitude toward ACT UP among the general public, and their agenda could be undermined. It was a strong strategy because the LGBT community, which constituted a remarkable part of the ACT UP movement, was stigmatized during the AIDS crisis, and hostile behavior could stigmatize them even more because they would have been labeled as aggressive and violent; instead, they wanted to peacefully demand the fulfillment of their right to health care. The limit of the strategy is that the government may be unwilling to swiftly respond to protests unless those protests involve violence.

Another strategy was consolidation. The activists came to the meetings with hospital administrators in large groups; when they were asked to leave only three representatives for negotiation and go away, they refused and insisted that the entire group stayed at the hospital until the meeting between the activists’ representatives and the administrators took place. The advantage of the strategy is that it demonstrated that many people were united around one idea, and they were resolute. The limit is that the movement still had its internal conflicts (for example, some people thought it was necessary to act more violently), which is why complete consolidation was unattainable.

One more strategy used by ACT UP was to encourage closeted gay people to come out and support the agenda of the movement. For example, the activists used the slogan “Silence=Death” (Robson and Sumara 27). The advantage of the strategy was that it allowed attracting new supporters and showing that ACT UP was not about AIDS only but equal rights in general; particularly, equal rights for gay people. The limit of the strategy was that it promoted the stigma in a way because it strengthened the perception that AIDS is a “gay disease.”

Activist and Expert Claim Makers

Claims made by the activists are sharp, resolute, emotional, and often politically charged. The purpose of the activists was to attract more supporters and make the government address the AIDS crisis properly, which is why their claims needed to be strong and loud. Expert claims, on the other hand, needed to be calm and reasonable because the role of an expert is to analyze or share knowledge and not to struggle. For example, many scientists, such as chemists and biologists, were part of the ACT UP movement to support it with expert opinions on the way the AIDS crisis should be addressed. It strengthened the movement and brought practical benefits because more people became educated on how to take safety measures to avoid AIDS or how to live with the disease.

Works Cited

France, David, director. How to Survive a Plague. Public Square Films, Ninety Thousand Words, and Ted Snowdon Foundation, 2012.

Gingrich-Philbrook, Craig. “ACT UP as a Structure of Feeling.” Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 98, no. 1, 2012, pp. 81-88.

Robson, Claire, and Dennis Sumara. “Silence, Death, and D/discourse: Critical Literary Practices with Lesbian Seniors.” Journal of Lesbian Studies, vol. 19, no. 1, 2015, pp. 27-34.

Importance of Research

“I proudly announce I’m gay” (Mackey par. 1). NBA player like Jason Collins and Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics admitted to being gay and continued with their career. ‘Openly gay’ is a concept that has evolved recently even in professions that are predominantly follow conservative sexual ethics.

An upsurge in the queer activism from New York, Taipei, to Sydney shows the rise in the awareness and openness with which people are opening up to accepting their sexuality. More and more people are openly talking about their sexuality and do not feel constrained by social concerns to reveal their sexual preferences. As same sex marriages are being accepted in many countries worldwide, and in 27 states in the US, the question that logically emerges is what is the next step for gay activism.

Preliminary research findings demonstrate that gay activism has become rampant in many parts of the world, changing the mindset of the masses considerably. However, there is little known evidence to support the social acceptance and adjustment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transvestite (LGBT) community.

However, the older generation of gay men and women are not comfortable with the younger generation’s acceptance of their self-identity and revealing their sexual orientation to the world. Thus, there emerges a difference among younger and older generation of LGBTs. Identifying with the gay movement helps in creating a social identity for the LGBT community.

According to the self-determination theory, individuals are motivated when they associate with a group (Ryan and Deci 68). In other words, when the degree of relatedness is high it leads to higher degree of motivation and self-being. Queer activism helped the LGBT community to identify with a sub-culture that helped to shape a different identity through self-determination.

The essential question that is aimed to be answered in the research is how gay activism has helped shape LGBT identity and developed a community amongst themselves. Prior research has concentrated on understanding how the gay community connects with one another to form a unified gay identity; however, little credit has been given to the emergence of queer activism that has helped the community to open up to the world.

The social movement is supposed to generate a shared community that identifies with the social coercion and stereotyping and hence forms solidarity of its own (Epstein 137). Thus, the question that evidently arises is if the queer activism around the globe is helpful to shape the LGBT community’s lifestyle and choices. Does this mean that the LGBT community around the globe can finally be a part of the society without any stigma or fear?

Does it imply that the increased tolerance towards homosexuality shown in most European nations will help to shape the social structure for the LGBT community? Alternatively, will it carve a niche space for the community separate from the ‘normal’ heterosexual, conservative world or would it integrate them openly within the social structure?

I feel the most interesting part of the topic is the perception of acceptance that the LGBT community feels has been brought up due to their pronounced activism and the nature of social development that has taken place to define their place in the society. In order to narrow down the topic to the specific research question, I kept on limiting down my research question until I found a specific question.

The methodology that will be used of the study is qualitative interview and quantitative questionnaire survey of the LGBTs who have taken an active role, supporting role but no active participation, and no role, or support for the activism. This will help us to identify the effect the activism had on the social development of LGBTs.

The strength of the research question is that it shows a different direction to the queer movement as a social movement and its effect on identity creation of the LGBT community. The weaknesses is that it may end up generalizing the question, instead of specifically understanding the effect the activism would have on the social development of the community.

Literature Review

Social Movement Theory

Social movement theory postulates that Prior research on activism and formation of social identity has raised the question of the effect of activism on social development and collective identity formation (Gamson 392). There are various theories that show identity creation through political or social movement.

Bernstein (58) points out to three different approaches with which researchers have tried to explain the process of identity creation through social movement – neo-Marxist, new social movement, and postmodern approaches. Sociologists have devised methods to understand the impact of a social movement in forming collective identity (Polletta and Jasper 296). Researches try to understand how social activism helped in reshaping the collective identity of the community.

Queer Activism and LGBT Identity Discourse

Research into queer activism and identity formation of the LGBT community argues that queer activism uses a victimizing discourse that increases separateness between gay and straight people, thus, creating a separate identity and community (Vivienne and Burgess 553).

Other sociologists believe that a movement that is based on portraying gay people as sexual minority would deviate from the purpose of the movement from social acceptance and assimilation to a new socio-sexual-order (Epstein 155). Cultural difference in the perception and social acceptance of sexuality and sexual deviance also shapes the outcome of the queer activism (Watney 23).

Some believe that queer activism is also a possible reason behind overt heterosexual hatred toward gay community (Herek 12). The victimization discourse of queer activism has led to the disassociation of the LGBT community from the normal youth and hence, creates a sub-community among youths (Hackford-Peer 553).

Using social movement theory and its impact on collective identity, I will try to demonstrate the impact queer activism has/had on the participating member, non-participatory supporters, and non-supporting members of the community.

The readings on queer activism and discourse show how social movement of gay liberation has shaped identity formation and creation of a separate community for LGBTs. All the literature on social movement and identity formation of gay people helps to understand the factors that influence the formation of the idea of a community and how it can take shape among the LGBT population.

Future Research

Future studies should try to do a case study of queer activism in a particular locality and gauge how the movement affects the LGBT community. For this purpose, interviews, questionnaire survey, and observation would be the tools to understand the nature of development of the community. These methods are the simplest and most widely used methods of social research and hence will help to understand the nature of the community.

The research will provide information for all, as it will help others understand the nature of social development that the LGBT community has undergone. Further, it will help all – heterosexuals and homosexuals – to clearly understand the point of view of the LGBT community. I will try to print the research paper in magazines so that the masses can read the outcome of the research.

Works Cited

Bernstein, Mary. “Identity politics.” Annual Review of Sociology 31 (2005): 47-74. Print.

Epstein, Steven. “Gay politics, ethnic identity: The limits of social constructionism.” Nardi, P. N. and BE Schneider. Social perspectives in lesbian and gay studies: A reader. New York: Routledge, 1998. 134-159. Print.

Gamson, Joshua. “Must Identity Movements Self-Destruct? A Queer Dilemma.” Social Problems 42.3 (1995): 390-407. Print.

Hackford-Peer, Kim. “In the Name of Safety: Discursive Positionings of Queer Youth.” Studies in Philosophy and Education 29.6 (2010): 541–556. Print.

Herek, Gregory M. “Beyond “Homophobia”: Thinking About Sexual Prejudice and Stigma in the Twenty-First Century.” Sexuality Research & Social Policy 1.2 (2004): 6-24. Print.

Mackey, Robert. “Latvian Minister Declares He’s Gay, Exposing Fault Lines of New Culture War in Europe.” 2014. The New York Times. Web.

Polletta, Francesca and James M. Jasper. “Collective identity and social movements.” Annual Review of Sociology (2001): 283-305. Print.

Ryan, Richard M. and Edward L. Deci. “Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being.” American Psychologist 55.1 (2000): 68-78. Print.

Vivienne, Sonja and Jean Burgess. “The Digital Storyteller’s Stage: Queer Everyday Activists Negotiating Privacy and Publicness.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 56.3 (2012): 32–377. Print.

Watney, Simon. “Queer epistomology: activism, ‘outing’, and the politics of sexual identity.” Critical Quaterly 36.1 (2002): 13-27. Print.