Sociological Theories: Diversity and the Media

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The portrayal of Minority and Dominant Groups
Sociological Theories
Influence of Power on the Media
Conclusion
References

Introduction

For this discussion, an inspection of a Fox News article will be attempted. The name of the piece is “Reflecting on dr. king’s vision – how are we faring in pursuit of the just society?” and it was written by a right-wing political figure Ben Carson. In particular, Carson considers how much the US as a whole has been capable of adhering to MLK’s aspirations for the future of the United States. First, the author discusses King’s desire to create a society where people will be judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the contents of their character.” Carson believes that the US has come a long way since the days of MLK and was subsequently able to give black people the opportunity to flourish and prosper. The main assertion appears to be that presently, black people in the US have the same range of freedoms and opportunities as whites.

Then, however, Carson goes on to discuss his belief that “many of those in leadership positions” are working contrary to MLK’s vision for the United States. In his eyes, theoretical concepts like Critical Race Theory teach people to see the world only in terms of race. For Carson, democratic policies and education place greater emphasis on a person’s race than their achievements, virtually performing the same kinds of racism that Martin Luther King stood against. As the man says, “they’re increasingly embracing the notion that a person’s worth and future potential are determined by their race.” The author also lambasts the concept of equity as being absurd, effectively seeing it as a perversion of the traditional idea of equality. As a closing effort, Carson encouragingly promotes political causes he supports and wishes the US will be able to achieve a truly merit-based social order in the future.

This article is connected to the topics of both race and social class. Ideas of social inequality, racism, equity, and equality and discussed throughout, adding the author’s opinions on the topic. It should be noted, however, that the portrayal of the central problem and its discussion is rooted in a misunderstanding of Martin Luther King’s teaching. Many right-wing politicians ascribe the man to be in favor of a merit-based society, where both black and white people are only viewed through the lens of individual choices. This is a framework ideologically convenient for conservatives, who often reject the existence of systematic or historic problems in the US. Many problems inherent to the US reject the notion of personal choice as a sole guarantee of success because large portions of people have limited access to opportunities and resources (Sandel, 2021). Carson intentionally ignores the majority of MLK’s ideas and aspirations to frame his view of the world as the correct one, and shun democratic policies. In addition, he also manages to uncharitably represent the idea of equity, incorrectly posing its central aim and making it out to be an inherently racist idea.

The portrayal of Minority and Dominant Groups

Throughout the conversation, Carson largely attempts to portray both the minority and dominant groups as the same for the sake of his political agenda. In the man’s worldview, black people living in the US today have the same range of competencies, potential opportunities, and challenges as white people do, with outcomes solely determined by personal merit. This perspective seeks largely to smooth over any systematic challenges the black community faces in favor of an individualist perspective. One can even surmise that Carson favors understanding society as the result of singular people’s choices, rather than a result of systematic interactions.

Sociological Theories

In terms of sociological theories that may be vital to better understand the ideology displayed by Carson, at least two prominent sociological outlooks may be important. First, the Culture of Poverty might be an effective way to understand their beliefs of Carson and the general message his writing conveys. While this approach is not directly connected with the subject Carson discusses, it is highly relevant in understanding the argumentative position of the man, and his perspective on the question of racial differences. In addition, the ideas reflected by this sociological theory are especially appropriate in analyzing conservative ideology.

The culture of poverty is a view that asserts people in bad financial conditions facilitate their kinds of values that, in turn, go on to influence their capability to improve their lives. Carson, essentially, uses a similar approach to understanding the world and the opportunities of people. In his eyes, people made decisions based on their values, which then act as a determinant for their future success. Similarly, the Culture of Poverty theory emphasizes the role of individual choices.

In addition, the scapegoat theory may be relevant to the way Carson understands the issue of racial equity, as well as the Critical Race Theory. The sociological approach asserts that people tend to blame others for their problems, leading to unwarranted prejudice and discrimination. In the case of Ben Carson, his beliefs partially mirror this sociological outlook. Similar to this theory, the man assumes that certain political actors blame the white population for the perceived failings of black people while failing to consider the effect of individual choices and dispositions. In Carson’s mind, ideas such as progressive learning and CRT lead to people in the US blaming white people for the majority of problems inside the US. While it is unreasonable to suggest that the entirety of the white population is responsible for the failings of black people, the past actions of white people in power influenced the conditions under which African Americans live (Herring & Henderson, 2016). This belief is backed up by statistics that prove the existence of economic inequalities between the two groups, as well as the existence of systematic racism.

Influence of Power on the Media

The power and politics of the United States have a large influence over how this article was written. First, it should be noted that it is published on the Fox News website, an politically biased resource. The news organization has a considerable following, influence, and power within the country, allowing it to both command public opinion and be heard. Fox largely employs platforms and promotes people that conform with the overall image of the platform as conservative-centric, making each contribution to their news section more likely to lean to the right. In addition, the existence of an active conservative audience puts a certain pressure on those working for the network.

Most republicans have strong, emotionally-driven beliefs, that stand in opposition to democratic initiatives. The inability to portray progressive policies, politicians, or ideas in a bad light can often decrease the popularity of a conservative writer. An expectation to affirm the beliefs of the majority of viewers is upheld with the popularity of right-wing articles and news segments compared to others. In addition, the knowledge of the viewer base that exists in every Fox collaborator makes them more likely to adapt their actual political beliefs to the form that is most attractive to their readers.

Moving over to the discussion more focused on Ben Carson himself, the man has also been influenced by power in a way that changes his attitude. In particular, the examination of the man’s other articles relays the fact that he is generally aware of the existence of systematic issues in the black community. However, with the need to keep up with the anti-progressive agenda, the man most likely masks a part of his actual beliefs under a mask of anti-CRT rhetoric. As a black person, Carson has to be, to a higher extent than most Fox contributors, aware of the fallacies in his arguments. However, it is likely that he intentionally chooses to format himself in such a way as to retain mass appeal. Alternatively, the political leaning and affiliation of the writer also influence how he discusses the subject, as well as the conclusions that are reached in the process. Firstly, it is important to note that Ben Carson has been largely working for Fox News and other conservative media, relaying his political standing and public persona.

This fact makes it likely for the man to favor certain positions over others, either due to the needs of his work or personal beliefs. In particular, this can be seen in the rejection of systematic analysis. Carson rejects Critical Race Theory and modern policies built to promote equity, instead favoring an individualistic promotion of the status quo. The capacity of many right-wing politicians and experts to stay in power depends on their capacity to resist change, which then becomes the constant need to reject modern sociological approaches. The view on MLK’s teachings Carson adheres to distorts their original message in favor of supporting an existing political view. Martin Luther King’s positions, in their entirety, were far more liberal than those presented in Carson’s presentation, and largely argued for the opposite solutions to modern problems.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that opinionated articles, such as the one written by Ben Carson exist as a method of adapting existing social critiques into a conservative lens, changing them to suit the desired narrative. This fact is seen best in Carson’s discussion of MLK and the progress the US has made regarding race. The argues that the present state of the country is sufficient in promoting the wellness of black people on par with whites, and rejects any notion of change in the process. In particular, Carson rejects the rhetoric introduced by the Black Lives Matter movement and Critical Race Theory. This process is done by isolating certain parts of Martin Luther King’s thoughts and focusing the discussion solely on them, instead of examining the man’s views in their full scope. The position presented by Carson is primarily motivated by his workplace and political affiliation. It can be understood through the lens of other social theories, including the Culture of Poverty theory and the Scapegoat theory.

The first can be utilized to understand the meritocratic nature of Carson’s ideology, while the latter may be useful in explaining how he understands liberal ideology to work. Both theories are partially applicable to the discussion and useful in bringing more context. Overall, the article represents a vision of a color-blind society that tends to ignore the impact of systematic problems and oppose the change in its vision of stability.

References

Ben Carson, M. D. (2022). Reflecting on dr. king’s vision – how are we faring in pursuit of the just society? Fox News. Web.

Herring, C., & Henderson, L. (2016). Wealth inequality in black and white: Cultural and structural sources of the Racial Wealth Gap. Race and Social Problems, 8(1), 4–17. Web.

Sandel, M. J. (2021). How meritocracy fuels inequality—part II reply to critics. American Journal of Law and Equality, 1, 146–166. Web.

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