Racial tensions are a challenge that the United States has grappled with for years. The nation has attempted to address this challenge using a variety of approaches. These approaches have included promoting racial and ethnic integration and launching affirmative action programs. The approaches have had little impact given that racial tensions and animosity are still present. For example, members of the black community continue to face hostility (Glanton, 2017). It is common for members of this community to be suspected of involvement in crime despite the absence of any evidence to indicate this. The experiences of these individuals shed light on how different individuals experience difference. For these individuals, being black means discrimination and suffering. A white man would look at difference differently. Instead of associating his race with suffering and injustice, this man will link his racial identity to privilege and protection. Different individuals experience difference differently and their experiences are in line with historical occurrences.
The text focuses on how different people experience difference and the role that various statuses play. Race and gender are among the status that shape how individuals regard difference. The author holds that despite sharing a common status, people who have different other statuses will look at difference using different lenses (“Section III”, n.d). For example, it would be expected that a black woman and a white woman would agree on issues that concern women. However, the fact that these two women are from different races means that they will examine the same issues differently. While the white woman will look at the issue from a position of privilege, the black woman will examine the matter from the perspective of an individual who has suffered oppression and has been robbed of their rights. In their book, Adam Seligman, Raher Wasserfall and David Montgomery also explore how individuals experience difference. They appear to support the position that individuals regard difference from the comfort of their own identity. They state that even when individuals attempts to experience difference from the perspective of someone of a different status, they tend to remain tethered to their own identity (Seligman, Wasserfall & Montgomery, 2016). Basically, Seligman, Wasserfall and Montgomery recognize the fact that one’s status shapes how they examine difference.
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In the discussion provided above, focus has been given to how the various authors agree on the role that statuses play in defining how people examine issues. The authors hold that divergence in opinion results when people hold different statuses. While the author of The Meaning of Difference appears to suggest that the different ways of viewing difference cannot be reconciled, Seligman and his colleagues indicate that it is indeed possible for people who hold different status can indeed adopt a shared perspective on a given issue. I feel that there is merit in both arguments. However, I am more inclined to support Seligman and his team. I feel that while we are different, it is possible to be united in issues that concern us all. All we need to do is examine the issue from a humanist perspective. This perspective is stripped of all racial, sexist and other biases. It enables us to examine issues for what they truly are.
Personally, the statuses that I occupy have defined how I explore various issues. My sexual orientation is among these statuses. I identify as heterosexual. Since this is the dominant orientation, it has accorded me certain privileges that homosexuals are denied. For instance, in The Meaning of Difference, it is argued that heterosexuality allows one to freely express their sexual urges and desires. On the other hand, homosexuality forces one to leave in the shadow and robs them of the opportunity to openly express themselves. I have found this to be true. I am able to be open about my sexuality. I understand that gay individuals are unable to do this for fear of violence and being ostracized. Given that my sexual orientation has accorded me benefits that others are unable to enjoy, it is evident that this status is one of privilege. I blame the difference between my experiences and those of gay individuals on society standards and impositions. The society expects individuals to behave in a certain manner. Males are expected to be attracted to females and not to one another. This standard makes life easier for heterosexuals while it denies gay individuals joy and fulfillment.
I must admit that I have felt guilty for experiencing difference differently. I have wondered what I did to deserve the privileges that my statuses grant me. I have concluded that it is not proper to experience difference differently. It is particularly immoral and wrong for those of privileged status to experience different differently. In The Meaning of Difference, it is noted that those of unprivileged statuses endure hardships that others are spared of (“Section III”, n.d). For example, African Americans are usually suspected of being criminals. They are subjected to constant and disproportionate surveillance. Gay individuals are robbed of the pleasures that heterosexuals are able to experience freely and openly. The trouble that those who are not privileged means that it is unacceptable to experience difference differently. It is only when we recognize this that we will take action to restore dignity to those who are not privileged. It is only when I understand that gay individuals encounter challenges that I will be able to push for their rights to be respected.
In conclusion, diversity should be celebrated. Individuals should never suffer simply because they are different. Society has clearly failed to exploit the potential that diversity holds. Instead of promoting diversity, society is forcing individuals to conform and adhere to its standards. This has resulted in a situation where people are divided along status lines: gay vs. straight, rich vs. poor, white vs. black etc. This must change. Individuals must understand that before one is gay, rich, poor, black or otherwise, they are first human. Only when we recognize that we are all part of the diverse human nation will we address the challenges that we face.
References
Glanton, D. (2017). Column: It’s Tough being Black in America. But don’t pity me. Retrieved
8 th July 2017 from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-racism-america-glanton-met-20170604-column.html
Section III. The Meaning of Difference. (n.d).
Seligman, A. B., Wasserfall, R. R. & Montgomery, D. W. (2016). Living with Difference:
How to Build Community in a Divided World. Berkeley, CA: University of California
Press.
