Between Old and New: Social Movements and Cultural Change - Essay Example

Between Old and New: Social Movements and Cultural Change 1. D’ Anjou, Leo & Male, John Van “Between Old and New: Social Movements and Cultural Change” Mobilization International Journal, 1998, 3(2): 207-226 http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/878/SOC001.pdf D’ Anjou & Male (1998) have elaborated how social movements are launched and organized with the promise of striving for the implementation of law and order within the social establishment; somehow, the movements while making demonstrations and raising revolt against the injustices violate the statutes of prevailing law, and thus crush the statues of law under the chariot wheels of rebellion against the social and political authorities. Since the social movements are launched with the hidden agenda of obtaining some social privileges, economic benefits, pecuniary gains and/or political advantages, so the leaders of such movements instigate the masses to organize demonstrations, and keep law in their hands for the attainment of the demands being sought by their leadership. The authors have successfully elucidated the social problems including abortion, drug consumption, ecological issues and others, where violation of human rights is evident and inevitable to a great extent. The work reveals the command of the authors on the problems people undergo while following the social norms and cultural values on the one hand, and imitating the footprints of modernism on the other. D’ Anjou & Male also find unawareness of the majority of the participants of a social movement regarding the hidden agenda behind the launching of the movement. 2. Eddy, Mark “Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies” Congressional Research Service 2010 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33211.pdf Eddy (2010) has made a comprehensive investigation into the problem of drug addiction with special concentration upon the governmental policy about drug consumption and legitimizing the same for the patients as well as for the habitual addicts under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) prevailing and effective in almost fourteen states of the United States. The author has argued that fourteen western states of the USA have granted the permission to the patients for consuming marijuana, which has invited severe controversy in the country. It is partly due to the very reality that the normal people can not only have access to the same in the name of medical treatment, but also it could reach the access of the adolescents and youth subsequently. Moreover, the controversy arose because of the very fact that the federal government is making persecution of the patients consuming marijuana as well as the physicians responsible for recommending the same to the patients addicted to marijuana. Consequently, the US Congress appears to in a fix regarding making any decision for allowing or prohibiting its consumption in the society. The author has also pointed out towards two bills presented by the members in the US Congress in favor of granting permission to the patients for the consumption of marijuana and other drugs on the recommendations made by their medical advisors and therapists. Hence, drug consumption would be legalized in the country, which is contrary to the values and previously existing statutes of the law declaring drug addiction as crime. 3. Debusmann, Bernd “Obama, Drugs and Common Sense” Reuters Dec 23, 2009 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/tag/war-on-drugs/ In his article in Reuters, Debusmann (2009) has pointed out towards the controversy arose in the statements made by the present US President Barrack Obama before and after coming to power as the US senator as well as the president of the country. On the one side, he had declared the war against drugs as an utter failure in his speech he made in 2004 in the Senate before running for the candidature as the President of the USA. He aimed to bring alterations in the prevailing laws for the best interest of the nation. Somehow, on arriving at the helm of the government, he started supporting the prevailing laws and strategies had been in vogue for countering the addiction menace. Consequently, his purported support of the demand to revise and modify the existing drug control laws turned out to be mere the part of his election campaign and political stunt he used as the propaganda for winning the elections for his party. 4. Bennett, Andy. “Culture of Popular Music” Open University Press Buckingham· Philadelphia 2001 https://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/0335202500.pdf Bennett (2001) has elucidated the tremendous alterations introduced by the innovators in the prevailing cultural traits, by countering the same and replacing them with the new ones. The author has particularly focused upon the popular music, which observed imperative change because of the youth determined to challenge it. However, the new and innovative patterns of music also observed challenge by their successors, and consequently, counter-culture brought significant changes in the cultural patterns with the passage of time. 5. Grinspoon, Lester& Bakalar, James B. “Medical Uses of Illicit Drugs” 1985 http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/meduse.htm Grinspoon &Bakalar have pointed out towards the extreme contradiction involved into the policy of discouraging the individuals to consume drugs in one way or the other by declaring it vehemently harmful and injurious to their health and fitness. Somehow, the medical practitioners, psycho-therapists and counselors themselves use and recommend the same to the patients, as it invites controversy and debate from the critics that a harmful thing should be condemned rather applying the same in the name of cure and convalescence. THE ESSAY By critically investigating into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that almost all societies of the globe have developed some particular social norms, cultural values, religious cult, and customs and conventions as well, following of which is admired and appreciated by a large majority of the individuals belonging to the particular social establishment. Similarly, society does not accept the violation of these rules and regulations, as it may put the peace and harmony of society in grave jeopardy. Consequently deviation from the mainstream legal set up is not only discouraged and criticized through censure, rebuking and even inflicting punishment and penalties, but also society declares the law breakers as criminals and monstrous elements, which should remain behind the bar, so that they could not hurt or harm the fellow beings. The logic behind implementation of uniform schemes and strategies, on all the individuals without discrimination, as well as in all parts of the society includes the protection and preservation of collective interest of the masses. It is therefore these policies are not only accepted as values and laws universally, but also an overwhelming majority of the people look for adapting themselves in the patterns of the norms and laws articulated by the political and social authorities. As a result, they not only demand for the imitation of the same, but also appear to be determined in suggesting punishments for those responsible for the violators of these statutes of law in the best national interest. The same is the case with preservation of peace and stability in society on the one hand and for the welfare of the masses at large on the other. Somehow, allowing the strategies that are clearly against the collective benefit invite the wrath of the people, who rise to the occasion to raise a revolt against the violation of law and norms in order to stop it with an iron hand. The same is applied to the launching of the social and political movements, drug consumption policies and other, which maintain motif of collective uplift of the social structure behind them. Taking the example of famous African American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005), it becomes evident that her resistance on vacating her seat in the bus in honor of a white individual of her society apparently looked as the violation of the traditions and customs prevailing in her contemporary society, due to the very reality that the black individuals were expected to surrender their seats in public transport in honor of their white counterparts. However, Rosa Park, the then ordinary black lady in her mid 40s, violated from existing rules, and invited the riots and chaos in society. Her refusal to comply with the bus driver’s instructions of vacating her seat organized the black community and gave birth to the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott Movement during 1955-56. Somehow, her struggle not only turned out to be fruitful eventually, but also it laid the foundation stone of breaking the backbone of racial discrimination prevailing in the US society till 1960s. Her famous book under the title “Rosa Parks: My Story” reveals the presence of social disparity and injustice in the US culture, where the minority communities were once the victims of the hatred of some extremist racists, which had subsequently created ethnic conflict in the American society. The US society of Parks’ youth times observed racial discrimination, which was predominantly evident in all public sectors, where all minority groups endured discriminatory behavior. By critically investigation into the above-mentioned movement, it appears to be challenging for the peace and stability of the US society. In addition, the movement also augmented the ethno-racial conflicts and clashes in the country. Somehow, since the movement had been commenced with the motif of earning equal rights for the US citizens by discouraging ethnic, racial, religious and gender discrimination from society, it became the custodian of civil rights for the future years to come. Consequently, there appeared controversy in the situation, where on the one side there was imminent danger of disorder and anarchy, and on the other side, the rights of the African American subjects had been at great stake. Thus, the people participating in the movements were simultaneously the law breakers and rebels, as well as the protectors and custodians of civil rights. Similarly, the African American community got involved into riots and too law in their hands in August 2011 in the wake of the killing of one of the member of their community Mark Duggan. Instead of displaying responsibility and rationality, the extremist black protestors destroyed the peace of London city, and pushed national harmony into grave jeopardy. The purported torch-bearers of civil liberty and equality crushed the prevailing law under the shoes, and instigated hatred and discrimination; consequently, gulf between the black and white communities witnessed tremendous increase during 6th to 10th of August last year, and caused four more casualties in the aftermath of Duggan’s murder at the hands of the London police. Thus, the opportunists indulged into looting, arson and other crimes in the name of launching movement for the protection of human rights of the black community, and for saving them from the unnecessary chase had been in vogue in the city for the last several years. Had they been the seekers of peace and justice, they would have not involved into the heinous crimes of rioting and looting. Hence, their irresponsible behavior damaged the image of the country as an enlightened state of the world. Renowned Gulf news agency Khalifa Magazine had made entire coverage of the sad incident in its October issue, where it states that though the commotion was confined to Tottenham area of London city only; however, the extremists and opportunists spread it like a bush fire to Hackney, Brixton, Ealing, Peckham, Birmingham, Manchester and suburban Croydon. Even the British leadership, particularly UK Prime Minister and London Mayor Boris Johnson had to cut short their holidays to fly back to deal with the unrest.” (Khalifa Magazine, 2011) Although the disturbance and adverse law and order situation in the London city and in the suburbs was a matter of apprehension and alarm for the political authorities and masses alike, yet the most challenging and nerve-racking issue was the associating of a crime control activity with racial prejudice and discrimination. Thus, the perturbed state of affairs invited heinous controversy, where the so-called human rights activists were hurting and looting the innocent people in the name of justice and harmony. Controversy also arises at the moment when man has to make decisions while rendering services at different positions. For instance, the present US President Barrack Hussain Obama used to be great critic of the prevailing drug control laws, and declared them ineffective and insufficient ones, which could not create imperative impediments on the way to drug abuse and addiction. However, on becoming from the Senator of opposition political party to the President of the country, his views and policies observed profound alterations, and he could neither support nor introduce any reforms related to the already existing drug control laws. Debusmann (2009) claims that Obama had made high claims to ban drugs for the youth. Although the government had sustained the policy of keeping the youth from 12 to 17 years of age away from illicit drug consumption. According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 10.1% of youth in this age range report being current (in the past month) users of illicit drugs (Sacco & Finklea (2011). Nevertheless, no serious step could be taken to reverse the laws, which had been the most irritating ones in the eyes of the Democrats. To conclude, it becomes evident that in the life and history of nations and individuals, such moments appear that turn out to be critical for their moral values and philosophy, and which bring controversy in their ideas and actions. Otto von Bismarck, Emperor Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler were determined to make Germany as the leader of the world; somehow, their cruel and irrational political policies caused the humiliation and defeat of the German nation both in WWI and WWII. Similarly, in his campaign to save the USA from the obnoxious clutches of terrorism, George W. Bush pushed the world into an endless bloodshed, agony and disturbance, where not only the USA and her allies had to undergo the losses in men and material, but also the Iraqi, Pakistani and Afghan people were died in thousands during his nonsense and atrocious war on terror. History is replete with hundreds of examples where the nations looked observing controversy in their policies and behavior. It is particularly applied to drug addiction; as on the one side, the political authorities leave no stone unturned to discourage and ban illicit drug addiction; and on the other side, they also issue permits for the sale and consumption of the same on medical and other grounds at large. Works Cited: Bennett, Andy. “Culture of Popular Music” Open University Press Buckingham· Philadelphia 2001 https://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/0335202500.pdf D’ Anjou, Leo & Male, John Van “Between Old and New: Social Movements and Cultural Change” Mobilization International Journal, 1998, 3(2): 207-226 http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/878/SOC001.pdf Debusmann, Bernd “Obama, Drugs and Common Sense” Reuters Dec 23, 2009 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/tag/war-on-drugs/ Eddy, Mark “Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies” Congressional Research Service 2010 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33211.pdf Grinspoon, Lester& Bakalar, James B. “Medical Uses of Illicit Drugs” 1985 http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/meduse.htm Khalifa Magazine. The UK Riots October 2011 http://www.khilafah.eu/kmag/article/the-uk-riots Parks, Rosa. 1992/1999 Rosa Park: My Story Puffin Books Sacco, Lisa N. & Finklea, Kristin M. “Reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Issues for Consideration” October 20, 2011 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41535.pdf Read More