Gay Culture from a Sociological Perspective - Essay Example

Gay culture from a sociological perspective: A lot of researchers have posed the theory that in actuality a lot of gays in the contemporary culture are posed as affluent middle class people. They usually have stable incomes, are in a committed relationship and can be seen raising a child together. This is due to the historic social forces that have helped in developing the gay movement largely belonged to middleclass. Also the economic patterns of living happily and freely as a gay person one is required to have a middleclass residency, employment and expenditure patterns. It is undoubtedly harder for people in minorities or belonging to a lower class to express themselves and come out living freely. There is a relationship between social class and expression of sexuality. The first and most important factor is economics. For well off people it is easier to find places that are more accepting of them, they have resources to understand and live their lives better. There is also an increased acceptance of gay people in semi urban and urban areas, which all require at least a middle class income. Nature of work is also important as it is in these areas working environment will be more different, more accepting. Organizations such as these are open minded, have modernized their way and are thereby paying and taking care of their employees in a good manner. For working class population there is less choice and they will face a lot of bias. Also since development of relationships is often based on what one has experienced during childhood, working class is less likely to come from a stable relationship as statistics have shown divorce rates to be higher there. Working class men would be expected to be in less long term relationships while gay people are usually seen as committed together for a long time and raising a family. Another thing is that in working class, the heterosexuality of a male is seen as a powerful force, a sign of masculinity so they would be expected to engage more with women. French-English language debate in Canada: Social sciences in Canada clearly reflect the divide between the two major national groups. This difference has also translated in sociological and cultural difference. The Canadian society is seen as less consumerist, more stable and proud of their nationality while the English speaking is seen as more liberal and more materialistic. French-Canadians are also more religious with the majority being Catholic and raising a large family. This dual character is somewhat confusing to the national identity as not a single one exists; however this does promote important thought provoking exchanges and debates. Two different academic communities also exist in Canada, one is Anglo-American and the other prefers the French connection. Sociology appeared in English-Canadian universities at the start of 20th century, those who taught sociology were often importing British and American approaches to teaching. They also tended to have secular teachings. The focus and nature of the French-Canadian sociology was different from the rest of Canada. They were more religious and moralistic in nature and focused on social problems. After 1960s everything was more professionalized and mostly foreign nationals like Americans were brought in which is why the whole Canadian sociology became US-oriented. Though the debate between languages still exists, Canadians do survive with both as national languages. Multiculturalism in Canada: There is popular support for multiculturalism in Canada, the nation does welcome immigrants. None of the major political parties have taken a non immigration stand. A lot of Canadians show confidence about ethnic relations in Canada. However the global anxiety about multiculturalism is worsening and Canada is no longer immune to it. The sociological arguments posed against multiculturalism are that it increases in isolation of immigrants, increases religious radicalization and results in groups being formed that are small minded in nature and have illiberal practises. Multiculturalism has failed in Europe and many critics in Canada are now worrying that the same will happen there. There are many social ills that are rising in Canada; there is increased isolation of enclaves of immigrants. Islamic radicalism is increasing in Canada; even though the people have been born and raised in Canada they have not internalized the Canadian culture and way of living. Illiberal practises are increasing as can be seen by the reports of honour killings. Due to all these statistics, and misrepresentation in media, now subcultures are also being subject to racism and discrimination. Research has also found that immigrants’ economic conditions are worse than before and they are vulnerable to poverty. Even though social inclusion has been the norm of Canadian society, everything is growing too politically, socially and religiously diverse to handle. Various social grievances are now arising due to such an elaborate acceptance of immigrants. Challenges faced by female athletes and sexism in sports: Female athletes have always faced discrimination from the beginning; however they have also had enormous accomplishments and success. They are able to compete with men, or have the same sport played within them with the entertainment value being the same. It is not just about athletes but it is the rather bigger picture that has to be noticed here, females are always treated as in inferior social object, not comparable to men. This translates into all aspects of life and same happens in sports. Stereotypes have existed since ages no matter how much the modernized society tries to dispel them. Television coverage is also an extremely important aspect, they usually fail to cover women events or the way they cover events do tell how the status of females is perceived in our society. Most portrayals of women are not as strong athletes, but they would rather focus on their beautiful appearance. They are often turned into sex symbols. Jokes are also often made about female players, especially in tennis where the issue of shrieking by female players take centre stage, however the issue of men grunting during rallies is ignored. As in tennis it can be assumed that men are employing more power, their grunts are signs of that power exertion and are acceptable but the same cannot be held acceptable to women. Women’s sport are often underrepresented, even when they are covered our society usually changes the channel as they don’t perceive a women’s match to be worthy enough of their time. The gender system that the society has developed over years attaches femininity to females and masculinity to males, this social order is challenged when females excel at sports. Majority of female athletes are labelled as lesbians and a stigma is attached to it, even if they are gay they are hesitant to come out as this will affect their sporting career. Differences between Canadian and American culture: One of the similarities between both cultures is the existence of different nationalities living together. Both countries are acceptant of immigrants. In America however research shows that immigrants often mix and mingle and take on the American identity while in Canada they retain their cultural identity. In Canadian culture there also exists the issue of French vs. English Canada, while in America there is a single language and thereby a single American identity. The bilinguals also translate into two different cultures with the French Canada living differently than English Canada. Another cultural difference that is supported by sociological research is that Canadians are less religious than Americans in both belief and attendance. There is also a significant difference between crime rates; Canada has the lower of the two. This is maybe due to stricter gun laws that Canada has. Canada has also proved to be more tolerant and acceptant of other nationalities; interracial marriages have become a norm. Canadians are also more socialist in their thinking; this can be traced back to their harsher climatic living conditions and low population of the country. Here normal market forces cannot come about easily. Consumerism is more prevalent in America; Canadians are more conservative in their spending and saving habit. Is some money is saved up they go for investing in bonds that give higher returns instead of spending the money. Organizations also tend to be cautious in their financial leanings. Canada’s culture has been influenced by European culture and they tend to be more similar to Europe than America. American culture however has also seeped into Canada due to the geographic closeness. Canadian government does tend to promote culture protection and limit the effects of American culture on domestic people. Even in America, Canadians are seen as more caring and polite people than the locals. Assess the impact of globalization on culture: Everything from media to internet has contributed to the rapid globalization of culture. It started from television and movies and now due to the easy access everyone has to internet it has become a prevalent norm to identify with other cultures and accept their values. This is more often the case in underdeveloped countries where although a strict culture does exist, people tend to be attracted to other cultures which they see as liberal, free and more open minded. India for example is a country that has a rich culture spanning centuries, but due to globalization, an upsurge in economic conditions their locals now want more. Western culture has seeped into the Indian culture and now the younger generation tries to find ways to fit both cultures together. Religion is also a very huge aspect regarding culture specially in India, now people tend to ignore that and adopt more liberal ways of living their lives. Women that were inherently seen as domesticated housewives, now venture out more and contribute to the economics of the country. This is due to the westernization of Indian culture. Food also has changed, new ingredients, tastes, recipes have been introduced in India. Multinational fast food chains like McDonalds, KFC, Pizza hut all have found immense success and also try to adapt their recipes to the local taste. It has also been the case vice versa; there is a dominant effect of Indian culture on western culture. Over decades, Indian immigrants have gone abroad and settled for generations taking their solid culture with them. Food, dancing etc all are attractive elements of Indian culture that Americans are adapting. Indian food has become successful due to its spicy element and the younger American generation tends to get adventurous and experience that. Religion also has found a place, as exercise like Yoga and meditation are now a norm in Western cultures. REFERENCES: Barrett, D. C., & Pollack, L. M. (August 01, 2005). WHOSE GAY COMMUNITY? SOCIAL CLASS, SEXUAL SELF-EXPRESSION, AND GAY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.The Sociological Quarterly, 46, 3, 437-456. Helmes-Hayes, Rick; University of WAterloo, & Mclaughlin, Neil; sociology, McMaster University. (n.d.). Public Sociology in Canada: Debates, Research and Historical Context. Department of Sociology, University of Alberta. Howard, M. (2007). Language issues in Canada: Multidisciplinary perspectives. Buckinghamshire: Cambridge Scholars Press. Banting, K., & Kymlicka, W. (January 01, 2010). Canadian Multiculturalism: Global Anxieties and Local Debates.British Journal of Canadian Studies, 23, 1, 43-72. Padgett, Jessica. "The Issues of Women in Sport." Women, Sport, and Film - 2002. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. . Read More