Reflection on the Discriminating Issues of the Contemporary Society - Assignment Example

Reflection on the Discriminating Issues of the Contemporary Society Racial Segregation Racism or racial segregation is a harsh reality which forms a definite feature of our society even in present contemporary times. Though racism does not exist in the US today as unhindered as it did in the past, but still it continues to operate in subtler ways. This is especially obvious from the way criminal characters in movies and TV shows are usually played by black actors of African American origin. Black people have played majority of villain characters, while whites are usually chosen for roles of heroes or saviors. Also, it is a common trend in our society that whenever a black person is present at the site of crime, he/she is looked upon by racist police officers in a suspicious light at the time of investigation only because of his/her color. The concept of orientalism is worth mentioning here because it explains how people from other races are portrayed in our media and books on grounds of personal biases and stereotypes. When such stereotyped and warped images of people from foreign cultures reach our society, it becomes difficult for people to tell right from wrong. Consequently, when such people arrive in the US, they are forced to face extreme racial tension and explain at length that they are nothing like how people of their race are shown by the media. People with Disability/ Blind People: Though discrimination on grounds of disability is not permissible by law and looked down upon by people on the surface at least, truth is that this is extremely pervasive and entrenched in our society. We may not bring ourselves to admit openly that we do not feel comfortable around disable particularly blind people, but in reality everyone wants to be seen with good-looking people as a way of getting ahead in society. This is because it is inherent belief of people that company of disabled people or those who happen to be underprivileged in any way will keep them from advancing in life. They believe that disabled people become a hurdle in the way of progress for others because they cannot advance themselves in life. This is a very self-centered and shallow approach to life, but this is nevertheless common in the highly materialistic and superficial world of the present times in which face value matters the most in every area. Discrimination against blind people does not occur in a very obvious manner, but it exists in a remarkably discreet fashion. They usually have less socialization opportunities than others because people hesitate to associate with them. For example, this is a common example of prejudice that we automatically believe blind people to be less effective than their colleagues because of their compromised eyesight when real situation could be actually very different. Racism Targeting Homosexual/Transgender People: If whenever ordinary display of affection from two people of opposite sex goes unnoticed and same display of affection from two people of same sex attracts an avalanche of criticism and hate, it illustrates discrimination against the LGBT people. Examples of such discrimination used to be seen quite excessively in the past, but situation has changed quite a bit in the present times in countries like America at least. In rest of the world especially in conservative parts like the Middle East and other Muslim countries, discrimination and the most heinous kinds of punishments continue to haunt the LGBT folk. Even within America, it is only in big cities like New York and Los Angeles that no one minds or hurls insults at people of same sex holding hands. There are so many cities in the US where people in same sex relationships still feel great social and cultural pressure to hide their true identity. Hate crimes still occur, though their number has dwindled over the years thanks to many LGBT characters employed in TV shows and movie which tell people that homosexual or transgender people actually stand in contrast with popular stereotypes embedded in our society. Like in case of blind people, discrimination against the LGBT people is also not allowed by law. However, prejudiced people still hasten to take their chances to shame homosexuals whenever they see them. Substance Abuse in College Campuses: Substance abuse or drinking within premises of college campuses in the US is unfortunately very common. Even those students who have no natural inclination toward drugs are forced to become a part of drug culture because otherwise they are left with a very depressing number of opportunities to socialize with their peers. In order to look cool and not attract criticism on grounds of being a social retard, students abuse substances and alcohol in colleges. This is a matter of utter disgrace and strict actions should be taken by college administrators to control this situation. Both parents and teachers need to jump in here and convey this message to students that it is okay to say no to drugs and hold up their real values. Though abuse of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin is not very common, binge drinking is ridiculously pervasive and affects every student. At least once a month, every student experiences one episode of binge drinking. Things spiral out of control when extremely intoxicated students become aggressive enough to engage in crimes like rape at colleges. Rape is a highly notorious matter and female students often become targets in colleges. They do not feel confident to relate their spine-chilling experiences to their superiors, but still it remains a very real issue and substance abuse in colleges serves to fuel it. People with Mental Health Issues: Families and doctors should work together to save suffering loved ones from the agony of myriad mental health illnesses. The grasp of such disorders becomes tighter in absence of support from doctors or friends. The real problem is related to stigma which is attached with mental health disorders in particular. This stigma is of such extent that society even labels those mad who associate with people who really suffer from mental health illnesses. Absence of support is a very serious issue and both families and doctors need to collaborate with each other to save patients. Another way to help people with mental health issues is by taking a purely objective approach to them. Many times we push people with such illnesses further down the road of destruction and anonymity by taking a biased approach to them and treating them in a very negative manner. Such people require a very supportive environment where they could possibly thrive. When society and medical care delivery professionals treat people with mental health issues as objectively as possible, they understand that they stand a chance at being rescued from the turmoil of their demons. Many people even worry over reporting their disorders to doctors because there is just so much stigma around mental health disorders. Doctors can in this context help such people by organizing awareness programs publicly to take people into confidence. Read More