Comparison of the Dominant Culture and Where Those of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, and Transgender Fits in
Comparing the Dominant Culture and the Culture where the Third Sex Fits in
Introduction
It has been recognized that one of the greatest assets of Canada is social diversity. Given that diversity itself is both tangible and intangible, there is still a need to reassure that the needs of all citizens regardless of ethnicity and sexual backgrounds should be acknowledged as a fundamental step in establishing social equity (Sinha, 2013). Not all cultures and social groups accept the idea of homosexuality as primary sector of the entire social community. More often than not, LGBT communities are denied of respect and acknowledgement, let alone providing fundamental care similar to the ones given to heterosexual counterparts. As aging reached the members of LGBT community, there comes a dilemma surrounding the issue of care. This will be explored through a discussion emphasizing on the critical social issues that LGBT is facing as a whole. It is apparent that members of the third sex are isolating themselves in a culture created due to ideals of contradiction and discrimination imposed by the dominant culture.
Social Issues in the News
In a CBC News article by Thomson, Ahluwalia, and Huang (2013), it was established that housing and access to care is a primary social issue that troubles the aging LGBT population. Although, the contemporary society is learning to accept the existence of the third-sex culture, its aging populations’ needs are still yet being addressed considering that inclusive projects are developing slowly both in the private and public sectors. The aging LGBT population is still struggling to find facilities and care givers that don’t discriminate, which could have been made available if the fundamental rights as a person in need were established within the dominant culture (Bahrampour, 2013). However, the dominant culture and its society overlook the rudimentary need for social equity and to displace notions of discriminatory ideals towards LGBT due to misconceptions and developed negative connotations about the third-sex. The importance of tackling the issue of providing care and housing needs of elderly members of the LGBT community is to emphasize the promise of care providers of putting people at the center of care regardless of personal perception of sexuality (Lum, 2009).
Furthermore, care is central to all human beings without the question of sexual preferences. Aging is more than just the absence of illness, but should also involve social, physical, and mental well-being that will boost the sense of self-worth and improve the quality of life (Lum, 2009). The issue of equality in care access concerns the aging population of lesbians, gay, bisexuals, and transgender because the dominant society itself tends to hesitate in acknowledging the perpetual right of LGBT to access care privileges for the sole reason that they do not belong in a so-called normal society of people (Mule, 2006). LGBT community is not only minority group that is greatly impacted by the issue unequal rights to primary care; even ethnic minorities are experiencing the same inadequacies in accessing care (Scheppers et al., 2006). On a more positive note, the article by Thomson, Ahluwalia, and Huang (2013) encompasses a fair portrayal of the issue by the media since Canadians are well renowned for socio-cultural diversity and multicultural harmony (Media Action Media, 2012).
Theoretical Perspectives
Much of the current advocacies in campaigning anti-oppressive practices towards the members of the third-sex including structural inequalities are borrowed from the tenets of social-systems theory and radical social work, which emphasizes on power imbalances and differences in interest within the system that results to conflict (Mule, 2006). This perspective is the best way to look at the issue because of the encompassing reflection on reality and the subsequent actions drawn upon it. In addition, this perspective constitutes focus on social-welfare system being the center of contradiction emerging from dehumanizing effect of capitalism. The concept acknowledges the dialectal relationship between social environments and people, which is comprises the system that is both a source of support and or oppression (Mule, 2006). Analyzing the issue from this theoretical spectrum would require a multi-level analysis or intersectionality. This approach deals with gender studies particularly with social inequality. Intersectionality encompasses denomination of reciprocities between race, class, and gender (Winker and Degele, 2011). In addition, multi-level analysis allows integration of other socially related categories including sexuality. However, the downside of this approach is the lack of clear application of reciprocal effects pertaining to the level of construction of identity, social structure, and symbolic representation (Winker and Degele, 2011).
The Issue as it Relates to Socialization
The issue of inequality to access to social welfare privileges; be it housing or primary care relates to the issues of socialization because of the dominant culture’s view of many things that are established as right or wrong. The issue of inequality is defined by the anti-oppressive framework where social views are divided into lenses of heterosexism, racism, ableism, sexism, class oppression, and ageism. Several social beliefs and practices attributed to adopted culture encompass biases that people within the dominant culture practice without being aware of them (Moore, 2003). Within the concept of heterosexism, the system is believed that heterosexuality is a definite norm, the pervasiveness within this belief is often difficult to determine duly because of parental, cultural, religious, business, school and the media imposition and presumptions that everyone is heterosexual and that there is no other way around to act within the society than in heterosexual way. Due to heterosexuality, LGBT excluded from the dominant heterosexual society depriving LGBT of their existence making it more difficult for them to establish their own positive sexual identity (Moore, 2003). Furthermore, this social conundrum impacts the way the community treat each member of the community and mandates how each individuals interact with one another. These on the other hand are known as systemic heterosexism, which is defined as the practice of institutions and implied behaviors done in heterosexual standards.
How to Investigate the Issue
Investigating LGBT, equality issues in terms of rights to access adequate care and housing involves overcoming methodological and institutional barriers. These barriers include difficulty in finding enough sample size, lack of attention given to LGBT experience, and homogeneity of sample population (socialworkpolicy.org, 2008). These problems are attributed to the challenges to researching the issue following the quantitative methodologies alone, in addition to ethical considerations that need to be addressed to avoid procedures that would offend the target subjects. Therefore, if would be more appropriate to explore the issue using mixed-method approach in which both measurable variables and evaluation of information from previous research can be employed (Van Den Hoonaard, 2012). Researching for LGBT issues would require surveys and interviews of subjects from both heterosexual and LGBT population. This approach would address the need for variables that can be quantified in addition to observations that can be recorded and used for later analysis.
Ethical Issues
Research often encompasses ethical issues that require addressing to sustain credibility of findings and ultimately to uphold the prescribed practices of the academic discourse. One of the probable ethical issues in researching LGBT related issues. Members of the LGBT community experience disparities in the social settings such as discrimination. There is a level of emotional sensitivity involved amongst LGBT due to the long and difficult struggle for social integration (Mustanski, 2011). In addition, researching within the LGBT environment involves adhering to regulatory issues pertaining to acquired consent. Participants in LGBT research encompass risks of discomfort associated with participation. Furthermore, the issue also concerns political arguments that key individuals in the political circle are hesitant to talk about because the level of sensitivity involved in relating homosexual issues with politics. In most cases, politicians are trying to avoid being associated to LGBT issues due to fear of being labeled to the third-gender community. In terms of issues involved in preferred methodology, the only concern that has to be dealt with is to ensure that the rights to participate and the shared information of the participants are not compromised or in any way used for non-research related purposes (Ontario Public Health Association, 2002).
Assumed Effective Solution
Based on the described social problem and adopted sociological perspective, it can be assumed that the most effective solution in aging LGBT issues regarding equality to care and housing is to ensure cooperation of both the public and private organizations. The real social dilemma here is the lack of acknowledgement from the dominant culture of the LGBT culture and formed society. It is apparent that the society’s negative connotation about LGBT forced its members to hide their identity to avoid social discrimination. The prevailing culture driven by heterosexual ideologies prohibit the gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender to fully integrate them in the larger society (Jansen, 2009). As a result, members of the LGBT community are highly marginalized for their fundamental right to equal access to care. The same social condemnation of the third gender led to them aging alone, yet without adequate access to care (Canadian Healthcare Association, 2009). The first problem that should be resolved and would serve as effective solution is to increase social awareness and advocacy towards social equity.
References
Bahrampour, T. (2013, October 5). The LGBT Aging Project. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from http://www.lgbtagingproject.org/news-and-announcements/
Canadian Healthcare Association (2009). New directions for facility-based long term care (ISSN 1481-3165). Retrieved from Canadian Healthcare Association website: http://www.cha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CHA_LTC_9-22-09_eng.pdf
Jansen, I. (2009). Residential long-term care in Canada: Our vision for better seniors’ care. Retrieved from Canadian Union of Public Employees website: http://cupe.ca/updir/CUPE-long-term-care-seniors-care-vision.pdf
Lum, J. M. (2009). Keep on rockin secuality and aging. crncc.ca. Retrieved from http://www.crncc.ca/knowledge/factsheets/pdf/SexualityandAgingInFocusDec09.pdf
Media Action Media (2012). Representations of diversity in Canadian television entertainment programming: Case studies. Retrieved from media-action-media.com website: http://www.media-action-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MAM_Diversity-Research-Report_FINAL.pdf
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Ontario Public Health Association (2002). Ethical research and evidence-based practice for lesbians and gay men. OPHA Annual General Meeting. Retrieved from http://opha.on.ca/OPHA/media/Resources/Position-Papers/2002-01_res.pdf?ext=.pdf
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Sinha, S. K. (2013). Living longer, living well: Highlights and key recommendations. Retrieved from Minister of Health and Long-Term Care website: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/seniors_strategy/docs/seniors_strategy.pdf
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Thomson, J., Ahluwalia, M., & Huang, S. (2013, October 2). Gay seniors struggling to find 'safe' retirement housing. CBC News [Canada]. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/gay-seniors-struggling-to-find-safe-retirement-housing-1.1405867
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Winker, G., & Degele, N. (2011). Intersectionality as multi-level analysis: Dealing with social inequality. European Journal of Womens Studies, 18(1), 51 –66. doi:10.1177/1350506810386084
