Week Eight Reponse

Social movements and opposing movements (voices) argue with each other because they believe their case to be just or (slightly) the better choice। Our text states that it is more difficult for social movements in arguing their view over opposing ones because they “have limited resources and find it difficult to prove that an institution, competing movement, norm, or value is utterly without value.” (PASM, pg.248) You cannot make everybody happy, so what do you do when a social movement and opposing movement have equal support? For example: Pro-life vs Pro-choice. Do you think one movement is more just than the other? What beliefs and/or ethics support your views? Does it always have to be black or white, or should ethical values be viewed in grey?

Ethical values should certainly be viewed as grey matter; at least I firmly believe so. Concentrating on the issue of abortion, there evidently is no black or white here. People have been arguing over what is ethical for decades and no solution has been attained. Either people are not listening to each other, not understanding the core of the issue or actions taken to advance either movement have been unsuccessful. Most recently, George Tiller, a doctor in the US who offers abortion services, was shot dead. He has already been attacked in 1993. Those who wish for his death are the anti-abortionists. BBC news succinctly overviews the situation; “To anti-abortionists George Tiller, who was shot dead on Sunday, was a mass murderer known as "Tiller the Killer". To his patients and many pro-choice supporters, he was a hero committed to women in need of help.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8077021.stm). No matter how strongly people feel about an issue, murder should never be a means to spread a message. This act seems more due to anger and a desire for revenge than to a means to effectively change things. Committing murder decreases the anti-abortionists’ credibility and places their say and opinion on the line. Not only is this a criminal act, it also counters what the anti-abortionist movement is about. The murderer is ironically Pro-life. However, as noted in the text Persuasion and Social Movement, a large number of murders have been committed since the 1970’s so “It may be risky for pro-life members and leaders to condemn violence unconditionally because they risk fragmenting the movement. But they must do so for moral and practical reason.” (p. 244). This morality is not on everybody’s mind.
Going back to BBC News’ description, they seem to themselves create a feel for an issue that is black or white. The doctor is either a killer or a hero. They create sides to stir more reaction. The grey matter that is excluded here consists of people who are pro-life who don’t think committing murder is justified in this movement and those who are pro-choice who don’t consider Dr. Tiller a hero. Quite honestly, it seems difficult for even one person to feel so strongly about one side. Our own views are often grey when it comes to issues like abortion. Circumstances always exist. The two movements won’t recognize this; “True believers of each movement are extremists in the sense that they accept no compromises or exceptions to life or choice” (PaSM p. 247). Though many do oppose violence as a solution, they also justify violent actions when committed by “militants [who] defend these higher principles and do not act through self-interest” (PaSM, 244).
Because of the violent acts that continue to occur by the anti-abortionists, the title of just seems out of reach at the moment. It seems there will always be people who strongly believe in one cause or the other; the next step to is to listen to one another and respect alternate views and values.

The cliché “a picture speaks a thousand words” was reinforced when photographer and Seattle University professor Claire Garoutte came to speak about the power of photography as a means for social change. Concentrating on her passion for history, Claire illustrated some example of how certain situations changed as a result of the work photographers made public, such as the labor movement in the US. She argues that the child labor movement especially benefited from the stories told through photos. Finally, people were truly touched by what they were seeing and didn’t have to be literate to understand news and grasp the gravity of a situation. The use of photos is undoubtedly a successful strategy in advancing a social movement.However, this very same strategy can be equally stunting. A photograph can be used out of context, it can be misinterpreted, or used to harm. The use of photos now seems to be taken for granted now. We are bombarded with images daily and often times, they don’t phase us.

When Haven Ley of the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation came to speak, a number of questions arose after her presentation. I didn’t know very much about this foundation beforehand and was rather impressed by the number of causes they dedicate their work and effort towards. Haven is the program officer of the Agricultural development program. Her job includes presenting a project intended to aid a certain community with a new technology for example that will facilitate the agricultural development in this community. The areas targeted include Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Every country has a distinct culture and distinct cultural behaviors that may not seem obvious to an outsider who is accustomed to a certain way of life, and this is mostly true of westerners who wish to share their discoveries with those who don’t know about them yet. While this may seem like an impressive and grand gesture, sometimes, it requires a little more consideration, and this is part of what Haven does. One of the groups receiving a the Gates Foundation grant used the bicycle as a watering tool so that people who farm could bike up and down and water what they need, accelerating the process and saving time and extra labor. A great innovation, to most at least, this project fell through in Ethiopia. In their culture, as is the case in the majority of sub-Saharan countries, women make up the greatest number of farmers. What is distinct here is that it is not socially acceptable for a woman to ride a bike. “Men don’t want to see them riding bike and the women themselves don’t want to ride them” said Haven. Inevitably, no one used the bikes in Ethiopia.
What is fundamental in this story is the mere importance of communication. How can we ignore how a culture may respond to a concept another is trying to introduce or impose in the community? Where is the middle man who is able to communicate between the two cultures involved? Where is the desire to truly understand and work together?
The failure of a project such as the bike project is indicative of a failure at communication. This is what needs to be fixed.