Effects of LGBTQ TV Characters on Society
Introduction
It is without a doubt that the influence of TV shows is tremendous, particularly in terms of how it affects our cultures and everyday lives in general. For instance, due to TV shows, we learn a lot about other cultures whilst having some of our social dilemmas answered through villains and protagonists. Similarly, Porta et al. (2017) have noticed the impact of TV shows on gay rights and in terms of how society perceives the LGBTQ community. Thus, a research question we need to ask is how much TV shows have affected the LGBTQ in our society.
The importance of this research is to determine the extent to which LGBTQ portrayal on our TV shows has changed, angered or influenced how the society treats people from the LGBTQ community. The intentions of this study are to make comparisons with past decades, when TV series did not have much of the LGBTQ characters. As concurred by Cole (2018), with increased cases of LGBTQ characters taking center stage in most TV shows, it is important to take this importantly and consider how it has possibly influenced gay rights.
Brief Review of Articles
The four articles to be used in this research include two articles from Washington Post and Forbes.com, and the other two are evidence-based peer-review journals. The article from Washington Post is authored by Valerie Strauss and is summarizes latest research on LGBTQ youths in school. The article piece mentions various misconceptions of society towards LGBTQ and provides surprising data regarding the diversity of the LGBTQ, whereby the community consists of youths from all kinds of ethical backgrounds.
Natalie Robehmed authors the Forbes article, whereby she gives an account of how the LGBTQ is using pop culture to change the society. The publication is particularly important to this research because it offers specific examples by mentioning popular TV shows such as Orange is the New Black and Westworld, both of which have impressive portrayal of LGBTQ characters. The author gives an example of how such shows have influenced most LGBTQ actors to come out and openly declare themselves either gay or lesbians.
The third literature is on symbolic interactionism and in correlation to the study of sexuality. Authored by Monica Longmore, the journal touches on philosophical roots associated with symbolic interactionism, which begins with reviewing themes that put emphasis on social philosophy. The article is particularly significant to the topic on LGBTQ due to its approach on structural, situational and contemporary symbolic interactionism.
The fourth literature is a scientific journal on the querying spatial stigma as a social determinant on how the LGBTQ youths access health services. The article mentions the importance of the evolution of healthcare services towards transgender people and social challenges they usually face on a daily basis. As authored by Felner, Dudley and Vallez, the study concluded that spatial stigma manifests through tokenization, policing and peer re-stigmatization.
Interpretation from Sociological Perspective (Conflict Theory)
As reiterated by Crossman (2019), conflict theory is all about conflicts and unconformities within a society, which is attributable to the need by the powerful people in a society to dominate others rather than resort to consensus. The theory is applicable to the LGBTQ and their representation on TV characters whereby recent years has witnessed their “minority” status being appreciated instead of being dominated like in the past. However, the LGBTQ community is still facing societal challenges, particularly for those from the minority ethnic groups. Despite tan increased appreciation in the TV shows and movies, Robehmed (2017) notes that the LGBTQ are yet to experience positive results in real life. That is, due to conflict theory, and the need to compete for limited resources, most people are still wary of gay marriages and the transgender transformations in the healthcare sector. Thus, it is vital to consider possible social policies and solutions to such a problem.
Social Policy to Improve Problem (Symbolic Interaction)
As echoed by Langmore (2015), symbolic interactionism is about understanding meaning of something through a person’s attachment. Similarly, to understand the need for the LGBTQ community to seek marriage rights and equal opportunities, it is advisable to look at their plights from their perspectives. In simpler terms, most people tend to look at life from an objective reality; however, symbolic interactionism explains that we rarely interact with the world as it is, but rather as we perceive it (Cole, 2018). Thus, it is imperative to apply symbolic interactionism as a way of developing a better understanding of the LGBTQ in relation to their TV portrayal affects the society.
Conclusion (Lessons from Reading Articles)
From the four articles, it is significant to expound on the effects of LGBTQ representation on TV shows, and determine the extent to which such programs have impacted the society as a whole. Although there lacks enough research on effects of LGBTQ TV portrayal, it is impossible to deny that future impacts are inevitable, mainly because the changes have been taking place across world. For instance, the article by Strauss (2017) references a survey indicating the common misconceptions about the LGBTQ, as well as showing extreme diversity amongst the LGBTQ community. In essence, the articles are effective in supporting the research on effects of LGBTQ TV characters on society, whereby the impact is explainable through the conflict theory.
References
Cole, N. (2018). What Can Symbolic Interaction Theory Tell Us About Race and Gender? ThoughtCo, Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2CinZDA
Crossman, A. (2019). What Is Conflict Theory? Understanding the Importance of Conflict Theory on Society. ThoughtCo, Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2RHhYu9
Felner, J., Dudley, T., & Ramirez-Valles, J. (2018). “Anywhere But Here”: Querying Spatial Stigma As A Social Determinant Of Health Among Youth Of Color Accessing LGBTQ Services In Chicago’s Boystown. Social Science & Medicine, 213(3), 181–189. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.001: Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2SQIiiA
Longmore, M. (2015). Symbolic Interactionism and the Study of Sexuality. Journal Of Sex Research, 35(1), 44–57. DOI: 10.1080/00224499809551916: Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2VOdTDo
Porta, C., Mehus, C., Yu, X., & Eisenberg, M. (2017). “Kicked Out”: LGBTQ Youths’ Bathroom Experiences And Preferences. Journal Of Adolescence, 56(2), 107–112. DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.02.005: Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2SNGGWT
Robehmed, N. (2017). How LGBTQ Stars Are Changing Society Through Pop Culture. Forbes, Retrievable at https://bit.ly/2TGWydP
Strauss, V. (2017). What The Latest Research Really Says About LGBTQ Youth In Schools. Washington Post, Retrievable at https://wapo.st/2AIOpOX
