I originally intended to write about the irony of a democratic society in which people are discouraged from talking about "politics and religion" at the dinner table. However, as many of us seemed to have the same idea (Hooray for homogeneity within our group, lol) I have decided to take a slightly different approach and attempt to explain how and why it happens.
On page the 31 of Eliasoph's book, (Chapter entitled "Volunteers trying to make sense of the world"), she notes that members of the Parents League attempted to avoid having a conversation about racial relations at the school at all costs, even in light of a recent race related incident. This made me think about why Americans try so hard to avoid politically relevant conversations about race, sexuality, abortion laws, homelessness, etc. Here is what I came up with:
At a young age, we are taught that we are all "equal". Equality of course plays a huge part in democracy. We are also told that we should learn to appreciate differences in opinion and diversity, and taught how to behave in a "politically correct manner". After 18 years of being taught to walk on egg shells, as to not offend anyone who might be different, it's no wonder people shy away from touchy subjects! Instead of making a conscious effort to express our true opinions, we take the easy way out and don't express our opinions at all. In my high school, debates about things like abortion, religion, and politics were kept to a minimum. They told us people have such strong opinions on the subjects that it is best if they are not mentioned. Well, if people feel so strongly about it, shouldn't it be something we DO talk about? Even today, as a 4th year college student at UVA, it still feels "unnatural" to discuss these issues in a class setting, especially, as expected, around people who are different than I am. It goes against everything I was subliminally and physically taught. Even national politicians shy away from talking about important issues so as not to offend anyone. (This is nothing new, it dates back to the avoidance of addressing the issue of slavery in the beginning stages of our country's democracy). As long as our culture continues to place more emphasis on "political correctness" than on healthy debate, people are never going to learn how to hold a real political conversation.
My advice: Stated bluntly, people should stop being so sensitive! How are we going to solve anything if we're scared to talk about it in a public setting?
Citizen Competence in American Democracy
I really appreciate this approach to explaining the lack of discussion in voluntary associations. We may have the same rights and liberties as citizens, but we are treated differently based on our age, gender, race, class, etc. and therefore we're not absolutely 'equal' like we were taught in grade school. There's an EDLF course here that focuses on social problems regarding these categories of difference (most students take it as a gut class). But it actually serves almost as a sanctuary for free discussion about these topics. It's great that students are able to have a place to speak of these problems unlike in the typical voluntary organization, but because discussions like these are so foreign to us, the class can get a bit uncomfortable and tense. I just wanted to mention this because it has given me some perspective on how these discussions might be carried out if we had started from an earlier age. We are all aware of our differences, but are still shocked, surprised, and offended when these differences are voiced out loud. I feel that maybe if our differences are acknowledged and talked about more (starting at a younger age), not that it would prevent social inequalities, but maybe it'll make it easier and more comfortable to discuss these inequalities and other problems that are not immediately solvable.
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