Dystopian Literature as Social Evolution

             This post is a summary of a literary analysis of dystopian literature with the incomplete title above and was published in 2015 at http://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=stu_honor

            In popular culture today, the dystopian literature is experiencing a surge in popularity that is infused with a fervent intensity. Since the publication of, The Hunger Games, dystopians novels have become exceptionally popular, spawning a release of blockbuster movies adaptations and new dystopians series. The popularity of these novels shows an interest in rebellion and revolution, ideas that build the core of dystopians fictions as a genre. The novels provide the possibility of social change in truly horrible societies, thus bringing ideas about social change into young consciousness. These pop culture texts have the potential to develop an examination of society through literary analysis. Literature can be used to ask questions about society, and the development of a better society, because of the way it reflects and questions cultural understandings of social justice, literature can interact more concretely with our ability to work for a better society. Rooted in the history of human rights literature and using the Hunger Games' protagonist Katniss Everden as a model of social change evolution. As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, social justice is, "the objective of creating a fair and equal society on which each individual matters, their rights are recognized and protected, and decisions are made in ways that are fair and honest."  The desire for social justice is the desire to live in a world without oppression and inequality, where individuals are able to participate and be valued in a society no matter what identities they hold. Elizabeth S. Goldberg and Alexandra S. Moore's article "Meditation on a Fractured Terrain: Human Rights  and Literature" established the idea a reading practice for human rights that, "can attend to their material and historical context without instrumentalizing the aesthetic in service to those contexts". A social justice reading of literature aims for a similar practice of reading texts with reference to their ability to establish questions of social change. Literary critics argue not only for the important work literature can do, but for the kind of thinking literature can inspire within readers. According to Greg Mullins' essay "Labors of Literature and Human Rights," readers experience sympathetic emotions of empathy and compassion that work on rationality to "build the human capacity to make sound judgments." Readers, from their experience with literature, will become fairer in their understanding of ethical action. James Dawes attributes these sympathetic emotions to shared inner feelings and desires, a concept he attributes strongly to the form of the novel. Characters in novels define the human as an individual, independent being that is defined by inner feelings that humans implicity share. This understanding leads to the conceptions of natural, equal, and universal human rights based on the inner similarity of our emotions. In the past twenty-five years, literary studies has shown an interesting development in its relation to human rights. Literary theorists argue for the potential for literature to relate to and help readers understand contemporary human rights issues. Literature in human rights circles can be used as a tool for developing a deeper understanding of human rights abuses and for healing those who have experienced the violent loss of their human rights. Literary critics are in a prime position to understand the complexity of abuses and teach others how to empathize with this broader human question. Making these types of arguments about the use of literature in differing contexts, literary critics are calling for a social change in the understanding of how literature can be used. Humans have been dreaming of worlds better than their own since early history, this is a universal human desire. Dystopian fiction has played into these desires. Dystopian works by authors like George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley and Margaret Atwood connect deeply to cultural and social problems and the warning about what would happen if we did not act to change the world around us. Issues of government surveillance, totalitarianism, and oppressive power structures are common. In their own way, characters in dystopian texts attempts to rebel against the system, whether from a personal rejection of the power structure, or in a way that directly stands up against the structure and creates a new society. In the end, whether or not the character is successful, the individuals questioning of power hope to develop, as the reader can see the potential for change. Dystopian worlds take the impulse towards utopianism and use that world to create a warning about the future. The dystopian world relies on the specific problems of the present to invoke a warning about the future that could develop. The world generally has the appearance of semblance and order, but it soon is revealed that the world contains serious power imbalances, governmental control, or lack of resources. The situation mirrors certain elements of modern society in such a way that the reader can recognize the problem and starts to critically engage with them, resulting in a desire toward change in their own world. Embedded in the sense of warning is an impulse toward hope in the future for our own society. The characters in dystopian texts typically have the ability to attempt to engage with a possible solution for their terrible society. Thus, even if the heroines are unsuccessful, the reader can envision themselves resisting the dystopian society and escaping from a future like the protagonists. Adolescent readers have been exposed to dystopian fiction for years in ways that encompassed both the power imbalances and the rebellion along with elements of adventure and romance. This allowed readers to become a part of those dystopian worlds and live out their own anxieties and lack of power by watching characters launch rebellions against worlds that strived to push them down. The popularity of the texts resonates with readers in a way that shows a desire for change, although the success and failure of the rebellion in these texts takes place in a separate realm. By examining the ways that social change occurs in these texts, the lead protagonists can model instances of activism, showing how an evolution toward social change can occur within a protagonist that can apply to the readers understanding of social change. A major element of adolescent is "adjusting to a worthy way of life" which requires an adolescent to examine values, beliefs, attitudes, and ideas into a coherent structure that will allow them to develop their own understanding of the world that reflect their own priorities while "accepting standards and values of his society". Literature can clearly serve as an experimental zone in this process of discovery. Literature has the potential to be responsible for developing an understanding of politics and society in a way that has readers exploring social change more in depth. Current dystopian novels provide a phetora of examples of characters that rebel against their oppression in a way that creates a social change. The protagonist of Hunger Games is an interesting subject of examination, because she has a dramatic evolution in her relationship to social change. The evolution of Katniss' relationship to social change models a way for adolescent readers to begin to understand the process of developing social change movements that can allow them to think about their own activism. The massive popularity of the novels suggest an interest in exploring rebellion further in terms of creating change in the world. Katniss acts as a canonical model of how an individual can inspire a change in the world through a personal evolution. Divergent series stars is another strong, defiant female protagonist, but Tris begins the novel already having experienced her own evolution in understand that she can question the power structure and cause a revolution against injustice. The potential to inspire people toward acts of social change is not insignificant, as within days of the writing of this paper, students in Bangkok protested a military coup using the three-fingered salute and were arrested for the use of that symbol. The potential for change is apparent, but the connection of the novel as an example of a broader change of social justice literature could use texts as models of social justice in the broader culture. By critiquing and understanding the movements more deeply, protagonists like Katniss have the potential to inspire the next generation to accomplish more instances of social change.

Effect of Gangsterism

                Few months ago, the media (including internet) talked a lot about the culture of rape, but there is a culture that need to be even more talked. It is the culture of gangsterism. In Brazil there is little study about this evil. We have to fight against the danger of this culture spreading, causing the inversion of values and the dehumanization of the persons. The pride of bad actions, the cult of violence, the contempt for education, for hard work and for human rights, the bullying, the indifference to the victims and their suffering are some of the characteristics of this culture.  This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above, was published at http://studymoose.com/effect-of-gangsterism-essay. The second was published at      http://www.ngcrc.com/journalofgangresearch/jour.v18n1.cureton.ms.pdf. The third was published at ot.com.br/2010/06/factor-of-gangsterism-and-how-to     

                Gangsterism is a social phenomenon that occurs widely among the youth. With the rapid rise of this problem, gangsterism have much negative impact on individuals, families, and communities. In term of individual, student who involves themselves with gangsterism will face bad consequences in their future. Most probably they will be detained. this will also affect their life as they will be unable to perform their study in higher level, they will waste their precious life in prison. In communities where gang activity dictates normal living, there are very few signs of progressive life or development. Gangsterism of all levels and types usually has a negative effect on society. The researchers Middleton-Moz and Zawadski (2002) argue that our own lack of awareness often causes us to be both deaf and blind to the pain experienced by many persons and, as a result, many persons too often become the prisoners of their sadness and depression, seeing little possibility for change and no way out. Therefore, it show that our own lack of concern over what had happened make the matter of gangsterism getting worst until the victim of gangsterism are being abuse physically and emotionally. Society is no longer feeling peace and harmony in the country which they had resided. they can not move out freely as they are afraid of those gangster and worried about their safety. Crime does not merely victimise individuals, it impedes and, in extreme cases, even prevents the formation and maintenance of community. By disrupting the delicate nexus of ties, formal and informal, by which we are linked with our neighbours, crimes atomises society and makes of its members mere individuals calculators, estimating their own and only advantage.                                                                                                                                      While in Los Angeles, California conducting research on Crips gang, I watched the interview with professional football player, actor and grass roots activist, Jim Brown. The conversation turned to Mr.Brown's efforts to address the social ills of gangsterism through his "Amer-I-can" organization. Jim Brown suggested that the culture of gangsterism is destructive for scores of alienated urban males. Jim Brown was critical on efforts to help poor cope with gangsterism. Jim Brown criticism seemed similar to those made by Franklin Fraser. This is Mr.Brown's criticism in that many people are perhaps so detached from the realities of residents of the ghetto that are not in a position to effectively address the social realities of the poor. To this end, this article represents a renewed investment of attention on gangsterism with the intent to reengage sociologists, criminologists, behaviorists about the most damaging subculture affecting poor urban. The reality is that gangs and the subculture of gangsterism are deeply rooted in many socially depressed communities in many cities. The root cause of this subculture are inadequate economic support, poor protection from physical attack, few opportunities, low chances of succeeding in conventional institutions, or even denial of the autonomy. The explanations from the specialists all emphasize that gangs can not arise as solutions to these problems. In the struggle for dignified humanity, grass roots activism has provided some examples of how to improve the condition of the poor. In order to effectively address the murderous, criminogenic components of gangsterism. The family is critical to the social, moral and physical development of the child and of the teenager. The mother is the agent of reassurance, confidence and essentially primary in instilling compassion and sensitivity in children. The father is the epitome of masculine performances, instrumental success and stabilizes the household. Whenever economic and household dynamics and social processes becomes dysfunctional children are like to have stresses and strains resulting frustation, anger and irritation. These traits certainly do not lend themselves to conventional choices particularly in gang lands. Tookie's words highlight the importance of the family. The breakdown of the family, the absence of father, the disposition of a mother. Masculinity is more achieved than ascribed, there will be notable differences in the behaviors that ghetto confined boys participate in because they are attempting to become men in environments where gangs are dominant and are the most powerful socializing agent in the community. Following this logic, urban poor males actively participate in criminogenic behaviors in an effort to seize and maintain gang reputation manhood. Young males, who turn to the streets to negotiate and maintain a manly identity can easily be manipulated to voluntarily fight, rob, shoot and sell drugs in the name of the gang, and perhaps in the name of gangsterism in general. According to researches, joining a gang is heavily influenced by the absence of fathers in homes. Having a father or positive male role model is important. The critical question driving this article has been, "what are we failing to communicate about gangsterism?" Attempts to fully address the significant idiosyncratic nuances of gangsterism would be problematic, particularly if the interpreter or researcher had no experienced the everyday routine activities of residency in a gangland. In the end, gangland confined young males do listen to words of wisdom and warning about the gang. However, diverting that gravitation towards gangsterism is more difficult in the absence of resources that improve life chances. Gangsterism remains an attractive alternative partly because mainstream has been an oppressive regulatory legal machine, a distant sympathizer, a limited helper, and often self-appointed gang experts who are on the outside looking in. Hence the solution to the problem of obtaining a true vision of gangsterism may very well be that more persons who have knowledge of the subculture will have to become scholars.

               Nowadays, there are daily ocurrence of gangsterism and bullying in many places. Gangsterism and bullying is an act of opressing others to show one's superiority and strength. Due to this, the crime rate involving youth has increased tremendously. The youth can not concentrate on their studies and they began to lose trust and respect from society. We must prevent the problem of gangsterism from spreading. One of the preventive measures is we should give counseling sessions to the youth. We should also inculcate good moral values in the youth. They should be taught on how to respect others regardless of the race, physical appearance or socio-economic background. Awareness campaigns should be organized to make youth better individuals. The final way to prevent gangsterism in the youth is through strict enforcement by the authorities. In conclusion, gangsterism are the main problems faced by today's youth. The effects are bad. The society has to work hand-in hand to help the government combat these problems.