Social Injustice and Cultural Identifiers Essay

Arguments and disagreement have historically fostered creativity and innovation while also revealing a love for our work, with the education sector being no exception (Adams, 2016). The U.S. State has a propensity to either accept or reject certain behaviors regarded as institutional norms (Gill, 2016). Even though teaching strategies can occasionally change depending on the instructor's personality, the state, the school, the period, as well as federal requirements, these educational institutions have continually given rise to conflicts. Parents, educators, and sometimes even students have scrutinized American educational practices as a result of this circumstance in most cases (Gill, 2016). Controversial topics in educational and learning set-ups always result in expression of different opinions. This paper, therefore, discusses some of the cultural identifiers, their historical background, arguments they presented as well as social injustices and solutions proposed on the controversial subject of the debate between abstinence-only policy and the use of condoms.

Cultural Identifiers

The subject of abstinence and condom use has affected various cultural identifiers in the U.S states, such as learning styles, age, religious practices, and gender or sexual orientation (Papa & Papa, 2016). Certain religious institutions such as catholic communities viewed schools that were distributing condoms and other birth control pills as well as information on safe sex to be against their norms. These churches did not want to be identified with such schools thus encourage their member to transfer from such institutions (Gill, 2016). These churches also withdrew their support from such institutions.

It was eluded that the federal government allocates over 50 million U.S dollars every year to the funding schools abstinence-only program (Gill, 2016). This could result in marginalization of some schools based on their policies, therefore, changing their learning styles. Since most schools depend on state funding to run their institutional activities, this topic remains controversial in the education sector with many institutions not sure on how to handle the subject.

Another cultural identify affected within this topic was age, where most institutions were not clear as to from what age should this information passed (Papa & Papa, 2016). Certain institutions argued of eighteen years, while parents and other education experts saying students were sexually active as from sixteen. Such issues have thus remained relevant among the teenage populations.



Historical background of Cultural Identifiers and the Associated Controversy

An increasing number of teenage pregnancies and AIDS crisis in the early 1990s resulted in the need to formulate different policies in schools. Sex as a subject of discussion poses many questions to in the society, not only how it should be handled but also to whom and where should it be handled. To that effect, some schools thought it is within their obligations to introduce students to sex as a topic to try to promote safe sex. Since sexual activity was becoming a wide spread knowledge in the society. Some schools then started to implement policies that allowed distribution of condoms to high school and college students and providing knowledge on sexual health (Adams, 2016).

However, the number of schools that distributed condoms remains relatively small up to the year 2010 when a more defined policy commonly developed to limit access to condoms in regards to age variation. This controversial aspect of age difference in most schools sticks to abstinence-only policies. In these classes, students learned that the only option for sexual, mental, and physical health was to abstain until married (Gill, 2016). Despite of the increasing teenage pregnancy, and diseases such as spread of AIDs and HIV, this policy was still implemented in some schools. Moreover, institutions that implemented distribution of condoms and birth control pills argue that, unnecessary pregnancies and spread of diseases can be prevented with a little knowledge on safe sex.

Arguments for and Against the Issue

The subject of sex in the early nineteenth century did not go without controversy. Some educators and worried parents argue that availing condoms to students will encourage sexual activities among students. They claim that sexual education could not be within the range of public schools’ mandate and be removed.

Their critics, however, agreed that abstinence was ideal to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies among the vulnerable population but not realistic and could not be relied upon. These schools insisted that sexual education was important to stop teens from relying on media or friends that could provide misleading information (Gill, 2016). Moreover, to have condoms in schools will not influence teenagers to have sex but instead remind them that if they are ready condoms are always necessary.

These institutions encourage parents to stop believing that teaching abstinence will sway away students and kids from having sex and that if you do not show teens any sexual content then they will not want to engage in sexual activities with the opposite sex. Moreover, withholding of such information will only make students more curious about sex. presenting this information will make them know all the risks and have themselves to blame in case of misconduct (Papa & Papa, 2016).

Associated Injustices

The problem of the society being sensitive about the subject of condom distribution is that it constitutes social injustice. The unfairness results from the realization that some churches have been so much opposed that they not only withdraw their funding of the programs but they also tend to alienate the members of the church who are thought to be in support. In many cases, the arguments to defend the injustice is that the move is intended to ensure that the churches are not identified with such members (Gill, 2016).

Based on this, it has become apparent that the churches are denying members the right to be educated on the safe sex practices that could enable its members to be more sexually aware and conversant of the dynamics of the problem. It tends to limit the access to crucial information that is provided alongside the campaigns aimed at empowering the young people because the sexual education talks are usually more enlightening. It thus means that the affected populations are made to believe that every aspect of condom distribution is misguided based on the ethics that define the religious principles in question (Gill, 2016).

The affected Stakeholder groups

One of the groups that are directly implied in the subject are the religious societies that affirm that the idea of distribution condoms is misguide and immoral. The cultural competency that applies to this group is cultural blindness that creates the notion that everyone who engages in the use of condoms is misguided and are promoting sexual promiscuity. By doing this, the church is embodying a tendency of blaming the consumer, in this case the teenagers, where it makes them the same provided they related with anything to do with condoms.

It is also noted that the school setting is a significant entity that is pertinent in the understanding of the stakeholders that are directly affected by the controversial subject. The general feeling that is created from the lessons learned in the institutions pertaining sexual education is that sexual relations can only be safe through adherence to strict abstinence protocol. Gill (2016) notes that in these classes, students are reminded that the only option for sexual, mental, and physical health was to abstain until married. Such a mindset constitutes sexual incapacity where the expressed philosophy tends to be inconsiderate of the needs of the population. It is undisputed that many of the young teenagers are sexually active and limiting the options for them as far as sexual relation are implied fails to address the challenges that the groups face.

The last group that is directly affected by the subject are the media that tends to portray the issue of sex and condoms in a misleading manner. In the present generation, it is inevitable for the young generation to resort to the media for information about a wide range of issues that affect them. Unfortunately, there is a tendency of the media portraying sex as a casual affair. On the cultural competency continuum, this element constitutes cultural destructiveness because it makes eventually has a bad influence and harms the teenagers as they contract sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancies (Gill, 2016).

How Future Teachers and Students Are Affected

Teachers in the future are likely to be more attentive and focused on improving the welfares of the student population. The teachers have for a long time exercised the lack of sensitivity to the feeling of the affected groups and they have still been unable to address the challenge of early sexual exposure effectively. It is thus anticipated that in future, students, and teachers will work more collaboratively in a productive manner to address the issues that affect the latter. Students will be more willing to engage with the teachers and the adolescents will be provided with a broad range of options rather than limit themselves to abstinence (Gill, 2016).

Solutions to the Injustices

Most of young people get wrong information from media and their friends. Therefore, having sex education in schools could help. To prevent the students from embarrassment of asking their parents for condoms or having to walk in store to buy them would go a long way in preventing unwanted pregnancies.

One of the myths most students believe in is withdrawal or the pullout method, failing to realize it does not work all the time (Adams, 2016). In today’s society, providing condoms to students is the morally realistic way of dealing with unnecessary pregnancies and STIs. Therefore, educators should instead motivate students to making right choices whenever they decide to have sex, since regardless of abstinence message young people still engage in sex. Access to birth control has also resulted to women empowerment giving them control over their bodies. Restrictive policies such as abortion laws for a long period subjected women to suffering (Adams, 2016).

Conclusion

Although no parent wants to see his daughter pregnant, many end up with the unfortunate reality of having to deal with such cases. It brings the question of why a parent would deny her or his daughter the choice of being protected. Lack of protection pose a threat of contacting STIs, even though most teens believe that they can only contact such diseases if they have multiple partners. After all, some contact these diseases due to over confidence in their partners where they believe they know their boyfriend or girlfriends too well. Lack of sexual information will make it even more difficult for them to identify symptoms of these diseases and look for treatment. To counter the challenge, it is suggested that all stakeholders should work collaboratively to address the challenge and provide the sexually actively and at risk population with a broad range of options.

References

Adams, M. (2016). Pedagogical foundations for social justice education. Teaching for diversity and social justice, 27, 118-121.

Gill, J. F. (2016). The lawyer's obligation to correct social injustices. Fordham urban law journal, 39(1).

Papa, J., & Papa, R. (2016). Social justice. In Social Justice Instruction: Empowerment on the Chalkboard (pp. 23-32). Springer International Publishing.