LGBT Community Analysis - Free Paper Example

Introduction

Community psychology explains the relationship between and among different groups in society (Anderson et al., 2019). The three psychological conduct that defines this relationship include behavioral, emotional, and cognitive, and revolve around the economic, social, political, and physical aspects of life. LGBT is shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. This paper explores community psychology by explaining the relationship between LGBT and non-LGBT members of society, focusing on the psychological concepts of interdependence and respect for diversity.

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Interdependence

Interdependence assumes that all sections in society connect, and any change to one part ripples through the culture. The ripple effect a society experiences indicates the existing interdependence among different factions.

Social Environment

Behavioral Aspect. The relevance of the behavioral aspects of LGBT and society members depends on each other. The LGBT community took a pivotal point in the entertainment industry in the 2010s, influencing the behavior of film and cinema characters. The popularity of the 2018 film Love Simon arose from it, showing a high school gay student who falls in love with a male over the internet (Staples, 2019). Allowing LGBTQ creators to lead their narratives in Television through soaps and other films helps propagate their goals (Staples, 2019). The approach helps in revealing the hidden strengths or abilities of the community. Today, the LGBT formats of entertainment which penetrate the mainstream media to regular people across the western nations are vital for the integration of the community and the rest of the society.

Cognitive Aspect. Through mistreatment and possible rejection that the community receives from other society members, the community learns the interdependence between the psychology of its group members and non-group members. The members are likely to adopt isolation as a way of surviving the harsh environment. The interdependent nature between the two communities makes LBGT hide due to the negative judgment they receive from other society members. One of the weaknesses of the group is the negative perception that society accords it. Traditional and religious cultures do not welcome the idea and thus serve as the major contributors to the stigmatization that LGBT members experience. Due to the significance of societal ideals, queers experience negative self-beliefs and perceptions (Formby, 2012). On a positive note, the connection between different LGBT members makes them feel healthy. While they are together, the members experience the freedom of expression, conducting themselves with less restraint.

Emotional Traits. The emotional aspects of one group depend on the emotional part of the other. The reaction that the LGBT community receives to the negative judgment of society presents the interdependence of the emotional psychology between different cultures. The LGBT community exhibits emotional weakness. Formby (2012) noted that in the event of adverse judgment or discrimination, the members are likely to experience mental health issues like depression and trauma. As such, the LGBT group records suicidal tendencies three times more than non-LGBT individuals in any society (Formby, 2012). The heightened sexual and physical harassment figures from the International Lesbian and Gay Association show the need to establish the LGBT community's rights to protection (Roth, 2015).

Economic Environment

Behavioral Aspect. Since 2010, the entertainment industry, including television and cinema, has proved to be luxurious, fetching huge profits, especially if under the captaincy of controversial figures from the queering community (Staples, 2019). The French drama, 120 Beats per Minute, won four awards at the Cannes Film Festival and near-universal acclaim for sensitizing the community about Aids. Due to its high demand, the drama recorded profits supporting over ten times the $ 15 million investment (Staples, 2019).

Cognitive Approaches. The interpretation of the proceedings in any society determines how the members conduct themselves. The LGBT community feel that the economic inequalities they experience result from the disproportional allocation of resources (Anderson et al., 2019). The discriminatory approach in distributing jobs and the resulting missed employment opportunities makes the members resort to crime.

Respect to Diversity

Community psychology exercises respect for diverse life ideals among different societies. Since respect for diversity makes every part of culture acknowledge the views and norms of other communities, the approach promotes peaceful co-existence in society.

Social Environment

Behavioral Aspect. The continued cooperation between the queering and non-queering communities indicates respect for the diverse approaches to life. In recent years, there has been a growing sense of community well-being that results from the adaptation of the LGBT community. Staples (2019) described the continuing involvement of gay and other queering populations in debates about accommodating every group approach to social life as one of the current strengths of the community. This involvement agrees with Matthew Todd's argument about the toxic effect of homophobia and cultural shame about the gay lifestyle. Western countries, especially the UK and the US, are experiencing a rise in the cultural representation of the LGBT group. Since 2009, the group has earned new legislative freedoms (Staples, 2019). Despite the existing sense of solidarity among the LGBT community, the community still exhibits diverse experiences. Adaptation has led to improved aspects such as self-esteem, and improving physical health. This move prevents isolation in the LBGT+ members who experience negative judgment (Anderson et al., 2019).

Cognitive Psychology. LGBT community expects every stakeholder to support creating an equitable society, instead of leaving the mandate to those who directly experienced inequalities. The group understands the role of addressing diversity in designing interventions. If cultural diversity tailors preventive interventions that aim at meeting the needs of every recipient, the cultures will receive appreciation, value, and maintenance over time. As such, Netflix features many LGBTQ characters among all its streaming services to boost the relations between the community and other cultures (Staples, 2019).

There are still some weaknesses in the quest for the wellness of the LGBT community. There is continued backlashes like hate towards the group and crime associated with its members, both from religious establishments and other cultures that differ with LGBT ideals. Although the community is generally adjusting its mindset to live with LGBT community members, there are still aspects of resistance. Youth groups often exclude LGBT members from friendship groups, and peers bully them. Despite the acceptance from the modern culture, there is still a disconnect between what happens in communication and information media, and the real acts within societies (Roth, 2015).

On a positive note, some religions, especially the Catholic Church, rebuke violent and discriminatory acts toward any cultural establishments, including the LGBT community. Pope Francis explicitly adopted an understanding attitude, both at a doctrinal level and in his posture and statements, citing that accommodating diverse cultures shows the extent to which a person depicts his enlightened leadership (Roth, 2015).

Political Environment

Behavioral Traits. The need to respect and diverse values as part of any society's culture has led to improved fights for LGBT rights. The shift in the politics of LGBT has changed the narratives of the initially opposing governments. Different countries have taken the lead, with the frontrunners composing governments of developing nations emerging from the developing countries. Roth (2015) reminds us of the 2014 LGBT resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council, led by the global southern governments, mainly Latin America, and backed by South Africa.

Cognitive Aspect. Furthermore, society is adapting to LGBT stars. Lady Gaga, a fierce advocate for LGBT rights, became a global star after the political sanitization of pop charts in 2009. In 2019, after her political awakening, Taylor Swift, another advocate of LGBT stories, used her organization GLAAD in her lyrics for You Need to Calm Down song to inspire her fans to campaign for equal legislation for LGBT and non-LGBT communities (Staples, 2019). The Human Rights Watch created a formal LGBT program that informs the public about the community's rights as part of the human rights agenda. The plan was instrumental in alleviating human rights in communities like Egypt, where LGBT cultures faced harsh reception (Roth, 2015).

Conclusion

Through the concepts of interdependence and respect for diversity, community psychology influences the political, social, physical, and economic relationships between the different cultures within a society. The relationship becomes evident by exploring various psychological aspects, including behavioral, emotional, and cognitive conduct. The interdependence between the LGBT and non-LGBT cultures and the acceptance of diversity triggers modern to alter its perspective on the general well-being of society. Despite the improvements, the predominant negative judgment from the larger sections makes it necessary for the advocates of cultural equality to reinforce the efforts.

References

Anderson, A. J., Anderson, V., & Balcazar, F. E. (2019, June 21). Introduction to the Field of Community Psychology. Rebus Community. https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/chapter/intro-to-community-psychology/

Formby, E. (2012, November 11). Sense of Community 'important' to LGBT People. Sheffield Hallam University. https://www4.shu.ac.uk/mediacentre/sense-community-important-lgbt-people?filter=Gender-and-sexuality

Levine, M., Perkins, D. D., & Perkins, D. V. (2005). Principles of community psychology: Perspectives and applications. New York: Oxford University Press. https://www.scra27.org/files/6314/5980/8746/

Principles-of-Community-Psychology.TOC_.Forward.Preface.Intro_.Refs_.Indexes.pdfRoth, K. (2015, January 23). LGBT: Moving Towards Equality. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/23/lgbt-moving-towards-equality

Staples, L. (2019, December 26). Did culture Embrace Queer people this decade? BBC Culture. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20191218-the-decade-that-saw-queerness-go-mainstream