Conflict Case Study: 2nd Amendment, Abortion, Voting, Police
This is a follow-up to last week’s Conflict Culture.
5 elements to each:
1) Individualism
2) Remnant Structure
3) Technology
4) Intensity/Amplification
5) Trigger
2nd Amendment
- Individual: gun owner
- Remnant: militia language and muskets
- Technology: Assault rifles and militarization
- Heat: 24-hour coverage of mass shootings
- Trigger: ‘don’t politicize’ in wake of shooting vs. government taking guns
Abortion
- Individual: choice of woman v. unborn child
- Remnant: essential understandings of gender, sexuality, and
- Technology: sonogram, pregnancy tests, in vetro fertilization, sperm banks
- Heat: echo-chamber media (not able to see other side)
- Trigger: Roe v Wade, appointment of Supreme Court justices
Policing Strategies
- Individual: unarmed black men v. a ‘good’ cop
- Remnant: policing practices originated in Jim Crow South
- Technology: cell phone videos, body cams, riot gear, militarization
- Heat: echo-chamber media (not able to see other side)
- Trigger: access to national media provides constant new stories
Voting:
- Individual: popular vote v what does one vote matter?
- Remnant: electoral college and gerrymandering
- Technology: Russian bots, Facebook, Citizens United, PACs
- Heat: Argument Culture, Echo Chamber, Social Media
- Trigger: Hanging ‘chads’ in Gore v Bush, Popular Vote
What issue would you like to explore with this 5-part tool?
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