3/9/15
Dr. Kirsten Kaschock
ENGL 102
Identity paper
I grew up in Massachusetts, a primarily blue state. I enjoyed the privileges from the public school and the good health care system. Because of these benefits, I am a liberal. It’s easy to be liberal when you grow up in a state that is mostly democrats. My environment encouraged me to have similar values to those around me because I saw the benefits of being a democrat every day. I think that “liberal” is a relative term, depending on where you grow up. I wondered what would make people in other countries define themselves as liberal and what they do as liberals, because these people grew up in a very different environment to me. Perhaps the different ideals and a different government of one’s origin are what determines one’s political ideals. My friend, Sadie Griesmer, who also grew up in my hometown in Massachusetts, is going to a University in England. She has helped me better understand the difference in culture and politics from the United States and England. Liberals in England are similar in thought to liberals in the United States. There is a kind of universal thought that can define liberals in any culture. (Pestritto) This attachment can be used to compare and contrast the two nations and their peoples. The nations differ because they come from vastly different backgrounds and histories.
When someone identifies himself/herself as a liberal, this person could be defining their political, social, or economic viewpoints. To which of these viewpoints the person is referring depends on how and where he/she grew up. “Liberal” is a relative term in many cases, however, there are some fundamental ideals that all liberals follow. (Pestritto) However, these ideals are so general, most people understand them and follow them whether they are relatively liberal or not. The origins of liberalism are centered around “‘sustained rational examination of self, others and social practices.’” (Tate) In the free world, being able to judge yourself and others in a society is a right, so I will not be talking about liberalism this generally. In the United States, someone is likely to be considered liberal based on their social views of current controversial issues. However, in England, social topics are generally not debated as often as economic ones: “Most parties in the uk disagree on economic issues and policies, not social ones.” (Griesmer) The liberal spectrum in the United States doesn’t truly take economic viewpoints into consideration because there is not a large difference in economic views in the United States. This affects how liberals act and contribute to their respective liberal culture. For instance, in England, social “topics aren’t controversial. They’re legal and not about to be banned anytime soon.” Therefore, people in England do not need to fight for social equalities like they do in the United States. However, they are more likely to work for economic fairness.
My role in liberal culture is fairly limited; I talk to people about the government or society casually, and that’s all. In the United States, people are voicing their opinions about controversial social views and some economic issues. For example, in the United States, there recently was the Occupy movement, whose slogan was “We are the 99%”. This was about how “the top 1% [control] approximately 30 percent of total wealth” in the country. (Keister) The rallies were to promote a higher minimum wage and greater taxes on the extremely wealthy. The people who are a part of this movement want to show others how the extreme inequality of wealth is effecting America. Liberal culture in England is similar in this way. There are liberals who are also “working to raise minimum wage and to get rid of tuition.” (Griesmer) Personally, I don’t think that you have to be rallying in the streets to contribute to liberalism, however, it’s a strong way to show you care about your ideals. My grandmother, who is also from Massachusetts, attended many rallies in the 60’s and 70’s. She used to hang banners that said “Let them go to school” referring to school’s segregation of races. She is apart of liberal culture because she voiced her opinion for economic equality. My sisters today are similar in that they are not afraid to voice their opinions. My father grew up in North Carolina in the 60’s, while my sisters grew up in Massachusetts. When these backgrounds are juxtaposed, casual talks about “American Culture” in can quickly ramp up to shouting matches between my sisters and my dad. My dad is pretty liberal, but my sisters often get frustrated at his older way of thought. In the end we remember that we’re family and that we respect our different views. In fact, the only reason my sisters get so aggravated about his views is because they care about him and what they are talking about. The best way to spread your ideas about your views is to talk about them to people who disagree to you. This is especially true today because we are able to express our ideas instantly worldwide, via the internet.
Social Media is filled with political views and statements. This is the fastest way to state your opinion to a large number of people. It is, of course, the World Wide Web, so you can argue with people around the world. I learned about liberalism in England myself through Facebook when I talked to Sadie, and on the internet from online articles. This is how people across the globe can express their similar or opposing thoughts on liberalism, which all contributes to liberalism. The development of these arguments make a stronger culture between liberals worldwide. Social media also gives people a chance to explore other’s views. If one is curious about new political views, this person has the freedom to talk to real people online about what these views are about, and can become a part of the culture in doing so. Across the world, the best way to be an active part of liberal culture is to inform others and discuss it with others.
One topic that is relevant to people in the US and in England is the topic of free schools. “Free schools represent the most overtly market-oriented policy within the Conservative-led Coalition government's school reform programme in England and have provoked intense controversy.” (Hatcher) This topic spans a social and economic value to both governments, so it is easy to see the parallels. This is also a topic that is important to me. I love being in liberal culture because it gives me a chance to give to others what I was so lucky to have. I speak out for a more liberal tomorrow because there are many people who do not have quality public schools. In England, “up until 2001 ... their university system used to be free.” (Griesmer) People in England are losing this right to quality free schools and many people in the US still do not have this right. There is a connection to the liberal culture in England and in the US in that we are both fighting for this because it’s for equality of everybody, no matter you’re economic or social class.
Whether we like it or not, your political values are affected by where you are from. I see myself as a liberal because of my social and economic views and how they relate to the rest of the country and the world. The right to connect worldwide and give your views is one that I will never forget.
Griesmer, Sadie. "American versus English Liberalism." Online interview. 26 Jan. 2015.
Hatcher, Richard. "The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government's "free Schools" in England." Educational Review (2011): n.pag. ProQuest. Web.
Keister, Lisa A. Wealth in America: Trends in Wealth Inequality. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.
Pestritto, Ronald J. "Founding Liberalism, Progressive Liberalism, And The Rights Of Property." Social Philosophy and Policy 28.02 (2011): n. pag. ProQuest. Web.
Tate, John William. "‘We Cannot Give One Millimetre'? Liberalism, Enlightenment and Diversity." Political Studies 61.4 (2013): n.pag. ProQuest. Web
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