Page 78 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

Essed’s (1991) research offered insight into the dynamics of human interaction between

Blacks and Whites and the ways that cultural differences contribute to interpersonal tension and

conflict. Structural conflict refers not only to race, but also to other systemic inequalities, including

gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic position.

Young’s (2002) inquiry into diversity is rich research that closely examined public

dialogue and civic engagement, making the case that social difference among participants is an

asset to democratic communication and ‘unity in the community’, not something to be factored

out or avoided. Moreover, Essed (1991) explored the elements of social difference from the lens

of cultural control and its effects on tension and disagreement. Similarly, Young considered how

issues of difference and plurality are expressed in the public sphere with an emphasis on normative

expressions of communication and group interactions. Cultural control (Essed, 1991) is imposed

when one group imposes and normalizes certain forms of expression by valuing styles of

expression and communication that come across as dispassionate, orderly, or articulate, such that

expressions judged as passionate are excluded from consideration (Young, 2002).

Figure 1.4. Some Illustrations on Unity in the Community

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