Erasing Transgender People - A Perspective from Deviance and Social Control

Note: I'm not going to be citing various sources as per some academic paper. It's been a while since I read/discussed material in that area and don't recall all the references that may have influenced my thinking. Feel free to comment if you recognize such influences. I know Stigma by Goffman and a generic reader or two with classic excerpts/articles and cross-cultural examples were involved including a piece on social landscapes. So that is the fertilizer for the mind soil in which my own perspective has developed. This isn't meant to be revolutionary or amazingly insightful, just an introduction for those not familiar with the issues discussed.

Societal Ideal and Distance from Center

This is a pretty standard idea, I think? Not sure what's "in" at that moment. But as I use it "societal control" and "distance from center", consider if society imagined an ideal person. Now it wouldn't be totally consistent or stable, but it would still be a constellation of features that hung together. This echoes some of Erving Goffman's thinking. And it need not be all of society that imagines it, but those with the most power and influence. It then spreads out to others by representation in public spaces and platforms. In the United States, this has generally been a young white somewhat wealthy Christian male who is athletic, confident, and handsome. Plus cis-gendered and heterosexual.

Now if everyone is evaluated on some level by this, even if only subconsciously, then assume for a moment that the closer you are to this ideal the more you are seen as a proper, respectable, decent person worthy of consideration and deference. If you make a mistake you are more likely to be treated kindly and given the benefit of the doubt.

The further you are from this, the more suspect you are. The harder you have to work to be seen as and maintain an appearance of being acceptable, respectable, safe, and reliable. You are more likely to be judged quickly and harshly or have your actions viewed with suspicion or disdain. The harder it is to get or restore a good reputation.

This framework makes societal privilege easier to understand. A poor, average-looking white guy with little education is not at the center of the target ideal. So he can generally expect to not be treated as well as the rich, pretty white guy with a Harvard degree. Yet a somewhat handsome black man with a degree from a state university may in some ways be considered further from the center of the ideal. Hence in some situations he may get less consideration that the poor white guy while still enjoying some advantages the poor white guy lacks.

So we don't need to pit them against each other. We can simply acknowledge that some criteria are more important for being closer to or further from the ideal, and that your cumulative distance is a decent predictor of how society will treat you. But of course it's never that simple in how people picture the situation. The black man may be painted as "having been given everything" based on the color of his skin. The poor white man may be made to resent the black man. After all why not? It's a great form of social control. People must be reminded of their place.

The Nook that could have been

Or could yet be if Barnes & Noble doesn't keep shrinking its investment in the e-reader. I like Nook. I prefer to Kindle. Any Kindle. I like that it has some limited value in an actual brick-and-mortar store. I like the layout of its digital UI, especially how books look on the screen. And yet B&N stores now hide or remove the Nook kiosk and third parties provide content services to minimize costs. The Nook could be extinct within a year or two.

What a shame.

One word sums up what I had hoped would happen with Nook -- integration.

Picturing Nook and the B&N Website/Store PoS

I've activated preference tracking for my B&N account. I have a registered Nook device and an active Nook app.

I use my account with my B&N membership to buy a product from the store's website. I add a few things to my wishlist. I walk into a store far from home and get an alert that something I've shopped for or that is on my wishlist is available in store. Or maybe it's on sale right now. Or I qualify to use my Nook device to activate a special discount.

I buy something at the store. Since I've authorized tracking on my B&N account (optional), neither my Nook device nor app tries to sell me the exact same item (unless it is consumable/something you can use up). But maybe I am offered a discount on the e-book version of a physical book I've just purchased. Especially if I've spent so much through various Barnes & Noble outlets to qualify for that perk.

Oh look, my Nook just notified me of events happening at what I've designated as "My Store". I head over a few days later for a book signing and for being a loyal member who spent money on ebooks on my Nook a notification pops up saying I qualify for a free drink in the cafe.

Just a few examples, but, right now the best you get is to sample a book for free for one our each day if you bring in your Nook. That's it. Sure you can switch books to get another hour of free reading. BUT THAT'S IT.

I mean, if you have a device, a physical store, and a website, there is soooooo much you could so to weave those together into a satisfying experience that other retailers can't touch.

Or, you know, you could just try to copy whatever passing fad is happening with handheld devices and come in at second or third place in a highly competitive market.

*shrug*

The End of G+

Most people probably couldn't care less about the end of Google Plus. Some will laugh. It's been the butt of many jokes. But I really like the potential it had. It was like Facebook and Twitter merged together, but without a lot of the BS of either of those platforms. Plus I liked it's integration into the larger Google suite of tools.

I also liked its integration into the larger Google suite. I get it was struggling, and there was a security breach. But if it was just because of the breach, which didn't reveal nearly as much serious data as other sites that are still running, that makes little sense. The feeling many people have that this was an excuse to announce a pending plan to close the platform makes more sense.

Who knows where it might have gone if it had caught on with a larger number of people. I hope they at least leave what's already there as an archive rather than totally wiping all of the photos, art, discussions, etc. people have posted over the last several years.

Here's to whatever fun alternative social media platform comes next...