"Can't we all just get along?" --Rodney King

In the book Privilege, Power and Difference, Allan Johnson argues in Chapter 2 (We're in Trouble) that "we need to feel that we belong to something bigger than ourselves..." As human beings it is in our nature to be social creatures---to interact with others in whatever capacity we can; it is a key component for our survival.  However, in a society that places labels on everyone it’s hard to be social when you may feel like you don’t necessarily fit in.  Today everyone is being judged and subconsciously judging others—we neglect to realize how powerful judgment really is.  In a world like the one we live in, how a person is judged by their peers is seen as a definition of who they are even if it is a completely wrong perception (which 95% of the time it is!)  I believe a good example of this is the argument Frye makes about the sexual activity of a female. 

In her article titled Oppression, Marilyn Frye brings to light the argument of women’s sexual activity and inactivity.  Frye argues that women are stuck in a bind because of the social expectations placed on them.  She argues that a woman is judged based on whether or not she engages in sexual activity.  If a woman engages in sexual activity she is labeled as easy, a whore.  If she does not engage in sexual activity she’s thought of a lesbian or ‘having something wrong with her’.  Either way she’s being judged and who she is being judged as isn’t necessarily who she is.  Undergoing such harsh judgments is preventing her from being social.  This brings us back to Johnson’s point of being a part of something bigger.  If we continue to live under the judgments that are being placed upon us we’ll never have that sense of belonging and being able to feel like we are a part of something bigger.  As Johnson said in his book “…you’d think we could treat one another with decency and respect and appreciate if not support the best we have in us.”