Ashley Murphy, Blog 9

Public and Private Limits

The question asks, "What is public and private in the community?", but to answer this question first the community must be defined. The number of communities are infinite. Different classes have different cultures, and this may vary on who is present or absent. Everyone's home life varies. Nations vary, families change, friend groups are not static. However, are there a set number of things or certain topics that just are not discussed in any of these settings?

Being politically correct is something that relates to the public sphere - which usually means withholding one's thoughts and not expressing views the way we think. We walk on eggshells, not wanting to step on anyone's toes. But really, anything we say can be misinterpreted. I think that not matter if we are in the public or private sphere, the key to understanding is communication so these missteps do not occur. Of course, there are some people with radical views and have prejudices, but I do not think this is the case for most people.

As a society, I think emphasis is placed on seeming strong and unemotional, while we all know that we can lose our temper or become annoyed with certain aspects of life. Limiting your emotions may help you accomplish work more efficiently, but does it promote equality? Meshing the public and private spheres will help promote more human rights. In the case of Clybourne Park, this is obvious in the tactics to keep certain buyers out of neighborhoods and the shift in race relations.