Sociology

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Sociology
Introduction
Over the last century, the world has transformed to a wide extent. The resources and their utilization have changed and so have the attitudes of people around the world. Sociologically, it would not be wrong to say that the world is at its most advanced stage right now. With more and more freedom of speech and people coming out of the shadows, many infrequent stories surface on a regular basis. One of those was the “Me Too” movement that started in Hollywood that will be discussed in this essay.
Nature of the Problem
It all started with the sexual assault scandal of a huge name in the Hollywood which was Harvey Weinstein. The A-list American film producer was accused of sexual assault by many women in the industry that caused quite the stir at a larger scale. The nature of the problem was very intense and was indicating how vulnerable women in Hollywood are because of the exposure to assault. The status quo was not only getting sexual favors from the women but was also automatically getting the upper hand where he could easily manipulate these whenever he wanted. It was a clear example of the unequal distribution of power. Looking at it from a wider perspective, it was bigger than just sexual misconduct but was ruining the largest film industry in the world by the instances of misuse of power CITATION Lan17 l 1033 (Langer).
Emerging as a Public Issue
Although the term was coined by Tarana Burke ten years ago, the idea got hyped up in October of 2017.

A hashtag “me too” started on social media that was indicating towards the prevalence of sexual misconduct in Hollywood. Some of the huge names of the industry got dragged into the movement including Harvey Weinstein. One by one, several women in the industry accused him of sexually assaulting them and behaving unprofessionally. The matter became public very soon when many celebrities and even common people were sharing their stories and joining the movement. It did not take long for the matter to spread from individuals to groups and catch huge attention. The movement played a key role in spreading awareness in the society about speaking up on sexual assault or similar types of oppression CITATION Ohl17 l 1033 (Ohlheiser).
Legitimization
The purpose of the movement was to spread awareness and stop the misconduct in the industry. In an attempt to promote the cause, celebrities also wore all black on the Golden Globes early this year. After all the stir, the movement got spread across nations, and people started supporting it in their local languages as well. Some also criticized it for being short of evidence. In terms of the legitimization of the movement, there has not been a lot of activity in terms of law and order. However, Harvey Weinstein has been abandoned from the industry. On the other hand, many other celebrities and high-class men in the industry have also been accused of the same behavior CITATION Nor17 l 1033 (North).
Solutions
Regarding solving the problem from its root, there have been some vague ideas circulating around that. While the highlight of the movement which is an A-list producer of the industry got a huge backlash and many more allegations one after another, others have also been accused. However, the accused have been denying the allegations. This has led to a blame game situation where all possible victims are accusing the assaulter while the others are denying the claims. One of the solutions that Hollywood itself has used is to speak up about it on a wider scale in order to make sure that no voice is unheard and the matter is addressed at least on a social level CITATION Rad17 l 1033 (Radu).
Changing the System
To change the system and address the problem in a quicker way, my idea is to avoid any possible lag in reporting this issue. It has been mentioned in studied that a large number of women do not report sexual misconduct because they are either afraid or ashamed to do so CITATION Rad17 l 1033 (Radu). Therefore, it is critical to empower these women overall so that they can take action as it happens to them. I believe that the main problem is the backlash that women might get in some societies after reporting any sexual assault that happened with them. A significant number would not even know that they are being molested. Therefore, it is crucial to train the receiving side here and educate women that speaking up is the best solution.
Conclusion
Last year has been pretty interesting for Hollywood, and one of the reasons is the “Me Too” movement that started in the industry. The idea started with accuses of sexual misconduct of a producer Harvey Weinstein and escalated to a larger level. It certainly empowered women not only in the film industry but across the societies in general as well. Although there has been some criticism and misuse of the movement as well, this empowering move benefited several females. There is a need to educate females to understand how important it is to speak up and how it empowers the society.

Works cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Langer, Gary. Unwanted Sexual Advances Not Just a Hollywood, Weinstein Story, Poll Finds. 17 October 2017. Web. 24 February 2018. <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/unwanted-sexual-advances-hollywood-weinstein-story-poll/story?id=50521721>.
North, Anna. What I’ve Learned Covering Sexual Misconduct this Year. 27 December 2017. Web. 25 February 2018. <https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/27/16803610/sexual-misconduct-harassment-reckoningmetoo>.
Ohlheiser, Abby. The Woman Behind ‘Me Too’ Knew the Power of the Phrase when She Created it — 10 Years Ago. 19 October 2017. Web. 24 February 2018. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/10/19/the-woman-behind-me-too-knew-the-power-of-the-phrase-when-she-created-it-10-years-ago/?utm_term=.d790f4512e8c>.
Radu, Sintia. 25 October 2017. Web. 25 February 2018. <https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-10-25/how-metoo-has-awoken-women-around-the-world>.