Argumentative essay: Contact Zones

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Argumentative essay: Contact Zones
A contact zone occurs where people from different cultures or with different opinions and ideologies meet. The contact zone is influenced by authority and power of the clashing parties. Contact zones are defined by a sense of diversity and inequality that exists between the parties involved. Pratt identifies contact zones as a place where cultures meet clash and grapple (Pratt 33). Here there is uneven power due to colonialism or politics. Contact zones are eminent in the American political arena. The Republicans are at a constant clash with the Democrats each having a different ideology of how America should be managed. The constant interactions of these two groups have led to an instance of self deception within the members of the groups. This is because both the Republicans and Democrats have marginalized themselves and perceiving themselves as monocultures (Anderson 13). Transculturization and autoethnography usually occur in contact zones. In addition self deception may also occur especially in instances where conflicting parties exist as conjured entities. In an attempt to lead Americans the Republicans and Democrats often clash in their ideologies and opinions. Each party considers itself as the superior party worth of leading American and thus creating a contact zone.
The concept of monocultures is clearly evident from the manifestations of both the democrats and the republicans. To the democrats, the republicans are of no importance and their views and opinions are fallacious and they have no capacity to take Americans to a better life. Ironically, the republicans perceive the democrats in the same way. To the American citizens such ideas painted by these parties may make sense to them or not. However, they continue to align themselves with one of the party based on assumption hence forming part of the imagined community. This means they identify themselves to a party because of its ideologies and dismiss the other party because it doesn`t meet their perception of accepted principles. For instance a Christian Republican will definitely dismiss a democrat who is pro choice. Therefore deception can easily come about from a contact zone and especially to members who align themselves with imaginary existence (Anderson 20).
Over the years both parties has seen growth in terms of their members, concepts and tension between one another. Transculturization is evident in the growth of these parties in that each party is identified with specific cultures. For instance the Republicans are considered followers of Christian principles. At one point one party becomes dominant over the other. This happens in the event that party forms the government led by its president. In such a situation, the subordinated group identifies weaknesses in the dominant`s way of ruling and uses it to their advantage while tarnishing the dominant party`s image at the same time. This means...