Web Page Analysis Project

 In class we have learned about the different social assumptions and ideologies that have shaped not only our society as a whole, but its individual members.  The topic of homosexuality is a touchy one for any type of discourse to take place because of the  social and political repercussions inherent in the term.  Sociology M167 (Contested Sexualities) has broadened my horizons and has broken down many of my own preconceptions on this topic.  Learning about diversity was one of the key themes in this course.  One of the most shocking and horrific aspects, when talking about any marginalized group, is the topic of hate.  I chose to work on the Hatewatch Organization site because the best way to address and challenge the variety of hate mentalities present on the internet is by spreading awareness and knowledge instead of fostering ignorance.

I chose to analyze two key pages in the Hatewatch Organization web site.  The first page is the organization’s welcome letter by David Goldman the director of the organization.  The second page is the, “frequently asked questions,” page.  I will treat these two pages as one because they both set out to inform the visitor the rationale behind the creation of this web site.

 Hatewatch is a huge internet organization that monitors hate groups in the United States as well as in countries around the world and by many different categories.  It also offers a variety of resources for visitors like “community chat,” and “what’s in the news,” that informs the browsers about the any new developments and allows them to talk about the different subjects.  In addition to this it has lists of and interviews with “bigots” as well as activists so the visitor can hear or read exactly what they have to say.  All in all it is a very interesting site with all sorts of valuable information as well as a very attractive site for those curious to learn more about the hate sites and hate groups on the internet.  Now that we know what we’re talking about, let’s turn to a more sociological, political, and analytical discussion about the two key pages at the very beginning of this site.

 This site’s stated objective is to monitor and contain online bigotry in order to, “provide(s) all of us with good information so that we act out of knowledge not ignorance.”  Because this web site deals with so many different types of hate groups it is more accurate to describe it as anti-hate than pro-queer.  It does however provide an entire segment to the queer hate groups active on the net, what they have to say and resources for queer activists.

Because this site is so broad, it is difficult to pin down the theoretical and ideological perspectives it is operating under.  Extensive discourse on a single subject is not part of either the “welcome,” nor the “frequently asked questions” page.  The more abstract perspectives we talked about in class (essentialist/social constructionist views) can be more directly assessed in the interviews with both defenders and attackers of the different hate categories.  Inferring from some of the short responses given to the questions, I believe the directors of Hatewatch are operating under a critical perspective.  This mode of thought, discusses the hierarchical power relations present in society, and explains how it is the ideologies of those in power that dominate the political and social agendas.  The only effective way to combat these overriding perspectives one needs to spread information and problematize the underlying assumptions.  Activism, information, and confrontation of hate is what this organization is all about.

One of the main criticisms of this site is that in cataloging, organizing, and spreading lists of hate groups and their beliefs, it is in effect making it easier for “racists to find hate groups.”  Their response to this point is that these hate organizations thrive on ignorance and secrecy.  By exposing their “vile and poisonous ideas,” it allows those “people of good conscience,” to learn and do something about containing the reproduction of these ideologies.  The welcome letter by David Goldman, ends with and invitation to join the organization in order to help in “fighting this most dangerous cultural poison.”

If we take a step back and try to place this organization on the spectrum of political thought in the United States, we can get a better understanding of its goals and objectives.  As we know, the political parties in the United States range from one extreme to another not only in thought processes, but in advocacy to social reform.  The spectrum goes from the conservative right to the radical left and encompasses every shade of gray in between.  Because the Hatewatch organization advocates social change in fundamental ways (the abolition of hate), and because it encourages activism, I would place it on the left hand of the spectrum.  In the welcome letter, David Goldman recalls the creation of Stormfront, “the first true racist homepage on the internet.”  He says it was this site that marked a change in the way both “racists and anti-racists,” looked at activism.  In this paragraph he refers to the “racist right in the United States.”  Those words push him farther down the left part of the spectrum than his call for social activism and change.

In my opinion this web site has tremendous significance socially, politically, and ideologically.  Because of the variety of resources and information on different topics and categories, this web site has intrinsic learning value.  The open calls for involvement and activism in fighting against hate are commendable.  Hatewatch takes a strong stance against the censorship.  Although it may seem profitable to silence those that divulge hate and violence, it is harder to combat and contest those opinions that are never spoken.  In order to effectively challenge someone’s or some group’s ideologies, one must first be fully aware of what they are.  It is this valuable lesson echoed in this web site, that I sincerely take with me from this course.