Personal agency is a subject that is difficult to have an impartial or neutral position on, as
it sparks a lot of controversy, due to its basis on the premise that those in the lower class are
in their position by choice. J.D. Vance increasingly proves this statement through his
memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”, with his focus on the Appalachian culture and their resistance to
personal agency. Vance compellingly criticizes the lower class and specifically Appalachian
culture and discusses that they are poor by their own choice and mindset through their learned
helplessness and exploitation of the benefits that they are given as lower class citizens. Despite
arguments over demographic privilege,Vance believes that his success is due to …show more content…
Vance is a heterosexual man, which when taking into consideration his involvement with the
military, can be seen as being privileged in regards to his sexuality. In the past, there have been
laws in the U.S., such as the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law that prohibited openly homosexual or
bisexual people from entering the military and only accepted those who were closeted. However
in 2011, there was a repeal of the law which eliminated homosexuality as grounds for banning
from the military. Considering J.D. Vance joined the military a year after the 9/11 attacks in 2001
, when the “Don’t ask, don’t tell law” was still in place, he would not have been able to join the
military. However, it would be his decision whether or not to be open about his own sexuality
and Vance could decide not to disclose his sexuality if he was homosexual, which would not
cause any problems in his participation in the military, should he be adamant to join. When
looking at Vance’s acceptance into Ohio State University, there are no laws in Ohio that protect
J.D. from discrimination if he was rejected for being homosexual. However, in Connecticut,
there was a law passed in 1991 that would protect J.D. from being rejected from Yale University
for being homosexual. With
it sparks a lot of controversy, due to its basis on the premise that those in the lower class are
in their position by choice. J.D. Vance increasingly proves this statement through his
memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”, with his focus on the Appalachian culture and their resistance to
personal agency. Vance compellingly criticizes the lower class and specifically Appalachian
culture and discusses that they are poor by their own choice and mindset through their learned
helplessness and exploitation of the benefits that they are given as lower class citizens. Despite
arguments over demographic privilege,Vance believes that his success is due to …show more content…
Vance is a heterosexual man, which when taking into consideration his involvement with the
military, can be seen as being privileged in regards to his sexuality. In the past, there have been
laws in the U.S., such as the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law that prohibited openly homosexual or
bisexual people from entering the military and only accepted those who were closeted. However
in 2011, there was a repeal of the law which eliminated homosexuality as grounds for banning
from the military. Considering J.D. Vance joined the military a year after the 9/11 attacks in 2001
, when the “Don’t ask, don’t tell law” was still in place, he would not have been able to join the
military. However, it would be his decision whether or not to be open about his own sexuality
and Vance could decide not to disclose his sexuality if he was homosexual, which would not
cause any problems in his participation in the military, should he be adamant to join. When
looking at Vance’s acceptance into Ohio State University, there are no laws in Ohio that protect
J.D. from discrimination if he was rejected for being homosexual. However, in Connecticut,
there was a law passed in 1991 that would protect J.D. from being rejected from Yale University
for being homosexual. With