Planned Parenthood is a federal organization that specializes in reproductive health. There are 825 locations in the United States all which offer everything from birth control, to testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, it is the largest provider of surgical abortions in the United States. Thus, it has come under much political fire; especially from pro-life organizations.
The following is a video criticizing information that appeared on the Planned Parenthood website in February of 2008. The video addresses the controversial accusation that Planned Parenthood targets minorities, specifically blacks.
Political economy approach:
This video claims that Planned Parenthood is "proud" of blacks for exercising their freedom of choice. However, a political economist might have a different view. They might say that this video instead promotes the idea of a false conscious; the blacks being the one who think they're conscious but are instead only falsely conscious. Garnham explains in his article that false consciousness implies a "privileged access to truth." Which begs the question, is there something that blacks don't know about conceiving? Perhaps the real implication here is that many minority groups are uneducated and really do not know what precautions need to be taken in order to not get pregnant.
Cultural Studies Approach:
The following picture appears on the Planned Parenthood website under the section "Info For Teens."
This picture displays a diverse group of teens. Notice, however, that minorities dominant the picture. Accident or on purpose? I think it's on purpose. Clearly Planned Parenthood wants these particular teens to be relatable to teens who view the "Info For Teens" sections. Implying that the teens who can most relate to information about sexual health are minority teens. Also, each teen looks happy and healthy. This could be interpreted in two ways:
1. Sex is good! It makes you happy!
2. If you have sex, you will be happy like us!
So, if I were a teen looking to get information I think I'd see this picture and be encouraged by the fact that this diverse group of teens is happy.
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