Understanding Privilege & Oppression Day 2. Dominant vs. Subordinate Dominant, Oppressor: ...

UnderstandinUnderstanding Privilege & g Privilege & OppressionOppression

Day 2Day 2

Dominant vs. Dominant vs. SubordinateSubordinate

Dominant, Oppressor:Dominant, Oppressor:

Access to powerAccess to power

Economic controlEconomic control

Provide standards, Provide standards, “norms”“norms”

PrivilegePrivilege

Subordinate, Target:Subordinate, Target:

DisadvantagedDisadvantaged

CategorizedCategorized

Differential treatmentDifferential treatment

Lack power and Lack power and influenceinfluence

TECHNIQUES of TECHNIQUES of DOMINANCE:DOMINANCE:1.1. StereotypesStereotypes

Mental images that are overly Mental images that are overly simplistic and exaggerated simplistic and exaggerated generalizations about social groups; generalizations about social groups;

Selective generalizations that Selective generalizations that attribute specific traits to groups – attribute specific traits to groups – not necessarily true;not necessarily true;

May be used to spread May be used to spread misinformation and stigmatize a misinformation and stigmatize a subordinate groupsubordinate group

2.2. PrejudicePrejudice Arbitrary attitudes or beliefs and

unfair bias towards or against a person/group.

Based on little or no experience and projected onto entire group.

Prejudice is an individual’s internal perspective.

3.3. DiscriminationDiscrimination

Action based on prejudice. Action based on prejudice. Excluding, ignoring, avoiding, Excluding, ignoring, avoiding, threatening, ridiculing, jokes, slurs, threatening, ridiculing, jokes, slurs, violence, unfair treatment. violence, unfair treatment.

Discrimination is an individual’s Discrimination is an individual’s externalexternal behavior behavior

VIDEOVIDEO

““Housing Housing Discrimination: Who Discrimination: Who Should Ever Have to Should Ever Have to get Used to That?”get Used to That?”

Social Oppression exists when one Social Oppression exists when one group exploits another for its own group exploits another for its own

benefits and key elements are present:benefits and key elements are present:

1.1. Dominant group defines what is normal,Dominant group defines what is normal,

2.2. Differential treatment,Differential treatment,

3.3. Psychological colonization of target Psychological colonization of target group leads to internalized oppression,group leads to internalized oppression,

4.4. Target group’s culture is discounted and Target group’s culture is discounted and dominant group’s culture imposed. dominant group’s culture imposed.

Systematic Systematic OppressionOppression

Embedded in institutions such as: Embedded in institutions such as: media, family, religion, education, media, family, religion, education, language, economics, criminal justice language, economics, criminal justice and in cultural definitions of what is and in cultural definitions of what is normal, real, correct, beautiful and normal, real, correct, beautiful and valuable.valuable.

Socially sanctioned and maintains an Socially sanctioned and maintains an imbalance of powerimbalance of power

PowerControl

Economics

Cycle of Systematic Oppression

Systematic Mistreatment

of Targeted Group

Misinformation is Generated(including no information)

Society Accepts(approves, legitimizes, normalizes) Internalized Oppression

(believe the misinformation about your own group)

Internalized Dominance

(feeling/acting superior, often

unconsciously, to the target group)

Institutions Perpetuate &

Enforce

Justification for Further Mistreatment

(oppress based on the effects of having oppressed)

5 Faces of 5 Faces of OppressionOppression

ExploitationExploitation

MarginalizationMarginalization

PowerlessnessPowerlessness

Cultural ImperialismCultural Imperialism

ViolenceViolence

Internalized Internalized OppressionOppression

Incorporation and acceptance by people Incorporation and acceptance by people within a target group of the prejudices within a target group of the prejudices against them.against them.

““We hate ourselves because We hate ourselves because We grew up We grew up

And live in a society that And live in a society that hates us”hates us”

-- Michael Denneny-- Michael Denneny

PrivilegePrivilege

“…“…unearned assets that I can count on unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious… like an was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious… like an invisible weightless knapsack of special invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.”visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.”

-- Peggy McIntosh-- Peggy McIntosh

““I must reach for humility and I must reach for humility and

be willing to not know. be willing to not know.

I may never fully understand I may never fully understand

the workings of racism, the workings of racism,

as I have been trained my entire life as I have been trained my entire life

to perpetuate racism to perpetuate racism

while denying it’s reality.”while denying it’s reality.”

-- Robin -- Robin DeAngeloDeAngelo

Cultural Cultural CompetenceCompetence

A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and agency or among professionals and enables that system, agency or enables that system, agency or professionals to work effectively in cross professionals to work effectively in cross cultural situations.cultural situations.

* It’s a lifelong journey!* It’s a lifelong journey!

Assimilation's IdealsAssimilation's Ideals

Elimination of group-based Elimination of group-based difference; treat everyone according difference; treat everyone according to the same principles, rules and to the same principles, rules and standards. Also Liberal Humanism.standards. Also Liberal Humanism.

Belief that it maximizes “choice”. Belief that it maximizes “choice”. People can develop themselves as People can develop themselves as “individuals”, unconstrained by “individuals”, unconstrained by group norms or expectationsgroup norms or expectations

Assimilation Assimilation ChallengedChallenged

Group Solidarity: Black Power, Red Power, Group Solidarity: Black Power, Red Power, Women’s movement, GLBT LiberationWomen’s movement, GLBT Liberation

Assimilation implies coming into the game Assimilation implies coming into the game after it has already begun – after it has already begun –

Blindness to difference perpetuates Blindness to difference perpetuates cultural imperialismcultural imperialism

Aspirations to assimilate can produce self-Aspirations to assimilate can produce self-loathing if unable to “fit in”loathing if unable to “fit in”

Identity PoliticsIdentity Politics Clarity of single focusClarity of single focus

Self-examination & education Self-examination & education

apart from dominant groupapart from dominant group

Group bondingGroup bonding

VisibilityVisibility

Collective PowerCollective Power

Institutional Institutional OppressionOppression

MissionMission

Organizational Organizational StructureStructure

ConsumerConsumer

Product/ServiceProduct/Service

PersonnelPersonnel

DiversityDiversity

InclusivenessInclusiveness

EducationEducation

OpportunityOpportunity

Assess impactAssess impact

AttitudesAttitudes

DiversityDiversity May create the illusion of May create the illusion of

participation, when in fact there is participation, when in fact there is no no shared powershared power..

Presence means very little without Presence means very little without the power of decision making, share the power of decision making, share of the resources, development of of the resources, development of agenda/plans, policies.agenda/plans, policies.

BUILDINGCOMMUNITY

GETTING READY“Waking up”Introspection

Education

CREATINGCHANGE

CORE

Reaching Out

Coa

lesc

ingMaintaining

Cycle of LiberationCycle of Liberation

Building Building CommunitiesCommunities

1.1. What makes me feel connected rather What makes me feel connected rather than alienated? than alienated?

2.2. What makes me feel known and What makes me feel known and accepted as who I am?accepted as who I am?

3.3. Where are the places where community Where are the places where community is occurring?is occurring?

4.4. Who is excluded? What barriers are there Who is excluded? What barriers are there to participation?to participation?

5.5. What are the qualities of an inclusive What are the qualities of an inclusive community vs. an exclusive one?community vs. an exclusive one?

VIDEOVIDEO

““Knowing Who Knowing Who You Are”You Are”

www.casey.orgwww.casey.org

Action ContinuumAction ContinuumParticipatingParticipating PreventingPreventing

Actively ParticipatingActively Participating

Denying - IgnoringDenying - Ignoring

Recognizing - No ActionRecognizing - No Action

Recognizing – ActionRecognizing – Action

Educating – Self – OthersEducating – Self – Others

Supporting – EncouragingSupporting – Encouraging

Initiating - Initiating - PreventingPreventing

Becoming an AllyBecoming an Ally Comfortable with own identity,Comfortable with own identity,

Initiates learning about others,Initiates learning about others,

Acknowledges unearned privileges,Acknowledges unearned privileges,

Works to change privileges into rights Works to change privileges into rights that target members can also enjoy, that target members can also enjoy,

Willing to take risks,Willing to take risks,

Committed to taking action!Committed to taking action!

Assessing the Assessing the WorkplaceWorkplace

1.1. What is the race, class and gender What is the race, class and gender composition in your workplace?composition in your workplace?

2.2. Does upper management include Does upper management include significant numbers of people of color?significant numbers of people of color?

3.3. Are clients treated with dignity & respect? Are clients treated with dignity & respect?

4.4. Do workers make racial comments about Do workers make racial comments about clients? Is there any discrimination in how clients? Is there any discrimination in how people are served or treated?people are served or treated?

5.5. Do workers make racial jokes or put-Do workers make racial jokes or put-downs?downs?

Committing to Committing to ActionAction

What action are you willing to take?What action are you willing to take?

What resources would you need?What resources would you need?

What risks might be involved?What risks might be involved?

What obstacles might you encounter?What obstacles might you encounter?

What supports do you have or need?What supports do you have or need?

An Amazing An Amazing JourneyJourney

We are weaving new ties, weaving new visions of being and We are weaving new ties, weaving new visions of being and livingliving

Visions that breakdown the boundaries…Visions that breakdown the boundaries…Visions that open up the possibilities…Visions that open up the possibilities…Visions that allow us to experiment with new ways of being Visions that allow us to experiment with new ways of being

powerful and just…powerful and just…

We create spaces here that sow seeds to be carried with usWe create spaces here that sow seeds to be carried with usWe create here spaces to hear and feel stories of courage, We create here spaces to hear and feel stories of courage,

compassion and healingcompassion and healingThese spaces, within us and with each other, are spaces of These spaces, within us and with each other, are spaces of

hope and possibility…hope and possibility…Welcome to an amazing journey…Welcome to an amazing journey…

-- Ratnesh Nagda-- Ratnesh Nagda