Understanding Privilege & Oppression Day 2

Dominant vs. Subordinate Dominant, Oppressor: Access to power Economic control Provide standards, “norms” Privilege Subordinate, Target: Disadvantaged Categorized Differential treatment Lack power and influence

TECHNIQUES of DOMINANCE: 1. Stereotypes Mental images that are overly simplistic and exaggerated generalizations about social groups; Selective generalizations that attribute specific traits to groups – not necessarily true; May be used to spread misinformation and stigmatize a subordinate group

2. Prejudice 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. Discrimination Action based on prejudice. Excluding, ignoring, avoiding, threatening, ridiculing, jokes, slurs, violence, unfair treatment. Discrimination is an individual’s external behavior

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

Social Oppression exists when one group exploits another for its own benefits and key elements are present: Dominant group defines what is normal, Differential treatment, Psychological colonization of target group leads to internalized oppression, Target group’s culture is discounted and dominant group’s culture imposed.

Systematic Oppression Embedded in institutions such as: media, family, religion, education, language, economics, criminal justice and in cultural definitions of what is normal, real, correct, beautiful and valuable. Socially sanctioned and maintains an imbalance of power

Cycle of Systematic Oppression Justification for Further Mistreatment (oppress based on the effects of having oppressed) Systematic Mistreatment of Targeted Group Power Control Economics Misinformation is Generated (including no information) Institutions Perpetuate & Enforce Society Accepts (approves, legitimizes, normalizes) Internalized Dominance (feeling/acting superior, often unconsciously, to the target group) Internalized Oppression (believe the misinformation about your own group)

5 Faces of Oppression Exploitation Marginalization Powerlessness Cultural Imperialism Violence

Internalized Oppression Incorporation and acceptance by people within a target group of the prejudices against them. “We hate ourselves because We grew up And live in a society that hates us” -- Michael Denneny

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

“I must reach for humility and be willing to not know. I may never fully understand the workings of racism, as I have been trained my entire life to perpetuate racism while denying it’s reality.” -- Robin DeAngelo

Cultural Competence A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enables that system, agency or professionals to work effectively in cross cultural situations. * It’s a lifelong journey!

Assimilation's Ideals Elimination of group-based difference; treat everyone according to the same principles, rules and standards. Also Liberal Humanism. Belief that it maximizes “choice”. People can develop themselves as “individuals”, unconstrained by group norms or expectations

Assimilation Challenged Group Solidarity: Black Power, Red Power, Women’s movement, GLBT Liberation Assimilation implies coming into the game after it has already begun – Blindness to difference perpetuates cultural imperialism Aspirations to assimilate can produce self-loathing if unable to “fit in”

Identity Politics Clarity of single focus Self-examination & education apart from dominant group Group bonding Visibility Collective Power

Institutional Oppression Mission Organizational Structure Consumer Product/Service Personnel Diversity Inclusiveness Education Opportunity Assess impact Attitudes

Diversity May create the illusion of participation, when in fact there is no shared power. Presence means very little without the power of decision making, share of the resources, development of agenda/plans, policies.

Cycle of Liberation Reaching Out CORE Coalescing Maintaining

Building Communities What makes me feel connected rather than alienated? What makes me feel known and accepted as who I am? Where are the places where community is occurring? Who is excluded? What barriers are there to participation? What are the qualities of an inclusive community vs. an exclusive one?

VIDEO “Knowing Who You Are” www.casey.org

Action Continuum Participating g g g Preventing Actively Participating Denying - Ignoring Recognizing - No Action Recognizing – Action Educating – Self – Others Supporting – Encouraging Initiating - Preventing

Becoming an Ally Comfortable with own identity, Initiates learning about others, Acknowledges unearned privileges, Works to change privileges into rights that target members can also enjoy, Willing to take risks, Committed to taking action!

Assessing the Workplace What is the race, class and gender composition in your workplace? Does upper management include significant numbers of people of color? Are clients treated with dignity & respect? Do workers make racial comments about clients? Is there any discrimination in how people are served or treated? Do workers make racial jokes or put-downs?

Committing to Action What action are you willing to take? What resources would you need? What risks might be involved? What obstacles might you encounter? What supports do you have or need?

An Amazing Journey We are weaving new ties, weaving new visions of being and living Visions that breakdown the boundaries… Visions that open up the possibilities… Visions that allow us to experiment with new ways of being powerful and just… We create spaces here that sow seeds to be carried with us We create here spaces to hear and feel stories of courage, compassion and healing These spaces, within us and with each other, are spaces of hope and possibility… Welcome to an amazing journey… -- Ratnesh Nagda