Social Justice

Why are issues of diversity, oppression and social justice important to everyone?

Do individuals have a responsibility to support social justice?

The problem, unstated til now, is how to live in a damaged body in a world where pain is meant to be gagged uncured ungrieved-over The problem is to connect, without hysteria, the painof any one’s body with the pain of the body’s world.

By Adrienne Rich (1986)

How might structural impediments effect social justice?

For example:• Capitalism• Colonization• Globalization

Pro-diversity Approaches

• Recognize everyone has something to contribute• Focus on varied strengths and perspectives• Requires critical self-reflection• Actively challenge harmful norms

Oppression is systemic, hidden, unintentional and multifaceted.

• Oppression does not occur “because of the evil intentions of a dominant group. It mostly occurs through the systemic constraints on subordinate groups, which take the form of unquestioned norms, behaviours, and symbols, and in the underlying assumptions of institutional rules”.

• “Oppression is more effective in achieving its apparent function of maintaining the privileged position of the dominant group when both the victims and perpetrators are unaware of the dynamics of oppression.”

(Mullay, 2010, p. 53)

Oppression

• A system that maintains advantage and disadvantage based on stereotyped social group memberships• Operates at a personal, cultural and

structural level• Oppression results in:

• Disadvantage for targeted groups• Privilege for advantaged groups

Oppression becomes InternalizedPrivileged groups – internalize superiority• privileged groups have the power to define

reality and determine what is “normal”• often unaware of own privileges

Disadvantaged groups - internalize inferiority• structural and cultural constraints may impact

personal opportunity, sense of possibility, self-development and self-determination• feelings of inferiority, shame and self-hate

“What determines oppression is when a person is blocked from opportunities to self-development, is excluded from full participation in society, does not have certain rights that the dominant group takes for granted, or is assigned a second-class citizenship, not because of individual talent, merit, or failure, but because of his or her membership in a particular group or category of people.”(Mullay, p. 40)

Social Justice

• rooted in the belief that oppression is not inevitable• full and equal participation of all groups in

society is mutually shaped to meet everyone’s needs

Social Justice Includes…

• equitable distribution of resources• physical and psychological safety• individuals are self-determining (able to

develop their full capacities) and interdependence• Individuals have a sense of personal

agency and a sense of social responsibility towards other, society and the world

Social justice is a process and belief

• The process is democratic, participatory and inclusive• affirming of human agency and human capacities for

working collaboratively to create change

• The underlying belief is oppression cannot be ended through dominance, oppression and/or coercion• “Power with” vs “Power over”

(Adams et al., 2007)

Who am I?

On a sheet of paper quickly write down the first several things that come to mind.

I am a…

What categories do we use to define ourselves and each other?

Think about how we use these categories to our advantage and disadvantage.

There is complexity and intersectionality of identity and oppression

“Power and privilege are relative…because individuals hold multiple, complex, and cross-cultural social group memberships that confer relative privilege or disadvantage differently in different contexts. Identity is simply not additive but multiplicative.”

(Adams et al., 2007, p.1-2)

Intersectionality

• “Intersectionality is the dynamic interplay of gender, race, sexual orientation, social class, age, disability status, and other diversity markers in an individual's life circumstances. Intersectionality also includes the resources and lack of resources these identity aspects convey upon the individual.”• “Mindfulness of intersectionality interrupts the

usual pattern of discussing differences in a fragmented manner.”

(Almeida et al., 2008, 16)

What do you think?

“When we think of our multiple identities, most of us will find that we are both privileged and targeted at the same time. But, it is the targeted identities that hold our attention and the dominant identities that often go unexamined.”

(Adams et al, 2000, p. 11)

Exercise

Hierarchy of Power, Privilege, and Oppression

(Almeida et al., 2008, p. 12)

Becoming an Ally

• An ally is typically a member of an advantaged social group who uses social power to take a stand against social injustice directed at targeted groups. • An ally works to be an agent of social

change rather than an agent of oppression.

Characteristics of Allies

• Feels comfortable and good about own social group membership and identities• Takes responsibility for learning about own and targeted

groups’ heritage, culture and experience• Examines how oppression works in everyday life• Actively listens to and respects the perspectives and

experiences of targeted group members• Acknowledges unearned privileges received as a result of

advantaged status and works to eliminate or change privileges into rights that targeted group members also enjoy

• Recognizes that unlearning oppressive beliefs and actions is a life-long process, not a single event and welcomes each learning opportunity

• Is willing to make mistakes, learn from them and try again• Is willing to be confronted about own behaviour and attitudes

and consider change• Is committed to taking action against social injustice in own

sphere of influence• Understands the connections among all forms of social

injustice• Believes she/he can make a difference by acting and speaking

out against social injustice• Know how to cultivate support from other allies

(Bishop, 2002)