John Pearson Photo Elicitation Project

Running head: PHOTO ELICITATION PROJECT PART 2 1

Photo Elicitation Project Part 2

John R. Pearson

Loyola University Chicago

School of Education

PHOTO ELICITATION PROJECT PART 2 2

OPPRESSION


I chose to keep this photo in both part 1 and part 2 of the photo elicitation project because

I have learned that there are outside forces, beyond this storefront, that serve to oppress the way

young men look. One of the forces of oppression that affects young men is the media. The

advertising at this store, because of its location on Michigan Avenue, and many stores like it, is

one of the factors that set the expectation of what a male in his twenties should look like. Due to

the over exposure to the way that men look on TV and other media outlets, society expects men

to look a certain way. It has become extremely difficult to distinguish between class differences

based strictly on appearance (Mantsios, 2010). The accessibility to look like the trendy group

oppresses young males particularly, by pushing them to spend money to look the way men are

portrayed in the media and the way society expects. Those who do not purchase clothes from

stores such as Topman, are cast aside as being not trendy and named outsiders. There is

tremendous power in naming something an outsider (Johnson, 2006). A name can take on a life

of its own. Because of stores like this and the media, it seems that in order to be part of the

trendy group; a significant amount of money must be spent.


I chose this photo because it provides an example of how oppression is no longer overt or

straight forward. Oppression has gone under the radar (Adams, 2007). Chick-fil-A is a

contributor to groups that support the strict adherence to the idea that marriage should occur

between a man and a woman. On the surface, the company appears to only be one that sells

food. The location of the restaurant is noteworthy; it is attached directly to the Loyola

University Chicago Corboy Law Building. One of the standards at Loyola University Chicago is

social justice, yet the school has allowed Chick-fil-A to have a store within the building owned

by the school. In such a highly trafficked area of downtown Chicago, the relationship between

the values of Chick-fil-A and Loyola University Chicago has to be questioned. Chick-fil-A may

seem to be just a restaurant that sells chicken sandwiches, but underneath the surface oppresses

marriage rights between all people.


This is a picture of my driver’s license. I chose this to represent oppression because of

the word male in the lower left corner. This label represents the strict binaries tied to sexual

identity. In strict binaries such as this one, the people that fall beyond them are forgotten. A

person that is transitioning from male to female would have a difficult time filling out this

portion of the driver’s license. The male label also helps to create a structure of patriarchy.

Within this patriarchy, there is an unequal distribution of power making oppression possible

(Johnson, 1997). By being male, I hold power and out of this power come oppression and

certain power structures. These structures include the unequal pay distribution between women

and men along with the division of family labor between women and men in the household, even

when both parents are employed.


SOCIAL JUSTICE


Even the smallest things, like riding in a taxi cab can be very difficult when a person is

not able bodied. It becomes even more difficult when in a wheelchair. However, with taxi cabs

like the one seen in this photo, access to a taxi cab has inherently increased in Chicago for people

with disabilities. Independence is so valued in our society, and being able to provide a small

thing like a taxi cab will help build this independence for people with disabilities (Bryan, 2006).

Bryan (2006) also noted that there is a certain amount of ignorance associated with being able to

answer to the needs of people who are disabled. With continued action such as the creation of

these handicapped accessible taxi cabs, ignorance can turn to answers.


This is a picture of the paragraph (located in middle of page), that is in the syllabus for

ELPS 432, regarding students with disabilities. Inherit in the paragraph is the importance of

relationships. A three way communication between the student, the professor, and the office of

Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) has been created. Instead of focusing on the

disability affecting the student, the relationship focuses on uplifting the student. The three way

relationship is the support system discussed by Howland & Gibovic (2010). This support system

creates a “positive sense of identity related to a learning disability” (Howland & Gibovic, 2010,

p. 520). By placing this information in the syllabus, it allows a person who would like to hide

his/her disability to request assistance covertly, limiting possible isolation from or ridicule by

peers.


I included this is a picture of the ‘I’m here for you’ sticker because of the importance of

being an ally in the fight for social justice. In his article, Violence against Women Is a Men’s

Issue, Katz (2010) highlighted the fact that many men quietly cheer on other men, who fight

against violence towards women. By being an advocate for the ‘I’m here for you’ campaign I

am stepping away from the sidelines because I believe what Katz (2010) wrote is true. By taking

this action and receiving training to be an ally, I am able to use my privilege as a male to be an

advocate for change and an advocate for representation for the survivors of domestic abuse.


PRIVILEGE


I chose to keep this photo because Adlai E. Stevenson High School has given me a strong

foundation of education. Education is needed to broaden and strengthen the mind (hooks, 2003).

In addition to the broadening and strengthening of my mind, the privilege of attending a high

school like Stevenson has also brought great power to create good. By being an educated, white

male I can be an advocate for social justice. In order to begin to reverse the uneven power

distribution, I can use critical acquiescence to question the various privileges that I have been

awarded (Carbado, 2010). Education has also started me on the path to monetary stability. With

further education comes greater financial reward. This accumulation of wealth is a privilege that

not all people experience (Collins, Yeskel, with United for a Fair Economy and Class Action,

2010).


This is a picture of the Christmas tree on campus near the Sullivan Center at Loyola. It

represents privilege because it perpetuates the status quo and the business as usual thinking that

occurs during Christian hegemony (Adams, 2007). The absence of a tree around the holidays

would be completely out of the ordinary. It is a privilege for me to have this celebration so

ingrained in the society that I live. I am able to celebrate the holiday that correlates with the

religion I most closely align without fear of retaliation from groups who do not agree. Not

everyone falls into the same binary. I am privileged to be able to celebrate this time of year, but

what about those citizens who do not celebrate Christmas?


I chose a picture of the shuttle bus at Loyola to represent privilege because the service it

provides allows students to use private transportation rather than public transportation. The use

of the shuttle bus demonstrates the luxury of obliviousness (Johnson, 2006). As students,

faculty, and staff, we can be oblivious to the fact that we are using a service strictly for the

members of the Loyola University Chicago community. Rather than having to deal with public

transportation, the students and staff are able to utilize a service strictly for them, creating a

possible divide between us and the general public.


ANALYSIS OF MY LEARNING


My journey in ELPS 432 began in a very safe space. Being white and male, along with

other dominant attributes, I was able to stand on the side lines which consequently allowed social

injustices to others to occur. Just as Chizik & Chizik (2002) wrote, my lived experiences

influenced my preconceived notions of this class. The experience in ELPS 432 has started my

evolution to a person able to take part in and/or facilitate conversations on the many difficult

subjects we have discussed relative to oppression, social justice, and privilege. The class has

opened my eyes to the issues. I found myself being physically and emotionally drained after

each class session. This is a testament to how important the subject of social justice is and how

in-depth our dialogues became in class.

I have grown to see the institutional injustices that have occurred and are still occurring.

My awareness of things like restroom signs not encompassing people in gender transition, or the

negative language commonly used when speaking about people with disabilities, or the Christian

privilege that is prevalent in the US, has been heightened due to the course readings and in-depth

dialogs every week.

Initial lack of knowledge

The answers in my initial assessment were centered on being part of the dominant group.

I did not think of myself in terms of being white or heterosexual because these are all dominant

attributes and went unnoticed. McIntosh (1989) noted that oppressiveness and privilege are

unconscious. Through ELPS 432, I have been more exposed to issues of oppression, social

justice, and privilege. This exposure made me aware my power and privilege. By identifying

my dominant attributes, I am beginning to use critical acquiescence. Carbado (2010) wrote that

“critical acquiescence is the criticizing, if not rejecting aspects of our life that are directly linked


to our privilege” (p. 398). Using critical acquiescence is the first step to learning what action I

can take to be an advocate for non-dominant groups.

Oppression

The traditional meaning of oppression is “the exercise of tyranny by a ruling group”

(Young, 2010, p.35). The definition has evolved; Young (2010) later noted oppression can

occur due to the everyday experiences and practices of a well intentioned, liberal society.

Oppression can go unnoticed and can fall under the radar by becoming part of unquestioned

norms, habits and symbols of the dominant group (Adams, 2007). Young (2010) defined five

faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and

violent oppression. Oppression causing marginalization, when the expelling of the powerless

from useful participation occurs, is one that I have become most aware of in the US today

(Adams, 2007). For example, Christian norms, such as Sunday being a day of rest for modern

US society, have become hegemonic because they depend only on a business as usual attitude

(Adams, 2007). Other religions are marginalized in the creation of the calendar, and the

Christian norm of Sunday being a day of rest has become the status quo.

Oppression in my Photos

To demonstrate oppression, I chose a picture of my driver’s license, specifically the use

of the word male in the left-hand corner. A driver’s license has become a rite of passage in the

US. A person who is transgender has a difficult time fitting into either the male or female binary;

therefore excluding them from this rite of passage. What began as the small achievement of

obtaining a driver’s license has evolved into forcing all those obtaining a driver’s license to

decide which categories to belong.


Oppression in our Dialog

During our discussion in ELPS 432 on cisgender/transgender issues, Symone Simmons

stated that “we need to think about the folks that fall beyond the binaries” (personal

communication, November 26, 2012). This idea can apply to heterosexism; when a man

suppresses his emotions due to the social norms of what it means to be a man. A commonly held

stereotype is that real men do not cry. In order to fit into the male binary he must suppress his

emotions. The unseen structure of manhood is an invisible oppression that marginalizes those

that do not fit perfectly within the binary.

Social Justice

The fight for social justice will never end. It is about the journey and what can be done

during the fight for social justice. Schall (2006) wrote that the fight for social justice should

revolve around how to create an atmosphere of fairness and good. Brennan & Naidoo (2008)

posed the question of how best to create an “equitable, just, and respectable” society for all (p.

287). Being socially just involves creating a space where all voices can be heard and respected.

It is a process that even when we think we have achieved it, there is still more work to be done.

I have learned that I am contributing to social injustice when I am passively standing on

the sidelines. The fight for social justice can be difficult and “the path of least resistance is far

more appealing, which is the one we’re most likely to choose” (Johnson, 2006, p.80). Rather

than standing on the sidelines in the path of least resistance, it is imperative that we choose the

path towards reversal. As Johnson (2006) wrote, there is a fear of making the dominant group

uncomfortable. As a member of that dominant group, I will take it upon myself to make others

in my group uncomfortable in order to help them start their journey, encouraging them to not

stand on the side lines in the process.


Social Justice in my Photos

To represent social justice in part two of the photo elicitation project, I chose a picture of

a sticker from the ‘I’m here for you’ abuse advocacy group. In, Violence against Women Is a

Men’s Issue, Jackson Katz (2010) highlighted many men that “privately cheer on” those that

stand up and oppose violence against women (p.343). Just as in the fight to stop violence against

women, the challenge in social justice “has been getting people to actually go out and do

something about the problem” (Katz, 2010, p.341). Johnson (2006) also wrote that “dominant

groups are quite willing to ignore the injustice if it means the continuation of their power” (p.21).

The dominant groups ignore the problem in order to remain in power, leading to a cycle of

injustice.

Social Justice in our Dialog

Even when the injustice gets very close, the dominant group will still ignore it in order to

maintain their power. The comments in class made by Crystal Norwood and Matt Cartwright

during our dialog on classism represented how even in close proximity, social injustice remains

(personal communication, November 5, 2012). Both participants discussed how all they had to

do was look across the street to see other children who had more money and power than they did.

And yet, to remain in power, the dominant group passively accepts this injustice. Rather than

attempting to provide assistance or even question the system that created this, the dominant

group chose the path of least resistance and ignored the injustice.

Privilege

Of three themes, privilege is the one I am most familiar. Many times, “dialogs focus on

multiculturalism centered on white people as the oppressor and perpetrator of injustice and this

possibly makes them resistant to further dialog” (Kelly & Gayles, 2011, p. 82). This is what


happened to me. Johnson (2006) defined privilege as the “arrangement that depends on which

category we happen to be sorted into by other people and how they treat us as a result” (p.35). I

happen to be white and male. Because I am white, for example, I can expect to find bandages

that will more or less match my skin color (McIntosh, 1989). I never considered how it would

feel to have to wear a bandage that did not match the color of my skin. I did not have to form an

opinion because I was part of the dominant group. When forced to consider it, I found I did and

would care.

I have learned that I have been operating out of the luxury of obliviousness. I was

unconsciously following the path of least resistance, making it very easy to follow (Johnson,

2006). For example, when I started class, I was under the impression that we had progressed to a

more color blind society. As Gallagher (2003) explained, this thought only maintains the white

privilege by negating the inequalities in society. Beyond just the color of skin, privilege can be

seen in something as basic as where to use the restroom. Access to the bathroom for some of us

is easier than for others, and the people who never think about where and how they can use the

bathroom have a lot of control over how using restrooms feels (Chess, Kafer, Quizar, &

Richardson, 2010). In order to begin the reversal of privilege we should “examine how we are

disadvantaged as well as how we are advantaged, to develop empathy, which creates a basis for

alliances” (Blumenfeld, 2010, p. 377).

Privilege in my photos

One of the photos I chose to represent privilege was a picture of the Loyola shuttle bus.

The shuttle bus operates out of the luxury of obliviousness from students, staff, and faculty. For

members of the Loyola community the shuttle bus is a form of transportation that operates from

one campus to the other. However, because we are members of the Loyola community and


therefore part of a privileged group, the bus is available to us whenever we need it by following

the schedule. We are privileged to not have to take public transportation because we belong to

the Loyola community.

Privilege in our Dialog

Privilege does not always operate from the luxury of obliviousness. At times, it can be

set into place early and in distinct ways. While discussing the topic of heterosexism, Tina Garcia

described how she loved to play with blocks as a child (personal communication, November 12,

2012). As time went on, she was told that she should not play with the blocks because blocks

were for boys. In this example, only the boys had the privilege of playing with blocks. By not

allowing Tina, a girl to play with the blocks, gender privilege is perpetuated by the binaries that

define male and female.

Final Thoughts

I entered ELPS aware that I carried with me many privileges. I had little idea of how this

permeated throughout many aspects of my life. At Christmas time, oppression is demonstrated

through the business as usual language that produces the hegemonic tendencies. Social justice is

prevalent as I stand on the side lines and privately support a cause allowing social injustice to

occur. And privilege is demonstrated, as I become more aware of how oblivious I was to the

power that I hold. Lewis, Neville, & Spanierman (2012) wrote, “as students increase their

interest in social issues, they are more apt to work toward ensuring diverse representation of

people and ideas in the systems in which they interact” (p.120). I am now more aware and

interested in social justice issues and have become motivated to ensure a diverse representation

from many people. Through this course, the tools have been given to me and I must avoid the

path of least resistance and take action.


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