Understanding Privilege and Oppression. Welcome to an Amazing Journey What an amazing journey to embark upon… What an incredible gift to create this space.

UnderstandinUnderstanding Privilege g Privilege

and and OppressionOppression

Welcome to an Welcome to an Amazing JourneyAmazing Journey

What an amazing journey to embark upon…What an amazing journey to embark upon…What an incredible gift to create this spaceWhat an incredible gift to create this spaceWhat a wonderful opportunity for us to engage, to What a wonderful opportunity for us to engage, to

discover new possibilities for healing social dividesdiscover new possibilities for healing social dividesAs with any new uncharted journey, we build the path As with any new uncharted journey, we build the path

as we walk together – there are smooth patches and as we walk together – there are smooth patches and rough ones.. So this is our challenge –rough ones.. So this is our challenge –

To make a commitment to hang in there with each To make a commitment to hang in there with each otherother

To gain the truths that each of us haveTo gain the truths that each of us haveTo create what we deeply believe is possible among usTo create what we deeply believe is possible among usTo evoke the courage and strength in each other to To evoke the courage and strength in each other to

make the world more just.make the world more just. -- Ratnesh Nagda-- Ratnesh Nagda

Intergroup Intergroup DialogueDialogue

The process of intergroup The process of intergroup dialogue helps create a dialogue helps create a collective meaning and collective meaning and deeper understanding.deeper understanding.

Building BlocksBuilding Blocks

Suspension of judgmentSuspension of judgment ListeningListening Identifying one’s Identifying one’s

assumptionsassumptions Inquiry and reflectionInquiry and reflection

Social IdentitiesSocial IdentitiesDominant group:Dominant group: Access to powerAccess to power Provide standards, “norms”Provide standards, “norms”

Subordinate, “target” group:Subordinate, “target” group: CategorizedCategorized Differential treatmentDifferential treatment

Dominant group Dominant group has the power to has the power to

determine:determine: who holds the power, who holds the power,

who gets the best jobs, who gets the best jobs,

whose history will be taught in whose history will be taught in school, school,

whose relationships will be whose relationships will be validated in society.validated in society.

Think about your Think about your grade school:grade school:

Who were children that got teased in Who were children that got teased in school?school?

How were they treated? What names How were they treated? What names were they called?were they called?

What made the above acceptable?What made the above acceptable?

How did these children often respond How did these children often respond to how they were viewed and treated?to how they were viewed and treated?

INSTITUTIONAL & CULTURAL

SOCIALIZATION

BORN INTO:No guilt

No choiceLimited Information

INTERNALIZATION

CORE

Socialization

Re-

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rcem

ent

Status Quo

Cycle of SocializationCycle of Socialization

RaceRaceHow do we define race?How do we define race?

““An arbitrary classification created by An arbitrary classification created by Europeans during the time of world wide Europeans during the time of world wide colonial expansion to assign human worth colonial expansion to assign human worth and social status, using themselves as the and social status, using themselves as the model of humanity, for the purpose of model of humanity, for the purpose of legitimizing white power and privilege.”legitimizing white power and privilege.”

-- Dr. M. Krenga-- Dr. M. Krenga

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Personal Personal ReflectionReflection

How was this process for you?How was this process for you?

Did you notice anything new?Did you notice anything new?

What were the similarities or What were the similarities or

differences?differences?

TECHNIQUES of TECHNIQUES of DOMINANCE:DOMINANCE:1.1. StereotypesStereotypes

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

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

May be used to spread misinformation and May be used to spread misinformation and stigmatize a subordinate groupstigmatize a subordinate 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

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Cycle of Systematic Cycle of Systematic OppressionOppression

PowerControlEconomics

Justification for Further Mistreatment (oppress based on the effects of having oppressed)

Institutions Perpetuate & Enforce

Internalized Dominance(feeling/acting superior, often unconsciously, to the target group)

Internalized Oppression(believe the misinformation about your own group)

Society Accepts(approves, legitimizes, normalizes)

Misinformation is Generated(including no information)

Systematic Mistreatment of Targeted Group

5 Faces of 5 Faces of OppressionOppression

ExploitationExploitation

MarginalizationMarginalization

PowerlessnessPowerlessness

Cultural ImperialismCultural Imperialism

ViolenceViolence

Internalized Internalized OppressionOppression

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

““We hate ourselves because We hate ourselves because

We grew up We grew up

And live in a society that hates And live in a society that hates us”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 was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious… like an invisible weightless knapsack of an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.”blank checks.”

-- Peggy McIntosh-- Peggy McIntosh

What do we mean by What do we mean by “Privilege”?“Privilege”?

Members of the “privileged” group gain Members of the “privileged” group gain benefits simply by their affiliation with the benefits simply by their affiliation with the dominant side of the power system.dominant side of the power system.

We take them for granted – because we We take them for granted – because we don’t see them!don’t see them!

They are often presented as being based They are often presented as being based on “merit” rather than simple affiliation.on “merit” rather than simple affiliation.

Privilege allows us Privilege allows us to:to:

Feel at home in the worldFeel at home in the world

Escape dangers that others may sufferEscape dangers that others may suffer

Choose whether or not to address Choose whether or not to address certain issues of oppression or injusticecertain issues of oppression or injustice

Not have to hide parts of our identity or Not have to hide parts of our identity or lifestylelifestyle