Social Injustice
What is social Injustice?
If you say with honesty, "I feel hurt," and I say, "No, you don't."
Or you say, "This makes me uncomfortable," and I say, "You're just too sensitive. Get over yourself."
That's injustice. I just invalidated your experience.
Checking my privilege then, means examining the belief I hold which allowed me to tell you that I know how you feel better than you do.
If you are silenced enough times, you may grow weary of defending your rights and give in or internalize that you really are inferior to me.
That way, I would never have to check my privilege. I get to be right all the time without having to think about it and can take it for granted.
Social Injustice is unfairness experienced by people who are perceived to fit into one or more marginalized groups (for example, an adopted, left-handed, aboriginal, female child). It is a collection of shared unjust experiences, nurtured primarily by ignorance, by an illiteracy with other ways of being, actively perpetrated through various forces serving very narrow, particular interests. The objective of social injustice is to keep the status quo or move backwards, to a less equitable society through censorship, misinformation and media propaganda. In a socially unjust world, those in power cannot be questioned and believed to be right by default due to their might. Groups of people are deemed inferior and are expected to stay silent about what they really feel and think while stroking the ego of the dominant group. It operates collectively at global and societal levels, backed by systematic institutionalized power and governance.
On a basic personal level, injustice is your everyday misunderstanding. It's when two belief systems clash. It's two people that aren't listening to each other yet still expect to be heard. Both believe they are in the right. It's when parents think they know better than the child who has less life experience and their children who think they have a right to be included in decisions made about them. It's when siblings do not get along, when in-laws despise each other, when friends miscommunicate, when fighting and verbal abuse breaks out between peers, when bullying happens at school (and at home, in the community, in the workplace, in politics), when someone who has more power and authority silences the other. Maybe it's because someone is in a position of authority, older, taller, stronger, more fierce, more mean, more aggressive. It can happen whenever the persons involved do not know how to reason and negotiate respectfully, are too tired to, lack support, are not rehearsed in or immersed in a culture of mutual respect of deference and have never experienced anything other than hierarchical respect by force and dominance. Or they simply feel entitled to belittle others. We all think we're special.
When personal injustice is a shared experience among many individuals that belong to a perceived social group(s) in society (though there are always exceptions due to the intersectionality of experience), it becomes social injustice. Will social injustice and misunderstanding always exist? Perhaps and perhaps not.
If you say with honesty, "I feel hurt," and I say, "No, you don't."
Or you say, "This makes me uncomfortable," and I say, "You're just too sensitive. Get over yourself."
That's injustice. I just invalidated your experience.
Checking my privilege then, means examining the belief I hold which allowed me to tell you that I know how you feel better than you do.
If you are silenced enough times, you may grow weary of defending your rights and give in or internalize that you really are inferior to me.
That way, I would never have to check my privilege. I get to be right all the time without having to think about it and can take it for granted.
Social Injustice is unfairness experienced by people who are perceived to fit into one or more marginalized groups (for example, an adopted, left-handed, aboriginal, female child). It is a collection of shared unjust experiences, nurtured primarily by ignorance, by an illiteracy with other ways of being, actively perpetrated through various forces serving very narrow, particular interests. The objective of social injustice is to keep the status quo or move backwards, to a less equitable society through censorship, misinformation and media propaganda. In a socially unjust world, those in power cannot be questioned and believed to be right by default due to their might. Groups of people are deemed inferior and are expected to stay silent about what they really feel and think while stroking the ego of the dominant group. It operates collectively at global and societal levels, backed by systematic institutionalized power and governance.
On a basic personal level, injustice is your everyday misunderstanding. It's when two belief systems clash. It's two people that aren't listening to each other yet still expect to be heard. Both believe they are in the right. It's when parents think they know better than the child who has less life experience and their children who think they have a right to be included in decisions made about them. It's when siblings do not get along, when in-laws despise each other, when friends miscommunicate, when fighting and verbal abuse breaks out between peers, when bullying happens at school (and at home, in the community, in the workplace, in politics), when someone who has more power and authority silences the other. Maybe it's because someone is in a position of authority, older, taller, stronger, more fierce, more mean, more aggressive. It can happen whenever the persons involved do not know how to reason and negotiate respectfully, are too tired to, lack support, are not rehearsed in or immersed in a culture of mutual respect of deference and have never experienced anything other than hierarchical respect by force and dominance. Or they simply feel entitled to belittle others. We all think we're special.
When personal injustice is a shared experience among many individuals that belong to a perceived social group(s) in society (though there are always exceptions due to the intersectionality of experience), it becomes social injustice. Will social injustice and misunderstanding always exist? Perhaps and perhaps not.
Once upon a time in Europe, about three centuries ago, left-handedness was considered the work of the Devil, that the child had been possessed by Satan and was prosecuted accordingly. In many languages, including English, right meant proper, and we still use "right" to refer to the opposite of "wrong." Left is associated with evil, with unluckiness, sin, clumsiness, immorality, among other negative connotations and slang. In India, for example, the right hand was traditionally the "clean" hand used for eating, while the left was for wiping your bottom after using the toilet and the dirt from your feet; a.k.a. for the "dirty" stuff.
Left-handers make up approximately 10% of the population and live in a world of right-handed objects, from power tools to sporting equipment, guitars and other musical instruments, spiral notebooks and even decorated mugs (the images face towards the drinker for right-handers). Some of these objects aren't deadly, while others, like a table saw, can be life-altering. Most of the time, it's just annoying to go out of your way to find a left-handed version of something or switch the placement of your utensils at every meal. But social stigma can make it downright deadly. Lefties are a statistical minority, so why does society need to accommodate for them at all?
Thankfully today, most people accept that left-handed people are not sinful by default, but creative (perhaps to make up for the right-handed things everywhere). They are artists, scientists and engineers and politicians. With our evolving knowledge of genetics, we know that it runs in families where both parents carry the recessive gene. Even if we do not have the science to understand handedness yet, we are disrespecting left-handed people when they say, "I want to use this hand," and counter with, "No, you don't."
This is not to say that there's no more social injustice encountered by lefties, but understanding and acceptance goes a long way. We have far more customizable left-handed objects today than three centuries ago and students no longer have to be beaten, whipped and strapped to forcibly change their handedness at school.
Now substitute "left-handed" for "gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex or queer" and you can see some attitudes haven't changed as drastically yet.
Left-handers make up approximately 10% of the population and live in a world of right-handed objects, from power tools to sporting equipment, guitars and other musical instruments, spiral notebooks and even decorated mugs (the images face towards the drinker for right-handers). Some of these objects aren't deadly, while others, like a table saw, can be life-altering. Most of the time, it's just annoying to go out of your way to find a left-handed version of something or switch the placement of your utensils at every meal. But social stigma can make it downright deadly. Lefties are a statistical minority, so why does society need to accommodate for them at all?
Thankfully today, most people accept that left-handed people are not sinful by default, but creative (perhaps to make up for the right-handed things everywhere). They are artists, scientists and engineers and politicians. With our evolving knowledge of genetics, we know that it runs in families where both parents carry the recessive gene. Even if we do not have the science to understand handedness yet, we are disrespecting left-handed people when they say, "I want to use this hand," and counter with, "No, you don't."
This is not to say that there's no more social injustice encountered by lefties, but understanding and acceptance goes a long way. We have far more customizable left-handed objects today than three centuries ago and students no longer have to be beaten, whipped and strapped to forcibly change their handedness at school.
Now substitute "left-handed" for "gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex or queer" and you can see some attitudes haven't changed as drastically yet.
Examples:
It is entirely possible to be left-handed and choose to use your right hand instead. It could be beaten out of you since it's obvious when you're using the wrong hand. However, that doesn't change that you were born with a left hand that is stronger and easier to use, and if you were in a more accepting and supportive environment, you would choose to use your left hand.
It is entirely possible to be gay and choose to marry into a heterosexual "straight" or "normal" relationship. Society may not allow gay marriage and everyone you know, parents, friends, and community members would disown, beat, and send you to jail/electroshock therapy if they caught you in the act of being intimate with someone of the same gender or sex (let alone expressing the intense feelings of falling in love). However, that doesn't change that you were born with a preference for features of the same gender identity. If you were living in an environment where gay relationships were okay, even celebrated, then you would feel safe to embrace that part of yourself rather than locking it in a closet and feeling depressed over your fear of being "outed" and lack of more, physically and psychologically safer choices.
It is entirely possible to be trans* and choose to live as the sex and gender your doctor assigned at birth. However, that doesn't change the gender dysphoria that whacks you in the gut every time you need to use the washroom, look at your face in the mirror and desire to dress differently. Totally differently. To the point you want to cut your own genitals. But you know as soon as someone finds out you want to be the other gender and/or sex, you risk losing all your relationships, all your opportunities. Your career will be in complete jeopardy; you may turn to prostitution to single-handedly finance your transition. If you were living in a society that had positive, successful trans* role models and understood that it was a legal medical condition with the insurance and support to transition, you'd probably want to get rid of that dysphoria as soon as possible and get on with life.
It is entirely possible to be female and want to play sports. Even though you know it isn't feminine and doctors say you could hurt and scar yourself and become a target for bullying, you could play with and against the boys quite well. You change your name so people cannot guess your gender and register in a tournament. Come day of the tournament, everyone can tell you're a girl. You are disgusting. Girls should not sweat and engage in competitive combat. People scream insults and try to drag you off the court. They spit at you, make degrading comments. You can choose to fight for your right to play or give into the unfair societal norms based on the belief and science of the day that you are biologically and mentally more "fragile," inferior to and exist to serve men (female athlete used to be an oxymoron).
For a more contemporary sexism example, substitute 'sport' with 'video games'.
It is entirely possible to be black and want to be president one day. Even though you know society thinks black people are all lazy and weak of body and mind (backed up by ethnocentric science), you know you're not. You might consider getting a more white-sounding name. Still, teachers look down on your ability, give you easier work, don't expect much. After all light is good and dark is bad; everyone knows that. They tell you to consider more "realistic" careers. You might be poor and living in ghetto conditions. A gang wants to recruit you. Your peers tease you about speaking "standard" English. They don't want you to be like the white people, they fear for you. It's hard to find a way to make your dreams come true in a world that seems so set against you. Will you become a self-fulfilled prophecy of the white supremacy narrative and social injustice or be the exception to the rule?
It is entirely possible to be dyslexic and want to run a business. Even though you know you can't read paperwork to save your life, maybe you can hire someone to do the reading for you, granted they don't know that's what they're really hired to to. You may lose all credibility if people find out you can't spell or decipher the written word. You may encounter a society that thinks you're dumb and worthless because you suck at school. You make mistakes all the time and everyone laughs at your reading, as well as your inability to spell even the most basic words correctly. You act out to avoid school altogether. Life starts looking bleak. No one believes this condition exists, you must be lazy and stupid. If you had the support of a text to speech reader and knew of other successful people with dyslexia, you'd be better equipped with confidence to develop your talents.
It is entirely possible to be raped and never tell anyone or even acknowledge it happened to yourself. After all, every time rape is discussed at your dinner table, in the newspapers, in movies, it's always about whether or not the victim was asking for it. Guys don't get raped. Period. Especially not by girls. Girls must have been dressed too provocatively. Or they drank too much. They were just too pretty. They must've led the rapist on. Rapists don't choose to rape. Men don't choose to be violent and commit crimes. It's your fault for their behaviour. You're disgusting, bringing shame on yourself and your family and your community. Rape is love. Someone thought you were attractive enough to rape you. Take it as a compliment. You were in control. You must have wanted it at some level. Denial. Denial. Denial. It's not safe to come out. No one will believe you.
Etc.
Social justice about allowing people, no matter what social group(s) they hold membership, to reach their full potential. It is about respecting what other people feel and say about their experiences. It is opening choices rather than limiting them, creating a safe space rather than a hostile one. It is negotiating a shared reality and creating win-win scenarios. It's the process of making-up after a conflict. It's good for you and good for me.
Our world is slowly becoming a a more socially just reality and yet there is still much more work to do.
Are you ready to continue questioning your beliefs? It's for your own growth as a person.
It is entirely possible to be gay and choose to marry into a heterosexual "straight" or "normal" relationship. Society may not allow gay marriage and everyone you know, parents, friends, and community members would disown, beat, and send you to jail/electroshock therapy if they caught you in the act of being intimate with someone of the same gender or sex (let alone expressing the intense feelings of falling in love). However, that doesn't change that you were born with a preference for features of the same gender identity. If you were living in an environment where gay relationships were okay, even celebrated, then you would feel safe to embrace that part of yourself rather than locking it in a closet and feeling depressed over your fear of being "outed" and lack of more, physically and psychologically safer choices.
It is entirely possible to be trans* and choose to live as the sex and gender your doctor assigned at birth. However, that doesn't change the gender dysphoria that whacks you in the gut every time you need to use the washroom, look at your face in the mirror and desire to dress differently. Totally differently. To the point you want to cut your own genitals. But you know as soon as someone finds out you want to be the other gender and/or sex, you risk losing all your relationships, all your opportunities. Your career will be in complete jeopardy; you may turn to prostitution to single-handedly finance your transition. If you were living in a society that had positive, successful trans* role models and understood that it was a legal medical condition with the insurance and support to transition, you'd probably want to get rid of that dysphoria as soon as possible and get on with life.
It is entirely possible to be female and want to play sports. Even though you know it isn't feminine and doctors say you could hurt and scar yourself and become a target for bullying, you could play with and against the boys quite well. You change your name so people cannot guess your gender and register in a tournament. Come day of the tournament, everyone can tell you're a girl. You are disgusting. Girls should not sweat and engage in competitive combat. People scream insults and try to drag you off the court. They spit at you, make degrading comments. You can choose to fight for your right to play or give into the unfair societal norms based on the belief and science of the day that you are biologically and mentally more "fragile," inferior to and exist to serve men (female athlete used to be an oxymoron).
For a more contemporary sexism example, substitute 'sport' with 'video games'.
It is entirely possible to be black and want to be president one day. Even though you know society thinks black people are all lazy and weak of body and mind (backed up by ethnocentric science), you know you're not. You might consider getting a more white-sounding name. Still, teachers look down on your ability, give you easier work, don't expect much. After all light is good and dark is bad; everyone knows that. They tell you to consider more "realistic" careers. You might be poor and living in ghetto conditions. A gang wants to recruit you. Your peers tease you about speaking "standard" English. They don't want you to be like the white people, they fear for you. It's hard to find a way to make your dreams come true in a world that seems so set against you. Will you become a self-fulfilled prophecy of the white supremacy narrative and social injustice or be the exception to the rule?
It is entirely possible to be dyslexic and want to run a business. Even though you know you can't read paperwork to save your life, maybe you can hire someone to do the reading for you, granted they don't know that's what they're really hired to to. You may lose all credibility if people find out you can't spell or decipher the written word. You may encounter a society that thinks you're dumb and worthless because you suck at school. You make mistakes all the time and everyone laughs at your reading, as well as your inability to spell even the most basic words correctly. You act out to avoid school altogether. Life starts looking bleak. No one believes this condition exists, you must be lazy and stupid. If you had the support of a text to speech reader and knew of other successful people with dyslexia, you'd be better equipped with confidence to develop your talents.
It is entirely possible to be raped and never tell anyone or even acknowledge it happened to yourself. After all, every time rape is discussed at your dinner table, in the newspapers, in movies, it's always about whether or not the victim was asking for it. Guys don't get raped. Period. Especially not by girls. Girls must have been dressed too provocatively. Or they drank too much. They were just too pretty. They must've led the rapist on. Rapists don't choose to rape. Men don't choose to be violent and commit crimes. It's your fault for their behaviour. You're disgusting, bringing shame on yourself and your family and your community. Rape is love. Someone thought you were attractive enough to rape you. Take it as a compliment. You were in control. You must have wanted it at some level. Denial. Denial. Denial. It's not safe to come out. No one will believe you.
Etc.
Social justice about allowing people, no matter what social group(s) they hold membership, to reach their full potential. It is about respecting what other people feel and say about their experiences. It is opening choices rather than limiting them, creating a safe space rather than a hostile one. It is negotiating a shared reality and creating win-win scenarios. It's the process of making-up after a conflict. It's good for you and good for me.
Our world is slowly becoming a a more socially just reality and yet there is still much more work to do.
Are you ready to continue questioning your beliefs? It's for your own growth as a person.
Activities:
Have you read the poem on the homepage?
- Compose your own version and/or create a video response. What are the judgements you often receive? What social groups do you belong to? Do they differ from the social groups your peers, friends and family belong to? How would that membership change their experiences and perception of the world in comparison to yours?
- Find a line about a particular circumstance that you hold negative associations with. Create a short story of how that person feels when they are judged that way and whether or not they have opportunities to change those negative associations. Is there anything that prevents them from living more fully? What might their beliefs be, and what are the beliefs of those who judge this person? How do these two belief systems clash? Is reconciliation between them possible?
- For example, think of a black gangster. Then think of a white gangster, a Latino gangster, an (East or South or Southeast) Asian gangster, an Aboriginal gangster. Does the lifestyle of a gangster transcend race and ethnicity? What are some common circumstances that all gangsters have in common? Why do particular individuals choose this label? Is there more than one reason? What opportunities exist for them to make different choices? Use these questions to guide your story-world and narrative.
- Are there certain circumstances you cannot forgive? List them. How does this list of statements affect your thoughts, mood and behaviour? If the opposite statements on your list were true, what would be your thoughts, mood and behaviour? Did you feel agitated and found it challenging to turn those statements around? How does this exercise feel to you? Is it strange to consider the opposite thoughts to what you're accustomed to thinking?
- I DISAGREE WITH SOMETHING YOU WROTE: Great! Write about it. Express why you feel this way and what beliefs you hold to be true. Then ask yourself where these beliefs come from. Are these the same beliefs your parents share? Your teachers? Your friends? Your community? How far back do they go? Have your grandparents, great-grandparents, been acting on these same beliefs? Why might they have taken root? What experiences confirms these beliefs for you? Do the actions that arise from this belief make it a self-fulfilling prophecy?
- NOW: List what hypothetical experiences would confirm the opposite of what you believe. Was this difficult? Is there anything on this list that you think is reasonable and realistic, that you can make into an actual experience in the near future? Would you even want to? Does it make sense to consider as many possible narratives before forming an opinion about something? Are there thoughts that hold you back? Emotions that hold you back?
- Use the following questions to write a personal reflection: What does respect mean to you? What does it look like? What does disrespect look like? State some examples. Under what circumstances would you lose respect? How do you treat people that lose your respect? Is this justifiable? Do you sometimes do or say things undeserving of respect? How would you like to be treated when you are not being your most respectful? What are alternative thoughts or actions to receiving hurtful comments or actions? Can you change the outcome by changing your response?
- With a partner or in a small group, discuss the following: Which is more important: the intention or the outcome? Does intention matter at all? If you walked into someone by accident, does that give the victim a right to shout back at your mistake? Do you apologize? Or do you defend yourself that it was not your intention to walk into that person, and that they were in your way? What would be an outcome based approach to dealing with conflict?
- Can you connect this example or other instances of social injustice? When bullies pick on a blind student, spin him or her in circles, take away his or her walking cane and leave him or her to navigate without orientation, what would be the best course of action to take as a bystander? If it makes you angry, does this justify punching the bullies? Does your intention to take revenge for the blind student trump the outcome of an unjust means to reach that end?
- You make the mistake of using the wrong pronoun around a trans* person, and they get angry with you. Do you defend yourself? Should you tell them you believe that they're wrong to want to be a different gender? Do you apologize? Is the apology directed to them or for you having the belief that a person's gender is determined by their sex? Do your beliefs and intentions make a difference in the argument? Or do you correct yourself and promise to get it right next time? What line of action would lead to a positive outcome? Which is the most respectful? Does respect matter at this point?
- Can the victim or the person in the more marginalized group be wrong? Is hateful speech ever justified? Is it ever okay to insult someone, even if they are wrong? Is it justifiable for you to commit an act of insult? Are you giving away your power of choice in becoming just as angry and unreasonable?