Project Posts
Intro
Part 2
Movies with Social Justice Themes
One Final Thought
Here I'm going to attempt to cover answers to these questions in Parts 1 & 2:
What has been key learning for you in this social justice course?
How will you continue to deepen your understanding of social justice issues?
What will your involvement in social justice issues look like beyond this course?
How do you envision incorporating social justice issues in your work?
The experiential learning in my social justice course definitely has the greatest impact on me. Visiting the Duwamish Longhouse and learning about the pollution and clean-up of the Duwamish river made me think a lot about the oppression and injustices to the First Nations people. It's unfathomable to me that the Duwamish, like other tribes, who signed the Point Elliot Treaty in 1855 are still not recognized on a federal level and did not receive what they are entitled to under that treaty. To me, that feels supremely unfair and wrong. In another class session, we participated in caucuses based on our racial identities, and I found it useful to talk with a group of other white people about our experiences and ways we can work toward ending institutional racism and white privilege. From this I realize that it's important for white people to educate other whites on this issue and to be held accountable as allies in this effort. I'm interested in learning more and possibly becoming involved with Seattle's Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW).
The readings and class discussions were also helpful in developing a language and environment for discussing social justice issues. While many of the concepts weren't new, I learned new terms, like microaggression. I also appreciated thinking about different ways to frame an issue in social justice work.
While reading, watching, and listening to different forms of media are good ways to learn about social justice issues, taking the next step to truly deepen your understanding means becoming involved beyond a surface level. Not everyone has the time, energy, or resources to join every organization out there, or to dedicate their lives to activism, but there are numerous ways to do more than just read an article and either brush it off or think "yeah, that sucks" and become paralyzed in the enormity of the problem. I often feel immobilized by this paralysis, wondering what impact I can possibly have as one person. Stopping there, though, just perpetuates the problem and minimizes the impact one person can have through various channels.
Ideas for continuing my own learning and encouraging others...Talk with people working directly in social justice efforts. Volunteer! Visit places, like the Duwamish Longhouse, that may not normally be on your list. Examine and *vote* for legislation that addresses inequality. Personalize what experiences of oppression actually feel like beyond an abstract concept. Go to a meeting for an organization like CARW. Be constantly aware in every aspect of your life where you are privileged and where you are oppressed and seek to change that.
My career plans are for individual mental health practice, and, specifically, I hope to work with people who have autism, not only individually but in the creation of transition programs (higher education, work, etc.). This class peaked my interest in community organizing, but I feel like I have a lot to learn about that work, and I intend to explore that further.
Social justice issues that may not seem to impact us directly do have lasting consequences for all people. This point has become increasingly clear from all of my classes throughout this entire quarter, not just this one specifically focused on social justice. One of the most frustrating aspects of white and class privilege (and pretty much all privileges), in my mind, is having the choice to not see, think, or feel about injustices if you'd rather not. In most cases, there isn't an immediate impact if you don't when you are privileged. Sure, I can hear that 14.3 percent of all Americans are living in poverty (1 in 7), or read on the National Center for Children in Poverty site that "Nearly 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $22,050 a year for a family of four." But, what do those numbers actually mean to me when I'm curled up on my cozy bed typing this in an apartment in a well off neighborhood in Seattle? Do I understand what that looks like and what that means for outcomes in health, education, family, and chances for breaking out of poverty? Do I take into account the accuracy of those numbers and that the data comes from the census bureau? Who may not be represented there? Do I take time to comprehend what $22,050 for a family of four actually looks like, because, really, I don't know how I'd get by on that number for my family of one + Kitty? Do I actually understand or care about income inequality in the U.S.? Do I think about where I fit into all of this and how change will occur? Or, do I think, "that sucks" and go back to picking out Christmas presents for my family? It's the path of least resistance vs. you know, going to the trouble to take a harder look at myself and the world.
As a related side note, one thing that's really getting to me right now in holiday TV commercials is corporations using poverty numbers to SELL THEIR PRODUCTS! I've seen a few of these already. They aren't examining poverty and talking about how to put an end to it. They're giving a statistic (or wait, sometimes celebrities are giving the statistics) and saying, buy our highly processed food packed with chemicals and sodium, contribute to our bottom line, and we'll donate a paltry amount to help a poor child!"
Yay. I have another idea for you.
On one hand, at least advertising tactics like this will help raise awareness about poverty, but I wonder, in our highly individual-focused culture, how far that awareness will go beyond purchasing another product.
I recently made a mixed CD of songs, and one in particular seems to trigger these thoughts, especially while driving in my car for some reason. It's Metric's Twilight Galaxy. I don't know the intended meaning behind the lyrics (but, please, check them out!); all I can tell you is how they inspire me. The lines "I'm higher than high, lower than deep. I'm doing it wrong, singing along" are the most meaningful to me.
So, what have I learned? It's time to stop drifting with the mainstream and live consciously with social justice values deeply ingrained in my being. I'm done singing along to the same old tired tune.
Here I'm going to attempt to cover answers to these questions in Parts 1 & 2:
What has been key learning for you in this social justice course?
How will you continue to deepen your understanding of social justice issues?
What will your involvement in social justice issues look like beyond this course?
How do you envision incorporating social justice issues in your work?
The experiential learning in my social justice course definitely has the greatest impact on me. Visiting the Duwamish Longhouse and learning about the pollution and clean-up of the Duwamish river made me think a lot about the oppression and injustices to the First Nations people. It's unfathomable to me that the Duwamish, like other tribes, who signed the Point Elliot Treaty in 1855 are still not recognized on a federal level and did not receive what they are entitled to under that treaty. To me, that feels supremely unfair and wrong. In another class session, we participated in caucuses based on our racial identities, and I found it useful to talk with a group of other white people about our experiences and ways we can work toward ending institutional racism and white privilege. From this I realize that it's important for white people to educate other whites on this issue and to be held accountable as allies in this effort. I'm interested in learning more and possibly becoming involved with Seattle's Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (CARW).
The readings and class discussions were also helpful in developing a language and environment for discussing social justice issues. While many of the concepts weren't new, I learned new terms, like microaggression. I also appreciated thinking about different ways to frame an issue in social justice work.
While reading, watching, and listening to different forms of media are good ways to learn about social justice issues, taking the next step to truly deepen your understanding means becoming involved beyond a surface level. Not everyone has the time, energy, or resources to join every organization out there, or to dedicate their lives to activism, but there are numerous ways to do more than just read an article and either brush it off or think "yeah, that sucks" and become paralyzed in the enormity of the problem. I often feel immobilized by this paralysis, wondering what impact I can possibly have as one person. Stopping there, though, just perpetuates the problem and minimizes the impact one person can have through various channels.
Ideas for continuing my own learning and encouraging others...Talk with people working directly in social justice efforts. Volunteer! Visit places, like the Duwamish Longhouse, that may not normally be on your list. Examine and *vote* for legislation that addresses inequality. Personalize what experiences of oppression actually feel like beyond an abstract concept. Go to a meeting for an organization like CARW. Be constantly aware in every aspect of your life where you are privileged and where you are oppressed and seek to change that.
My career plans are for individual mental health practice, and, specifically, I hope to work with people who have autism, not only individually but in the creation of transition programs (higher education, work, etc.). This class peaked my interest in community organizing, but I feel like I have a lot to learn about that work, and I intend to explore that further.
Social justice issues that may not seem to impact us directly do have lasting consequences for all people. This point has become increasingly clear from all of my classes throughout this entire quarter, not just this one specifically focused on social justice. One of the most frustrating aspects of white and class privilege (and pretty much all privileges), in my mind, is having the choice to not see, think, or feel about injustices if you'd rather not. In most cases, there isn't an immediate impact if you don't when you are privileged. Sure, I can hear that 14.3 percent of all Americans are living in poverty (1 in 7), or read on the National Center for Children in Poverty site that "Nearly 15 million children in the United States – 21% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $22,050 a year for a family of four." But, what do those numbers actually mean to me when I'm curled up on my cozy bed typing this in an apartment in a well off neighborhood in Seattle? Do I understand what that looks like and what that means for outcomes in health, education, family, and chances for breaking out of poverty? Do I take into account the accuracy of those numbers and that the data comes from the census bureau? Who may not be represented there? Do I take time to comprehend what $22,050 for a family of four actually looks like, because, really, I don't know how I'd get by on that number for my family of one + Kitty? Do I actually understand or care about income inequality in the U.S.? Do I think about where I fit into all of this and how change will occur? Or, do I think, "that sucks" and go back to picking out Christmas presents for my family? It's the path of least resistance vs. you know, going to the trouble to take a harder look at myself and the world.
As a related side note, one thing that's really getting to me right now in holiday TV commercials is corporations using poverty numbers to SELL THEIR PRODUCTS! I've seen a few of these already. They aren't examining poverty and talking about how to put an end to it. They're giving a statistic (or wait, sometimes celebrities are giving the statistics) and saying, buy our highly processed food packed with chemicals and sodium, contribute to our bottom line, and we'll donate a paltry amount to help a poor child!"
Yay. I have another idea for you.
On one hand, at least advertising tactics like this will help raise awareness about poverty, but I wonder, in our highly individual-focused culture, how far that awareness will go beyond purchasing another product.
I recently made a mixed CD of songs, and one in particular seems to trigger these thoughts, especially while driving in my car for some reason. It's Metric's Twilight Galaxy. I don't know the intended meaning behind the lyrics (but, please, check them out!); all I can tell you is how they inspire me. The lines "I'm higher than high, lower than deep. I'm doing it wrong, singing along" are the most meaningful to me.
So, what have I learned? It's time to stop drifting with the mainstream and live consciously with social justice values deeply ingrained in my being. I'm done singing along to the same old tired tune.
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