SJ Project: One final thought

Today in our last social justice class, we talked about what we're grateful for from the class, from the MSW program, and from others. There is a lot to say. Often lately, I find myself focusing on the negatives or what I wish was different, but for all the cons, there is a huge pile of pros. I am so very grateful to my cohort and the faculty for the learning I receive from them through personal stories and class work. I'm grateful for the new connections I've made with such a diverse group of people. I'm thankful for the time to pursue this goal, to think, feel, and share in my learning with others. I'm thankful to feel so passionately about so many aspects of the field, and I'm thankful for this life-long learning process.

But, most of all, in sharing what I'm thankful for today, I'm so incredibly grateful to my family and friends who support me in pursuing this field. They show up in numerous forms, through long distance phone calls and funny emails, and in their presence and understanding when I'm distracted or have little time or energy to give. All of them remind me to think with my heart as well as my head, and knowing each of these people gives me strength. In particular, TBF has been amazing this quarter. I felt emotional talking about him in class today, because I feel so lucky to have his ongoing love and support, even when I'm a bit of a nightmare (which is more than a little this quarter!).

Our discussion in class reminded me of one other piece I wanted to include in these posts, but I got wrapped up in talking about messier stuff. The posts got really long. Last week, when walking to the bus stop listening to my player, Nada Surf's Always Love came on. I hadn't heard the song in a while, and it came at the perfect time. I've written before that I feel Love is the whole point. It's the foundation for how I choose to live my life, and I wish to hold on to my love for others and myself in my work. Lately, that hasn't been at the forefront of my mind, but I knew I wanted to incorporate the song into my project. And now, I was reminded again today.

So, here is Nada Surf's Always Love. While I think some of us are given taller, rockier mountains than others in our society, how we choose to approach and climb those mountains are often matters of choice. I'm choosing to operate from a place of love.

Social Justice Reflections - Part 2

Project Posts
Intro
Part 1
Movies with Social Justice Themes

One Final Thought

This is another attempt to continue my process of articulating what I've learned about social justice in my first quarter in the MSW program, and how I see applying this knowledge in my life and work. I have to say that I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable, because there are things I should talk about, and want to explore to some extent, but I feel resistance. Basically, it comes down to fear of judgment or of being misunderstood. I'm passionate about my beliefs, and I realize they are uniquely my own. For the most part I'm confident in them, but sometimes I have the irrational fear that someone is waiting in the wings to tell me I'm wrong or silly or stupid. But, for the sake of honesty and fully embracing this project, I think it's important to address my fears, goals, and own internalized oppression to fully integrate my experiences and goals of social justice.

In my final readings for another class, we were assigned the epilogue of David Gil's Confronting Injustice and Oppression: Concepts and Strategies for Social Workers. I found that this short reading hit home on so many things I've been thinking and feeling throughout the quarter, so I'm going to use quotes from this work in directing my discussion here. I'll properly cite the reading at the end of the post. :-)

Operating with an agenda of social justice...

"It means therefore exchanging the 'bliss of ignorance' for the burden of holistic social knowledge along with difficult new choices, conflicts, and fears."

Yes. In another paper I wrote for my social justice class, I relayed that confronting issues of social justice brings to mind a scene from the movie The Matrix. When I'm feeling frustrated or down or overwhelmed by social injustice, I think, "Someone hand me the blue pill so I can plug back into the matrix and forget about this whole thing!"

The problem is there's no going back. Once you know something in the depths of your being, you can't un-know it. Sayonara, blue pill. So, what does that look like for the future? I don't know for sure yet. Right now, I find myself thinking about systematic structures of oppression, racism, homelessness, poverty, cultural competence, and environmental injustice pretty much all the time. I'm the life of any party right now, let me tell you. I notice more now in my day to day activities. Honestly, it's exhausting. But, a significant number of people have to live these things every day, and I know that thinking about it is nothing in comparison.

"In unjust and oppressive societies nearly everyone is a victim, as well as an agent and beneficiary of domination and exploitation, depending on one's position and roles in hierarchically organized, competitive institutions. In other words, nearly all people are now part of the problem, regardless of personal philosophy, and would have to change their ways of life to become part of the solution."

Ugh. I don't like the word victim. I don't think of myself as a victim, and I don't want anyone to see me as one either. I think this is a barrier of my own creation in talking about ways I've experienced oppression, like sexism. It doesn't happen very often, and I prefer to brush it off when someone gives me a "...for a girl" compliment, or implies some sort of weakness or incompetence or dismisses me for my gender. Except...I don't always really brush it off. I remember. I question. I ruminate over intentionality. Often, I wonder if I've interpreted the situation correctly. The weird thing is that almost always I'll call anyone else out for making a comment or behaving in a way that I think is sexist or discriminatory toward another, but my compass pointing to what's right doesn't always apply to myself. To this day, I sometimes think about a situation in business school where I was on the receiving end of implicit "boys club" behavior during a group project, and I still wonder what that was about and if my perception of their behavior was correct.

Looking beyond personal philosophy is a big one. I'm not a religious person, but my spiritual beliefs are very important to me. Over the past several years, I've grown to know myself better and live in accordance with who I am. I'm committed to having my actions and life choices reflect my understanding of inner truth. Yet...in thinking about the structure of our society and institutional oppression, I realize that even my spiritual belief system is shaped by my privilege. Well, that's not entirely true. At the core, I think my spiritual foundation is, well, pure, but aspects of my outward expression of my spiritual beliefs and how they shape my life philosophy are filtered through a very, um, white lens. Ultimately, to a yet undetermined extent, I think I'm able to have this belief system and live in alignment with it at least partially due to external circumstances. That's a scary thought, and this realization has brought up many questions. Talk about resistance. I'm learning that I have to move beyond just simple personal philosophy to make a difference in issues of social justice.

And, I feel like I'm explaining this poorly, so I'm not sure I'm making sense. I hope I can find a better way to clarify these thoughts. Argh.

"Commitment to activism for social justice, motivated by the search for meaning, is, however, unlikely to be free from ambivalence. Rather, doubts and dilemmas may continue along with, and in spite, of commitment."

It would be lovely if once you make a commitment to social justice all the complexities would fall away and the right thing to do would immediately become crystal clear. It doesn't, not by a long shot. But, I'm learning that you continue on anyway. You do your best. You and others hold you accountable. You'll make mistakes. You'll question and doubt. You won't always know the right thing to do.

My wonderful friend R. is years younger than me, and he's incredibly wise. I love talking with him about social justice issues. He has a wide variety of personal and professional experiences. He's a person of color who identifies as queer, and his work in school and now professionally addresses social justice. When we get together, he listens to me air my frustrations about world. He listens to my hopes. He listens to my doubts and fears. He shares his perspective. He corrects me when I'm wrong. And, when I question what the point of it all is anyway, he tells me that at the end of the day, at the end of my life, I'll know that I tried to make a difference. A small difference is better than no difference. And then he tells me to keep a sense of humor, because you can't survive without a sense of humor in this field.

"Participation in social justice movements does involve risks of being isolated and of being perceived and treated as unrealistic, utopian, and even un-American."

I'm very familiar with this one. I'm passionate about my views, and I express them to people in my world. I've been called unrealistic, a wishful thinker. I've been told, "if you don't like it how it is here in America, why don't you go live somewhere else?" I've been told that racism no longer exists, and, many years ago, I was once a person who said that. I've been told that people living in poverty have only themselves to blame. I've had people look at me suspiciously when I talk about the problems I see with capitalism and globalization. I've been told that with enough hard work anyone can succeed. I've been called overly sensitive. I've been snidely called a "bleeding heart," as if that's a terrible thing to be. That one really irks me. Funny, I always thought that caring about people's well being, wanting equal rights and access to education, health care, and opportunities for all, advocating for peace, voting for policies to correct unfair tax structures (WA State has THE most regressive tax structure in the U.S., by the way), and generally hoping for a greater sense of community and solidarity among humanity was called being a decent human being.

I was called all of these things before becoming a student in social work. I think I'm going to have to become ok with that fact that working toward social justice, and being vocal in challenging the mainstream norms, is going to be uncomfortable sometimes.

"Moreover, they (social workers and social justice advocates) need to realize that their goals may not be attainable during their lifetime, as there are no assured outcomes in struggles against oppression."

What can I say? This is true. I know it. You know it. For some reason, though, I felt strangely comforted reading that. Like, seeing that written on paper means it's ok to accept the possibility and continue the work anyway.

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This post, along with the others, is a work in progress. I hope to add more and update it as my thoughts continue to take shape.










Article source for quotes: Gil, D. (1998). The intellectual paradox of social work. In Confronting injustice and oppression (p.129-134).

Movies with Social Justice Themes (that I've watched)

I'm including this list of movies related to social justice that I've watched (so far) as part of my collection of project posts.

Project Posts
Intro
Part 1
Part 2

One Final Thought

I plan to continue adding to this as time goes on, and, for some, I'll write mini-reviews or comments.

Unnatural Causes
For a project in my social justice course, I decided to show In Sickness & in Wealth from Unnatural Causes to friends and coworkers and facilitate discussions on the topics presented in the hour-long segment. The documentary is a total of four hours with additional shorter segments on more specific issues. I highly recommend. It's interesting and well done, and, honestly, the post-film discussions led themselves. After my showings, I drove my classmates nuts by continuously bring up Unnatural Causes in class discussions.

I thought about posting some pieces of the reflection paper from that experience, and maybe I will at some point, but all I can say is watch it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the film on Netflix, but I was able to easily reserve it through the public library.

We Shall Remain
The boyfriend (TBF) and I have just started watching We Shall Remain, so it's a bit early for a review. So far, although some of the acting is a bit cheesy, the historical perspective presented is fascinating and informative. This one is available through Netflix streaming. I have to say that Netflix has a wide variety of interesting documentaries available, which is really cool.

The Garden
I watched this one in a different class during autumn quarter. I'm not sure what my feelings are about this one yet. It was tough and sad.

Battle in Seattle
OK, so I'm pretty embarrassed to say I watched this one. I finally did just the other day. It was recommended recently for its depiction of the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999, but the acting and story lines are, well, cheesy beyond words. I remember seeing the previews in the theater and thinking, interesting topic but the movie looks terrible, and I was totally turned off the by the presentation of the title, BATTLE. IN. SEATTLE. (Enter random explosions and dramatic, ominous music here.) Plus, too rhymey. It was scratched off the list. But, curiosity finally won out and I hit play on the Netflix menu.

Yeah, I can't say go watch it. There are some interesting scenes and real footage from the protests, but those are few and far between. The stories of the characters are contrived and lack depth. I've seen that there are a couple of other documentaries out there, and I'm going to try to watch 30 Frames a Second soon. I did enjoy reading through The Real Battle in Seattle site after the movie, though.

OK...and this one isn't a movie but a short called How to Tell People They Sound Racist. We watched it in a couple of classes, and I like it so much that I want to share. In fact, I liked it so much that I promptly went online and watched a bunch of other Jay Smooth videos on YouTube. AND, after I made my beeline to the interwebs to find these other goodies, I then forced the boyfriend to watch them with me.

Social Justice Reflections - Part 1

*These posts are just flowing along as I think about them. The order of the parts might change as I go.

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.

Reflecting on Social Justice

The end of my first quarter in the MSW program is drawing to a close. For my social justice course, we're asked to create a final project reflecting on what we've learned and our own commitment to social justice as we move forward. Creative expression is encouraged and possible choices include:

- Photo-voice journal
- Collage
- Dance, song, theatrical performance
- Personal reflection journal
- Mixed CD
- Brief movie on DVD
- Website
- Poetry, spoken word
- Something with food
- Poster presentation
- Creative essay on your reflection

Yeah. So, those of you who know me, may have had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing me sing and dance in informal settings before. I've heard the words "Elaine from Seinfeld" more than once in descriptions of my "moves," so I'm not going there in the classroom. I wrote some bad poetry a couple of times in high school. I've made a collage or two in my time, but I wasn't feeling very inspired on that one for this. The thought of sifting through magazines and pictures sounds exhausting at this point in the quarter. Nor do I feel the urge to make a mixed CD, even though I heart music, primarily because I don't think I have a good collection of music in mind related to social justice. For a while, I felt a glimmer of interest in creating a social justice diorama, simply because dioramas are *awesome*, and I know that would make friend Em very proud based on our history of diorama ideas, but I got tripped up in envisioning a concept. My expertise in the kitchen extends to french toast. And, frankly, while creative at times, my artistic record is pretty spotty. I created a Culture Chest as a first assignment for this class, and here is what I came up with:
















As you can see, I am not a fan of leaving any blank space open. Gaudy clutter is more my style. The culture chest project was a starting point in helping the class understand each other's social and cultural identities, and the dynamics around these identities. We were asked to put three items inside of our chest that represent/describe our own membership in various social/cultural groups (race, ethnicity, gender, religion, social class, etc.) that are meaningful to us. The second part was to decorate the chest with images, words, and phrases that describe how we think other people see these aspects of ourselves and our social groups. We made short presentations on our culture chests to the class. I had fun with this, decorating the outside with words and images that represent how people describe me or what is reflected back to me based on perceptions of my identity, and things people commonly know about me or my interests. The cool-friendly at the top is meant to show that people usually find me friendly enough but will also say that I seem a bit cool or standoffish at first. I've heard that a lot through my life, and, while I don't mean to do this, I think it's a result of initial shyness and wanting to feel out new situation.

On the inside of the chest, I placed an item that signifies my alternative spiritual identity and connection, which is incredibly important to me. I had a symbol that represents female characteristics and strength throughout every phase of life, and stands for the important female relationships in my life. And, finally, I have a Yoshitomo Nara postcard of one of the more straightfaced grumpy girls to portray my exasperation/confusion with social injustices in our world. On the back, I included a Dr. Seuss quote from The Lorax "Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." I firmly believe that, and I'm sure that concept will come up in later posts since I operate with that belief as one of my life truths. Sometimes it's really tough. Hence, the straight face.

Anyway, with all of that in mind, and after my culture chest tangent, I've decided to write a series of blog posts on my reflections from class and on social justice. I like to write. I process best through writing. And, this way, I can also include pictures, songs, poems, quotes, and links to more completely integrate my ideas within my posts.

The questions I'll be answering in my reflections are:

1. What has been key learning for you in this course?
2. How will you continue to deepen your understanding of social justice issues?
3. What will your involvement in social justice issues look like beyond this course?
4. How do you envision incorporating social justice issues in your work?

Project Posts
Intro
Movies with Social Justice Themes
Part 1
Part 2

One Final Thought