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WGS Ch. 2 Reading: Systems of Privilege and Inequality - Coggle Diagram
WGS Ch. 2 Reading:
Systems of Privilege and Inequality
What is "normal"?
Avoid using "woman" as a universal category as all women are different (gee, women are individuals, who knew?)
"normal" can be thought of as a social construct usually reflecting those in power. Anyone who is not "normal" is automatically being compared to a mythical idea that has been normalized
We often come up with our ideas of "normal" based on physical traits or material differences (race, gender, sexuality, clothing, etc)
Hierarchy, Power,and Systems
Differences are ranked: masculine > feminine, thin > fat, rich>poor, etc. These rankings create certain social hierarchies that are institutionalized (made part of our system) into our world.
The Result: Inequality for some, and Privilege for others. Homophobia and transphobia are not systems, they are the result of those systems
Systems of Oppression=systems that discriminate and privilege based on differences. Includes: sexism (not just men>women, can also be gender conformity), racism, heterosexism, classism (economic status), abelism (disabled vs able-bodied).
Systems can intersect w/each other and often enforce inequality together. An individual experiences different systems combined. Ex: A black woman may experience sexism and racism, but not necessarily discrimnation for gender nonconformity (cisgender) or abelism (she is not disabled).
Everything from sports, health care, education, economic status, careers, clubs, etc, is effected
I honestly had a hard time understanding the section on Discourse, Power, and Knowledge but here's what I sort of gleamed from it.
Re-conceptualizing Issues/Moving Forward
Stop thinking in terms of total opposites. Black/white, man/woman, thinking/feeling. This kind of "only the two extremes" leads to thinking people either are completely oppressed or not at all.
Stop ranking oppression. Saying that one group is more or less oppressed than another only divides us even further and makes it seem like oppression is quantifiable/can be measured.
Ask more "how" questions. How are forms of oppression related? How are our systems of inequality contributing? How can we transcend the barriers we have created? Seek knowledge related to these questions.
Recognize individual differences in power and privilege. Build empathy with each other. Make groups of those you build empathy with to work together. Attempt to better understand what intersectionality means.
My Note: "Knowledge, is an incomparably valuable multipurpose tool, that is instrumental in identifying and solving any problem. If you're worried about getting hurt, then seek knowledge. It is our greatest weapon, and our greatest defense."- Thomas Sanders
Fraser's Theory of Social Justice
Parity of Participation: The principle that all social arrangements must permit all adult members of society to interact with each other as peers
Need economic redistribution, cultural recognition, political change, and more representation for transformation to happen
Improving accessibility and representation of the disabled community could greatly improve social justice for all marginalized groups