Power & Privilege
How do some people have more power and privilege than others?
Power
Power is the ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others, to have political or social authority or control.
Privilege
Privilege is a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.
Privilege and power are gained in a social or political space because their group is valued more than another. Not everyone in the group may have access to power or privilege, but majority may.
- Privilege comes from the Latin term privilegium, meaning law for just one person – enjoyed by individuals or groups more than others.
- Goes beyond the advantage of most.
- Unearned advantage or special right.
- Not subject to usual rules or penalties.
- Granted to some not all.
- Out of your control.
- May be invisible to those that have it. Absence creates visibility.
- Operates on the personal, interpersonal, cultural and institutional level.
“We see the world, not as it is, but as we areโor, as we are conditioned to see it.”
- Stephen Covey
The Wheel of Power & Privilege
How to reflect on your power and privilege:
The Power & Privilege wheel is a tool that helps you better understand your proximity to social power. Think about the identity categories.
- Shade in the sections that you most identify with by clicking on the section.
- You may choose more than one section in each category.
- Click the section again to remove the shading.
- Consider what other categories might influence social power.
Reflect & Relate
How does this seating chart relate to the power and privilege wheel?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of a seat in the green section?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of sitting in the orange or blue sections?
- Who usually sits in the green section? How often?
- Consider access to facilities such as concession or washrooms.
- Consider the view and obstacles.
- Consider the view that each seat has of other people in the arena.
How do you see it?
PERSPECTIVE
Blind Men and An Elephant
A parable on the limits of perception and the importance on complete context.
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind).
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"
The Second, feeling of the tusk
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis very clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!
The Third approached the animal
And, happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands
Thus boldly up he spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake."
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee:
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is very plain," quoth he;
" 'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope.
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong.
Though each was partly in the right,
They all were in the wrong!
Background
The parable of the blind men and the elephant dates back to Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain writings.
The Buddhist text Udana 6.4 contains one of the earliest versions of the story—dated around c. 500 BCE.
Each in their own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
The Elephant-Sized Assumption
Amelia Broughton (2017) Medium. Original post HERE.
Perspective is everything. Check your assumptions, get curious.
When I look at this cartoon, at first glance I see an elephant surrounded by blindfolded scientists claiming their understanding of the mammal’s various body parts. Beyond what I see, I start to understand how each scientist is taking their experience and translating what they know to be true of their reality and labeling it as such.
This phenomenon is readily apparent everywhere in the world. It’s not wrong, it’s just usually what the current state of most of our relationships are.
We created spoken language to connect with each other, and somewhere along the way our perspectives and assumptions have stopped us in the ability to practice the innate instinct we are born with. Curiosity.
Watch a child at play, or just in general really, they are fascinated by almost everything. They are constantly questioning their reality. A cardboard box can be a rocket ship, a request to make hast is met with a question, their bodies are something to be explored not hidden, and their minds are continuously expanding to welcome more information into their understanding of life.
In Authentic Relating and Circling, we practice updating and checking the validity of our reality. We use curiosity to confirm, deny, and adjust the legitimacy of what we are experiencing in relationship. We check our assumptions. In doing so, we are able to create richer perspectives and wider viewpoints, ultimately coming closer to having a shared version of reality within our relationships.
Each of us has an extensive history of our humanness, coloured by our environments, social norms, traumas, genetics, etc. When said history is paired with a contrasting viewpoint it can be easy to deny another’s version of reality. Every person has a unique perspective to offer any situation. When we actively practice curiosity in relationship, we have the ability to access an abundance of meaningful, fulfilling perspectives. Rather than a ‘wrong versus right’ experience, we can view connection as a contribution to our lives, a commitment to expanding our understanding of ourselves and others.
Fixed perspective and assumptions can suffocate your experience of being human. Conflict, miscommunication, and feeling misunderstood are common repercussions of fixed thinking and unchecked assumptions. For example, if I’m asked “how are you?” and I say “good”, and continue the exchange with the same question receiving the same answer, the likelihood of our experiences being exactly the same is slim to none. The language may be the same, but the person behind each statement is not. By taking one more step in the conversation loop and being curious about their response, I can create more contact in the exchange, become more informed about the reality of my inquisitor, and will likely have a deeper sense of connection.
By willingly checking our assumptions we take off the blindfolds, open our eyes up to the alternative perspectives of our elephant-sized assumptions, and co create a better understanding of an ever changing reality. Perspective is everything. The invitation is to choose curiosity and meet each exchange with a question mark instead of an exclamation.
Let’s explore this elephant together, drop our assumptions, and see what becomes possible in our co created expedition.
Perspective Taking
1. Seek Understanding
Mindfully set your own goal aside and centre the perspective of the other person(s). Engage with their lived experience, identity and the way they are perceiving the world.
2. Ideate
Ask yourself, how are they perceiving the world? Imagine how they might be perceiving the situation or thinking and what assumptions they may have.
3. Hypothesize
Now it's time to narrow your thoughts and perspectives to create a hypothesis and connect with the other person(s). What are the potential outcomes if you are correct and how will you know if you are wrong?
4. Observe and Adjust
Reflect on your hypothesis and welcome new information. Engage, observe and adjust your assumptions through an open discussion and a curiosity for their insights. Are you able to connect and collaborate with them? If not, you must reflect and challenge your assumptions and cycle through empathy, imagination, estimation, and discovery.
Your Role
ARE YOU AN ALLY?
The Differences Between Allies, Accomplices & Co-Conspirators May Surprise You | Allyship isn’t enough when the world is on fire
Dr. Tiffany Jana (2021) An Injustice Magazine. Original post HERE.
There was a time when being considered an ally was a compliment. In the context of racial justice, white allyship was an aspirational status. Yet, as the collective consciousness about the unconscionable atrocities against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) expands, allyship is no longer enough.
Allyship – The thinking and learning stage
In today’s world, an ally is mostly someone who believes in the equal rights of all people, or a specific group of people. An ally is someone who supports equal justice in theory — often with thoughts and prayers, and sometimes with words in small group settings. I believe that contemporary allyship remains entirely too personal and self-centered. You can be an ally and do nearly nothing. If the boundaries of your allyship extend to reading, learning, watching, and privately discussing the much-deserved freedoms of others — that’s a great first step. BIPOC allies read books by authors of color to deepen their understanding of racial inequities. LGBTQIA+ allies memorize the acronym and endure the mental acrobatics of requesting and navigating pronouns. They also solidly understanding the differences between the acronym’s representative identities.
Allies begin to level up the more they start speaking up about these ideas, especially in mixed company when people actively disagree or remain clueless about justice issues. Posting supportive and informative content on social media is nice, but it’s not enough. Ally privilege is the ability to care about social justice issues without actually showing up and doing anything about it. A privileged ally often lacks deep, authentic relationships with people in the demographics they “support.”
Accomplice – The reactive response
Accomplices actively work to dismantle systems of oppression. They have passed through the initial phase of allyship and done the requisite work of learning and understanding their roles in upholding unjust structures. Accomplices flip the dynamic and use what they’ve learned and whatever access they have to help course correct systemic bias. I’ve written extensively on how to do this in the context of racial justice on Medium, and social justice broadly in my books. Accomplices begin to tap their privilege (any personal advantage––earned or unearned––that makes your life easier) in service of justice. Some accomplices disrupt and interrogate institutional bias without having access to or relationships with colleagues of color. Being an accomplice is strengthened by underrepresented demographic proximity, but it’s not impossible in its absence.
Co-conspirator–The proactive phase
Co-conspirators work alongside the communities they support. They have, seek, and create meaningful relationships with the people they actively support. Co-conspirators show up with (not just for) BIPOC people and/or LGBTQIA+ folks and they listen. They do not co-opt the cause, instead, they respect the work already being done by leaders in justice spaces and offer meaningful support. Co-conspirators are not trying to be saviors and do not fancy themselves superior to the people they work alongside. Instead, they are conscious of their privilege and they use it as fuel to help erode barriers that are tougher for affected constituencies to surmount. Co-conspirators ask how they can show up for the people already doing the work and they leverage their privilege in service of freedoms that they already enjoy. I believe what separates co-conspirators from allies is the willingness to put yourself on the line. Whether it’s assets, reputation, time, connections or other resources––co-conspirators always have skin in the game.
The journey
As you move along the continuum from allyship to co-conspirator, know that there will be setbacks. You will make mistakes all along the way––but that should not stop you. Remember that the people you aspire to empower and help liberate, don’t get the choice to opt out. We live with systemic injustice that affects us and the people we love, every single day. When you mess up, apologize and do better next time. Nurture your own cultural humility and learn from your missteps, then show up again. Remember that being called-in is a sacred gift. When someone from a protected group makes you aware of a gap in your cultural fluency, we are putting ourselves on the line in service of your liberation and growth. People who don’t hold you accountable, likely don’t believe in your capacity to be a better person, or the risk to themselves isn’t worth their effort. You will never evolve past your growing edges if no one tells you when you’ve slipped up, so be gracious and learn as you go.
Your Journey in 1...2...3: Tracking and Reflecting
1. Are you an ally? How do you know?
2. Are you an accomplice? How do you know?
3. Are you a co-conspirator? How do you know?
