I haven't read a word you've written that I take issue with. It makes no sense to me that most people have this huge "blind spot" to systems and therefore systemic injustice just because they've been indoctrinated into not seeing it, though, because I certainly was socialized the same way, and yet I questioned it. Are we just outliers, or are many people lacking some capacity to see through the beliefs or assumptions about the world that were handed down to them or prefer not to question what they were taught? I wish I knew, but I do know that any friends I may have lost over things that are important to be, such as at least acknowledging systemic bias or discrimination, or social injustice as I tend to think of it, I have not missed.
I wish I had answers. I have questions, and I have observations.
I also have what I've been told.
The word "priviledge" when referencing systems seems to confuse many people. They think it is supposed to be a "hand up" as opposed to the lack of a "push down".
If you have been othered by systems (androcentrism/misogyny/sexism/cisnormativity, abelism, heteronormativity, racism, capitalism and its minor critiques/derivatives built on the same class system, etc) you become more likely to notice something is off. I say more likely, as many individuals will internalize these systems and become even more strict in their adherence to them than those who are alleged to benefit from these systems.
Internalized misogyny, internalized abelism, internalized racism are all too common.
When I read the book “Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race”, it resonated with me and echoed my own experience even though I’m clearly “White” according to that social hierarchy (even if I’m not “old stock” British). I have, however, observed many self-identifying “progressives” get offended even at the existence of that and similar books, claiming that the books are “racist” and the people making the claims are “not racist”.
All I can do is observe the phenomena, and try in any ways I can to convince other people to be able to see systems, even though I can’t make any sense of why there is so much opposition to being able to see them.
I haven't read a word you've written that I take issue with. It makes no sense to me that most people have this huge "blind spot" to systems and therefore systemic injustice just because they've been indoctrinated into not seeing it, though, because I certainly was socialized the same way, and yet I questioned it. Are we just outliers, or are many people lacking some capacity to see through the beliefs or assumptions about the world that were handed down to them or prefer not to question what they were taught? I wish I knew, but I do know that any friends I may have lost over things that are important to be, such as at least acknowledging systemic bias or discrimination, or social injustice as I tend to think of it, I have not missed.
I wish I had answers. I have questions, and I have observations.
I also have what I've been told.
The word "priviledge" when referencing systems seems to confuse many people. They think it is supposed to be a "hand up" as opposed to the lack of a "push down".
If you have been othered by systems (androcentrism/misogyny/sexism/cisnormativity, abelism, heteronormativity, racism, capitalism and its minor critiques/derivatives built on the same class system, etc) you become more likely to notice something is off. I say more likely, as many individuals will internalize these systems and become even more strict in their adherence to them than those who are alleged to benefit from these systems.
Internalized misogyny, internalized abelism, internalized racism are all too common.
When I read the book “Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race”, it resonated with me and echoed my own experience even though I’m clearly “White” according to that social hierarchy (even if I’m not “old stock” British). I have, however, observed many self-identifying “progressives” get offended even at the existence of that and similar books, claiming that the books are “racist” and the people making the claims are “not racist”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_I%27m_No_Longer_Talking_to_White_People_About_Race
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/03/why-no-long-talking-white-people-review-race-reni-eddo-lodge-racism
All I can do is observe the phenomena, and try in any ways I can to convince other people to be able to see systems, even though I can’t make any sense of why there is so much opposition to being able to see them.
A related note: https://substack.com/@russellmcormond/note/c-136935625?