Lessons For social justice educators

Final Project for ELPS 432: Multiculturalism for Social Justice

Kristen Surla
Loyola University Chicago

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Overview

● Core Concepts: Oppression, Social Justice, Privilege

● Areas of Growth for each term-- what I have learned from this course

● Examples from my class projects & facilitated dialogues

● Next Steps for implementing social justice as a student affairs professional & in

everyday life
What is.... OPPRESSION?
DISCRIMINATORY actions and beliefs directed towards a group of people
based upon their identity and belonging to a social/cultural group.
Se
Or xual
er ie
nd Ab nt
Ge il
OPPRESSION IS ROOTED IN POWER it at
io
ce y n
Ra
s
as Re
Cl Se li
x x gi
Se on

POWER: The ability to control and Power belongs to people of

influence another person or agent or, privileged,
group of people. identity groups.
 “The privileged or agent group imposes its belief system, values, and
way of life onto the marginalized or target group. When oppression
occurs, it sends negative messages to the marginalized group about
their values, belief system, and way of life”(Kelly & Gayles, 2015, p.3)

In each of the illiustrations, we see Trump using various tactics to create the
negative narrative and perception of Muslim, Middle Eastern, and Latinx
people as dangerous. This is an example of power+ privilege at work to
oppress these groups of people As a man who has a lot of social capital and
wide-reaching influence paired with his identities.
In What Ways Does Oppression Work?

Multiple Levels:

1. Individual

2. Institutional

3. Social/Cultural

Landreman & MacDonald-Dennis (2013)

What I Thought About Oppression

Discriminatory actions & ideas

Which have an impact upon many facets of our

lives:

i.e. personal well-being, access to resources and

opportunities, and relationships with others

… but my understanding of oppression has

since expanded
 But… Oppression doesn’t only happen TO us
People perpetuate oppression a internally & externally

A person can BE oppressed & feed into their own oppression

(internalized subjugation)

and

ENACT oppression upon other people

(internalized domination)

Landreman & MacDonald-Dennis (2013)

Doodle in my notebook
from my 2nd week of
graduate school
“Impostor syndrome”

My understanding of oppression has severely changed because I did not

actively recognize the role of internalized forms of oppression. I am guilty of
both feeding into negative stereotypes about myself and enacting oppression
against other groups of people because of privileged identities I may have.

I was more aware of how oppression happened to me, than how I was
maintaining oppression in my perception of self & others
We May Also Not be Aware of Oppression
Intentional

Individual example- actively referring to a

trans person by the wrong pronouns
because you do not agree with the idea
that sex designated at birth is different
from gender identity.

Unintentional

Systemic example: Application forms at

many colleges/universities do not have
multiple options for gender besides M/F.
This unintentionally excludes trans and
gender non-conforming people.
Intent vs. Impact: Accountability & Systemic Injustice

Although we may not intend for oppressive behaviors or ideas to affect our actions, we cannot
deny that they play a large role in our lives.

IMPLICIT BIAS: “Implicit bias is the way that social psychologists refer to the phenomenon by
which we are unaware of our prejudices” (Sen, 2013, p. 2).
What is… PRIVILEGE?
Unearned benefits which grant increased access to resources, support, and ability to
exercise one’s own individual, sociocultural, and institutional freedom.

Privilege IS ROOTED IN POWER

Privilege grants people of the agent group power to control ideas, beliefs, and actions of those
in the target group. Privilege + power can also grant someone mental, physical, and economic
safety

Having or being born into a privileged identity is not something that we can control,
but choosing to think critically and analyze the POWER our privileges give us or deny
other people is the key
Being a Person of Color at Predominantly White Institutions

In the dialogue, I shared about my feelings as a Filipina woman/person of color

who attends a Predominantly White Institution. Although a college degree has
granted me access to education and professional opportunities I otherwise
wouldn’t have, it does not negate the everyday microaggressions and
ideological racism I encounter on campus. For me, it includes being seen as
“exotic” being asked “where are you really from?” Being a spokesperson for
my race/ethnic background/culture. Expecting that people will use my culture
as a costume, etc.
Examples of Privilege
Christian Privilege & Religious Oppression

“Christian Hegemony captures the pervasive cultural role of

normative Christianity in everyday life within U.S. schools,
neighborhoods, and workplaces. Hegemony is a term used to convey
life within U. S. schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces” (Adams &
Joshi, 2013, p. 230).

● LUC Core Curriculum, Required classes in Christian Theology

● Limited non-Christian Religious course offerings
● School year structured around Christian calendar

The Core Curriculum requirements for LUC after 2012 REQUIRE students to
take at least 1 course in Christian theology. Whereas, students before 2012,
were able to take theology courses in whatever religious area they choose.
Non-Christian religious classes are still limited.
What I’ve Learned About Privilege
Unexamined privileged + power can be
violent

“Sexual Terrorism is the system by

which males frighten, and by
frightening, dominate and control
females. It is manifested through
actual and implied violence”
(Sheffield, 2004, p. 174).

The CTA is a frequent

site of anxiety for me as
a woman. It is a place
where I do not feel safe
& frequently experience
sexual terrorism

Privilege is reinforced through power through interpersonal, social/cultural, and

institutional interactions-- this is what causes harm

Insights from Reading Paper:

Frequently, women are sent messages about how to act and what to wear in
public as a way to address sexism and sexual violence. The framing of sexual
violence in this way places the ownership upon women rather than asking men
to be accountable for their actions. These messages act as propaganda that
cause both men and women to internalize sexually harmful attitudes and
behavior (Sheffield, 2004). Throughout my undergraduate experience at
Loyola University Chicago, I was very cautious with my fashion choices
because I frequently commuted using public transportation. I actively chose to
dress in a way that made me to feel “safe” while using the “el” train.
Additionally, as a woman riding the train, I felt obligated to take up the least
amount of space as possible. By scrunching my legs and arms together, I sat
uncomfortably as a way to minimize contact with other people. At the time, I
internalized the idea that women on the el were distracting, and it was
important for me to make myself as invisible as possible in order to remain
safe. Despite my change in dress, however, I was still a target of numerous
incidents of sexual harassment on the train.
 What is… SOCIAL JUSTICE?

SOCIAL JUSTICE is the ongoing process of

education and action to secure and maintain
equitable access to rights, resources, and safety
(physically and mentally). In order for social
justice work to be effective, it requires the
collective responsibility of everyone to analyze
their social positionality (privilege &
oppression) and relationship to power.

Social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of resources

is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and
secure. We envision a society in which individuals are both self-determining
(able to develop their full capacities) and interdependent (capable of
interacting democratically with others). Social justice involves social actors
who have a sense of their own agency as well as a sense of social
responsibility toward and with others and the society as a whole. (p. 3)
I’ve Learned That Social Justice Is

CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: “He [Freire] believed that

if people were to become critical (e.g., approach the
interpretation of problems with depth, openness, and
dialogue), increase their capacity to make choices, and
reject the prescriptions of others, progress could be
made toward dismantling systems of oppression”
(Landreman, L. & MacDonald-Dennis, C., 2013, p. 8-9)

TIP: Remember to take Take Things Personally & open

up dialogue around comments/actions that hurt you

I’ve always understood social justice as something active, but I also think it’s
important to realize that social justice work is an internal process as well
Active reflection of ourselves and relationship to priilege, power, and oppression
CC asks us to break down systems of oppression within ourselves and interactions
with other people
One way we can practice this

Addressing feelings of guilt (genderism facilitated dialogue), acknowledging our

mistakes when we say things like guys

It’s not SOLELY our fault, it’s a part of how we are socialized, but we do have the
ability and agency to work against these oppressive behaviors and actions and enact
social justice work into our everyday lives.
I’ve Learned That Social Justice Is
SELF ADVOCACY

“Serving as a disability educator is about

facilitating the process of identity development and
self-advocacy that is so crucial to learning.
Promoting learning for all students—especially
students with disabilities—is about taking the time
to ask and accept questions. Being an educator is
about engaging in mutual learning. Being “good
company” on a student’s journey to self-advocacy
requires a willingness to introduce new thoughts
and ways of thinking” (McCarthy, 2007, p. 2)

Working against internalized subjugation and realizing your self worth

Asking for what you need, calling out oppressive action and behavior against you
when they happen
 OPPRESSION, PRIVILEGE & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Where do we go from here?

1. Building “critical consciousness” in my 2. Take accountability for my actions &

work with students model this for others

Acknowledging the impact I may have upon other

Creating spaces where students can bring their full people for the things I say or do. Modeling a
selves & analyze their relationship to power, privilege, culture of accountability with care as a way to
and oppression create change
APPLICATION: SOCIAL JUSTICE DIALOGES in staff Example: If I call someone by the incorrect
meeting pronouns, I will apologize & own up to the
assumption I made about them. I will respectfully
Talking about current events ask them how they will like to be referred and
change my behavior
 Social Justice is a Lifelong & Ongoing Process
● Social Justice doesn’t look like ONE thing
○ Personal conversations, professional experiences, internal
reflection
○ Keep your analysis intersectional though!
● Don’t keep it “light & polite”
○ Speak up about injustices that you see
○ Remember phrases to help people think about the impact of
action/ideas/behavior
○ Your role as an educator is to challenge students, not always
affirm them.
■ Self advocacy & working to empower students with
minoritized identities
■ Pushing students with privileged identities to work
towards dismantling oppression through equity work
THANK YOU!
To my classmates/cohortmates, Bridget, and Ester,

Thank you for insight, wisdom, vulnerability, and patience

in this learning process throughout the length of this
course! I have gained so much from our time together. I
am deeply grateful for your stories, feedback, and critical
questions. Thank you for reminding me that social
justice work can be healing and transformative. Seeing
the growth in myself and among you all reminds me of
why I am committed to social justice!

In Solidarity, Kristen Surla

 References

Adams, M. & Joshi, K.Y. (2013). Introduction: religious oppression. In

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W.J., Castañeda, R., Hackman, H.W., Peters,
M. L., & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.). Readings for diversity and social
justice (pp. 227-236). New York, NY: Routledge.

Kelly, B.T. & Gaston Gayles, J. (2015). Confronting systems of

privilege and power in the classroom. In S. Watt (Ed.),Designing
transformative multicultural initiatives: Theoretical foundations,
practical applications, and facilitator considerations (pp. Chapter
11). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Landreman, L.M. & MacDonald-Dennis, C. (2013). The evolution of social

justice education and facilitation. In Landreman, L. (Ed.).The art of
effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (p.
3-22). Sterling, VA: Stylus

McCarthy, D. (2007). Teaching self-advocacy to students with

disabilities. About Campus, 12(5), 10-16.

Sen, R. (2013). The racist mind. Color lines: News for Action.
http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/07/rinku_sen_thinking_through_racis
m.html Accessed August 13, 2013.

Sheffield, C. J. (2004). Sexual terrorism: The social control of women.

In L. Heldke, & P. O’Connor (Eds.), Oppression, privilege, &
resistance: Theoretical perspectives on racism, sexism, and