Where are we to focus our attention? What new directions, principles, or approaches can we imagine?
In the current climate of global chaos, financial collapse, environmental degradation, and widening gaps between wealth and poverty, we have much to ponder, to confront in ourselves , and much t to change. The global development community is a cauldron of individuals, motives, and practices that are unsustainable in their current configuration and worldview. We have been focusing, wholeheartedly, on poverty reduction, "the poor", and the alleviation of problems associated with the lack of material resources. We might shift our attention to 'wealth reduction', a strategy that requires personal reflection and overcoming the fear of living with less. But the latter reveals that living with less is better for human contentment and better for the environment.
Various impact assessments and research studies have provided adequate testimonials to the links between literacy, income, and longevity-even 'happiness'- as one set of indicators of 'quality of life'. 'How Matters' has been blogging about race and development and has been brave enough to raise the spectre of the "R" word-racism http://www.how-matters.org/2012/01/17/the-elephant-hasnt-left-the-room/
To what extent is racism embedded in those constructions of the haves/have not gap and how to resolve this global crisis, esp. in our approaches to local and international development in every country?
These are critical questions we discuss in my "Globalism, racism, and human rights" course at a US university and in my "Changing Ourselves" workshop -'Games People Play'. In mid 20th c. social psychologist Gordon Allport wrote the classic, "The Nature of Prejudice". Among other research insights, he stated that a person is more likely to admit they're a liar, cheat, or thief than admit to being a racist. Being a 'racist', of course, makes everything more personal than discussing 'racism'.
Join in and share both your thoughts and what you are doing to eliminate all forms of prejudice in your own life and work. Don't be shy!
I've been thinking today about the progressive stages and different expressions of racial awareness. On one end of the continuum is the person who has begun to recognize the subtleties of personal racial prejudice. She holds this awareness firmly in her mind, knowing that by doing so she is contributing to the evolution of our collective consciousness. Maybe that's all she can do at the moment, but she recognizes the significance of her participation in the process. At the other end is someone courageously and consistently engaged in uprooting institutional racism. What I'm pondering is whether it's important for those of us who speak publicly about the elimination of racial prejudice to identify the point on the continuum we're addressing.
ReplyDeleteYour comment/query is full of insight, Phyllis. My humble response to your "Big" question. I wholeheartedly support the transformational goals of prejudice elimination (PE), one that focuses on gradually advancing what I call the "spiritual literacy" of the individual, beginning with self-diagnosis of 'pre-prejudice.' Yet this happens on a different timeline in an individual's life cycle for different people. Most academic, clinical, and therapeutic models of racial identity are framed to coincide with cognitive developmental stages (e.infancy to old age) b/c it's easier to study these phenomena. In my PE workshops, racism is a pathology. In my scheme there aren't 'stages' that are 'progressive' since I don't view the process on a continuum. The reality is that the challenges presented by racism are complicated by other prejudices (religion, class etc.). An argument can be made that race and gender are co-related b/c they are the most visible 'sign' of difference. Often there is an overemphasis on cultural explanations for psychological difficulties in identifying racism (e.g.early trauma/abuse). Or, a tendency to "color code by class"-mistaking race for class prejudice. Class plays a big role is how we factor in race in our own identity development. In myy work 'conscientious spirituality' is the science of self-discovery, the rebuilding of our internal ecology so that we can meet the great world crises of our times with a truly new mind and heart whether racism, sexism, religious or class prejudice. In international development circles, b/c the cultural realities of other nationalities are complicated race-wise by overwhelming inequalities, the work of PE involves transforming whole systems first to establish a new value system. One the one hand why would one not want to "uproot institutional racism" if one realizes its destructive forces? On the other hand, how long will these systems survive and should we be building new prejudice-free systems and individuals?
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for speaking publicly about race in a time when we mistakenly believe we are in a 'post-racial' world. I believe we will be in a PE state for several hundred more years.
Thanks for keeping the conversation going Robin! There is much to be explored and corrected here and it will happen person by person. Every -ism we exhibit is certainly a reflection of self-hatred. Compassion for ourselves must come first. The power of collective action comes next, bringing victory over suffering and triumph of the human spirit. Let me share this call to action @tmsuge wrote on @Solar_Sister’s blog last year from which I draw inspiration, “Sea change is not delivered by a great trickle, it arrives in a thundering wave. Let's get to building that wave.”
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights Robin. I think the reason this question is rattling around in my head is because I've been listening to a lot of talks about balancing vertical development - self-awareness and spiritual growth through meditation and prayer - with horizontal development - collaborating with others in service to our institutions. At the same time, my team is immersed in the process of identifying our target market for workshops and speaking engagements. So I'm thinking about the people we want to be addressing. We've met many folks (and I'm thinking specifically of white folks now) who seem to have a great deal of awareness and honesty about their own personal racial attitudes and who could be dynamic change agents because of their willingness to be open. But their personalities, life circumstances, or other factors keep them from engaging in the social arena. And we've also known many white anti-racism activists who do incredible work at the institutional level but are unable or unwilling to confront their own unconscious prejudices. I love the term "conscientious spirituality" because it is applicable to the whole range of PE work.
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