friends of light

Yesterday we learned about privilege and power dynamics; it was explained as a dynamic between the mainstream and the margin in any given group. The mainstream and the margin are always in flux, context specific and dynamic specific; the mainstream can become the margin and the margin can become the mainstream at different instances and in different contexts. The margin often gets overlooked and ignored but they are part of the group dynamic.

Our first assignment was to pair up in groups of three and to each visualize through drawing a moment in time when we recognized ourselves to be marginalized. We shared our stories and identified the characteristic of the mainstream and the margin.

In the larger group we shared what we discovered the characteristics of the mainstream to be:

- appear powerful, controlling, blocking

- don’t care to understand

- appears unified/homogenous

- are afraid

- self-righteous, use inflexible morality

- are given social power/rank

- superiority complex

- dismissive of your knowledge and your experiences

- lack of empathy

- exclusive, clueless that they are excluding

- needs are being met

- take credit for what came from the margin without acknowledgment

and the characteristics of the margin:

-  takes risks, courage, has agency (the power to take action)

-  speaks up

-  creative to get needs met

-  works harder

-  inspires

-  are more aware of margins

-  empathetic

Our second assignment was to journal and reflect on an experience when we were in the mainstream.

What could I, the mainstream, have done to renegotiate my relationship with the margin?

We again reflected first in our smaller groups and then shared with the larger group:

- active listening, compassion

- negotiating needs

- consider other people's needs

- open lines of communication

- be an ally of the margin

- amplify marginal voices

- seeing things from a margin's perspective

- step back and shut up

- show appreciation

- recognition of people's work and contribution

- trusting, let go of control

- create awareness within the mainstream

- expressing and understanding marginality

  

Oppression was explained as a systemic condition in which a large group of people haven't have their needs met by the larger structures and systems of society. (Societal power)

Privilege was explained as a condition subject to change, shifting and contextual.

At the end our trainer pointed out three additional points to be aware of in a group:

1. Aware of differences (experiences/insights)

2. Each one has behaviors to be celebrated and accountable for

3. Contextual (shifting positions/positions shift)