Principles of Anti-Oppression
by - 04.08.2004 15:39
Principles and Practice of Anti-Oppression
from Los Angeles Direct Action Network
# Power and privilege play out in our group dynamics and we must continually struggle with how we challenge power and privilege in our practice.
# We can only identify how power and privilege play out when we are conscious and committed to understanding how racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of oppression affect each one of us.
# Until we are clearly committed to anti-oppression practice all forms of oppression will continue to divide our movements and weaken our power.
# Developing a anti-oppression practice is life long work and requires a life long commitment. No single workshop is sufficient for learning to change one’s behaviors. We are all vulnerable to being oppressive and we need to continuously struggle with these issues.
# Dialogue and discussion are necessary and we need to learn how to listen non defensively and communicate respectfully if we are going to have effective anti-oppression practice. Challenge yourself to be honest and open and take risks to address oppression head on.
Anti-Oppression Practice
These practices are based on a series on conversations on the issue of racism. We recognize that there are many other forms of oppression that must be addressed. We have taken these practices and attempted to generalize them to other forms of oppression. This list is a beginning and it needs to be expanded upon. In the future we will continue discussions on all forms of oppression.
# When witnessing or experiencing racism, sexism, etc interrupt the behavior and address it on the spot or later; either one on one, or with a few allies.
# Give people the benefit of the doubt. Think about ways to address behavior that will encourage change and try to encourage dialogue, not debate.
# Keep space open for anti-oppression discussions; try focusing on one form of oppression at a time - sexism, racism, classism, etc.
# Respect different styles of leadership and communication.
# White people need to take responsibility for holding other white people accountable.
# Try not to call people out because they are not speaking.
# Be conscious of how much space you take up or how much you speak.
# Be conscious of how your language may perpetuate oppression.
# Don't push people to do things just because of their race and gender, base it on their word and experience and skills.
# Promote anti-oppression in everything you do, in and outside of activist space.
# Avoid generalizing feelings, thoughts, behaviors etc. to a whole group
# Set anti-oppression goals and continually evaluate whether or not you are meeting them.
# Don't feel guilty, feel motivated. Realizing that you are part of the problem doesn't mean you can't be an active part of the solution!
http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=398
The Benefits of Being Male Exercise
By Paul Kivel ~ www.paulkivel.com/Exercises/Benefits_male.htm
Please stand up (or if unable to stand, raise your hand to indicate) if:
1. Your forefathers, including your father had more opportunities to advance themselves economically than your foremothers.
2. Your father had more educational opportunities than your mother.
3. The boys in your extended family, including yourself had more financial resources, emotional support or encouragement for pursuing academic, work or career goals than the girls.
4. You live in or went to a school district where the textbooks and other classroom materials reflected men as normal, heroes and builders of the United States, and there was little mention of the contributions of women to our society.
5. You attend or attended a school where boys were encouraged to take math and science, called on more in class, and given more attention and funding for athletic programs than girls.
6. You received job training, educational or travel opportunities from serving in the military.
7. You received job training in a program where there were few or no women, or where women were sexually harassed.
8. You have received a job, job interview, job training or internship through personal connections with other men.
9. You worked or work in a job where women made less for doing comparable work or did more menial jobs.
10. You work in a job, career or profession, or in an agency or organization in which there are few women in leadership positions, or the work has less status because women are in leadership positions.
11. You live in a city or region in which domestic violence, sexual assault are serious problems for women.
12. You generally feel safe when hiking in the woods, in the mountains, on the beach or in other rural settings. (this one will obviously exclude most men of color).
13. When You turn on the TV you can routinely see men in positions of leadership, male sports, men portrayed as heroes and in a wide variety of other roles.
14. When you have medical procedures done to you, or take prescribed medicines and otherv health treatments you can assume they were tested and proven safe on men.
15. You have seen or heard men in positions of authority belittle women's contributions, women's writing or music, women's intelligence, or physical strength, or make other comments about women being inferior to men.
16. You know where you can have access to sex from women for money in the city or region where you live.
17. You can have access to sexually revealing images of women easily, whenever you want them from magazines, the Internet, bookstores, video stores or pornography outlets.
18. You have taken advantage of women earning much less than you do for childcare, cooking, cleaning, clerical services, nursing, or other services.
19. In your family women do more of the housecleaning, cooking, childcare, washing or other caretaking than you or other men do.
20. Most of the clothes you wear have been made by women who are paid little for their work.
21. The computers and other electronic products you use are made by underpaid women in this and other countries.
22. In your community it is harder for women to get housing loans, small business loans, agricultural loans or car loans than it is for men of similar qualifications.
23. In your community women are routinely charged more for haircutting, cleaning, cars, or other services or products.
24. You don't need to think about gender and sexism everyday. You can decide when and where you deal with it.
http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=530&cat=68
# We can only identify how power and privilege play out when we are conscious and committed to understanding how racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of oppression affect each one of us.
# Until we are clearly committed to anti-oppression practice all forms of oppression will continue to divide our movements and weaken our power.
# Developing a anti-oppression practice is life long work and requires a life long commitment. No single workshop is sufficient for learning to change one’s behaviors. We are all vulnerable to being oppressive and we need to continuously struggle with these issues.
# Dialogue and discussion are necessary and we need to learn how to listen non defensively and communicate respectfully if we are going to have effective anti-oppression practice. Challenge yourself to be honest and open and take risks to address oppression head on.
Anti-Oppression Practice
These practices are based on a series on conversations on the issue of racism. We recognize that there are many other forms of oppression that must be addressed. We have taken these practices and attempted to generalize them to other forms of oppression. This list is a beginning and it needs to be expanded upon. In the future we will continue discussions on all forms of oppression.
# When witnessing or experiencing racism, sexism, etc interrupt the behavior and address it on the spot or later; either one on one, or with a few allies.
# Give people the benefit of the doubt. Think about ways to address behavior that will encourage change and try to encourage dialogue, not debate.
# Keep space open for anti-oppression discussions; try focusing on one form of oppression at a time - sexism, racism, classism, etc.
# Respect different styles of leadership and communication.
# White people need to take responsibility for holding other white people accountable.
# Try not to call people out because they are not speaking.
# Be conscious of how much space you take up or how much you speak.
# Be conscious of how your language may perpetuate oppression.
# Don't push people to do things just because of their race and gender, base it on their word and experience and skills.
# Promote anti-oppression in everything you do, in and outside of activist space.
# Avoid generalizing feelings, thoughts, behaviors etc. to a whole group
# Set anti-oppression goals and continually evaluate whether or not you are meeting them.
# Don't feel guilty, feel motivated. Realizing that you are part of the problem doesn't mean you can't be an active part of the solution!
http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=398
The Benefits of Being Male Exercise
By Paul Kivel ~ www.paulkivel.com/Exercises/Benefits_male.htm
Please stand up (or if unable to stand, raise your hand to indicate) if:
1. Your forefathers, including your father had more opportunities to advance themselves economically than your foremothers.
2. Your father had more educational opportunities than your mother.
3. The boys in your extended family, including yourself had more financial resources, emotional support or encouragement for pursuing academic, work or career goals than the girls.
4. You live in or went to a school district where the textbooks and other classroom materials reflected men as normal, heroes and builders of the United States, and there was little mention of the contributions of women to our society.
5. You attend or attended a school where boys were encouraged to take math and science, called on more in class, and given more attention and funding for athletic programs than girls.
6. You received job training, educational or travel opportunities from serving in the military.
7. You received job training in a program where there were few or no women, or where women were sexually harassed.
8. You have received a job, job interview, job training or internship through personal connections with other men.
9. You worked or work in a job where women made less for doing comparable work or did more menial jobs.
10. You work in a job, career or profession, or in an agency or organization in which there are few women in leadership positions, or the work has less status because women are in leadership positions.
11. You live in a city or region in which domestic violence, sexual assault are serious problems for women.
12. You generally feel safe when hiking in the woods, in the mountains, on the beach or in other rural settings. (this one will obviously exclude most men of color).
13. When You turn on the TV you can routinely see men in positions of leadership, male sports, men portrayed as heroes and in a wide variety of other roles.
14. When you have medical procedures done to you, or take prescribed medicines and otherv health treatments you can assume they were tested and proven safe on men.
15. You have seen or heard men in positions of authority belittle women's contributions, women's writing or music, women's intelligence, or physical strength, or make other comments about women being inferior to men.
16. You know where you can have access to sex from women for money in the city or region where you live.
17. You can have access to sexually revealing images of women easily, whenever you want them from magazines, the Internet, bookstores, video stores or pornography outlets.
18. You have taken advantage of women earning much less than you do for childcare, cooking, cleaning, clerical services, nursing, or other services.
19. In your family women do more of the housecleaning, cooking, childcare, washing or other caretaking than you or other men do.
20. Most of the clothes you wear have been made by women who are paid little for their work.
21. The computers and other electronic products you use are made by underpaid women in this and other countries.
22. In your community it is harder for women to get housing loans, small business loans, agricultural loans or car loans than it is for men of similar qualifications.
23. In your community women are routinely charged more for haircutting, cleaning, cars, or other services or products.
24. You don't need to think about gender and sexism everyday. You can decide when and where you deal with it.
http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=530&cat=68