Patterns to Practice Seeing
1. Think about all of the most popular television shows about friendship between women.
What race and class are most of the women? What activities organize these women’s days? What seems to be the most important aspect of life to them?
2. How often do you hear women speak up publically against sexism? How often do you hear men speak up publically against sexism? What response do they most often receive when they do speak up? How do these responses differ based on the gender of the person speaking up? Identify examples of the range of responses, with silence on one end and violence on the other.
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CHAPTER 8
Understanding the Structural Nature of Oppression Through Racism
“I was really lucky. I grew up in a good neighborhood and went to good schools. There were no problems with racism, I didn’t learn anything negative about
different races. My family taught me that everyone is equal.”
This chapter traces a specific form of oppression—racism—in depth. Racism within the U.S. and Canadian contexts is defined as White/settler racial and cultural prejudice and discrimination, supported intentionally or unintentionally by institutional power and authority, and used to the advantage of Whites and the disadvantage of peoples of Color. We illustrate aspects of racism through an examination of economic, political, social, and cultural structures, actions, and beliefs. We revisit the concept of intersectionality and describe how building an in-depth understanding of racism allows an entry point into building an in-depth understanding of other forms of oppression.