Innovative Educators
CAMPUS CULTURE & SOCIAL JUSTICE:
BECOME A TRUE ALLY FOR OPPRESSED GROUPS
Michele Richey, MA
Program Coordinator II, College Success Program
Undergraduate Scholars, University of Houston
E-mail:
Michele.Richey@gmail.com
Phone:
720-227-3266
Contact Me
Questions? Please send them in as we go along.
“One thing I really like about Michele’s presentation style is that she does not
shy away from sharing how she has made mistakes, making her very
approachable so you don’t feel stupid asking questions.”
–H.S. Student Workshop Participant
What are Social Justice Allies?
“Members of dominant social groups…working to
end the system of oppression that gives them
greater privilege and power based on their socialgroup membership.”
(Broido, 2000, p. 3)
Diversity vs. Social Justice

DIVERSITY: the state or fact of
being diverse; difference;
unlikeness.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: the process
and goal of working towards
“a vision of society in which
the distribution of resources
is equitable and all members
are physically and
psychologically safe and
secure” (Bell, 2007, p. 1).
What We are Currently Doing…
? What DIVERSITY programming is happening at your
institutions?
A. We are not doing any at this time
B. We are not sure
C. We have very little at this time
D. We have a good program but are looking to
improve/expand
What We are Currently Doing…
? What SOCIAL JUSTICE programming is happening at
your institutions?
A. We are not doing any at this time
B. We are not sure
C. We have very little at this time
D. We have a good program but are looking to
improve/expand
3 Dimensions of Development

Kegan (1994) – Model of Lifespan Development
 Cognitive
Dimension
 Intrapersonal
Dimension
 Interpersonal
Dimension
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Intercultural Maturity

King & Baxter Magolda (Nov/Dec 2005) –
Developmental Model of Intercultural Maturity
 INTERCULTURAL MATURITY: “multi-dimensional
and consisting of a range of attributes,
including understanding (the cognitive
dimension), sensitivity to others (the
interpersonal dimension), and a sense of
oneself that enables one to listen to and learn
from others (the intrapersonal dimension)” (p.
574).
Justice-Cognizant Identity

Waters (2010) - The Developmental Trajectory of
Social Justice Allies
 MATURE COGNITIVE DIMENSION: understand
system & existence of multiple
perspectives/realities
 MATURE INTRAPERSONAL DIMENSION: understand
personal role in system
 MATURE INTERPERSONAL DIMENSION: actively
challenge system and personal role in system
Aspiring Ally Identity Development

Edwards (2006) – Aspiring Social Justice Ally
Development: A Conceptual Model
 Motivation Affects Ally Development
 Aspiring Ally for SELF-INTEREST
 Aspiring Ally for ALTRUISM
 Ally for SOCIAL JUSTICE
What Does this Mean?

To develop yourself or others into true Social Justice
Allies, you must:
 Understand systemic
socialization/privilege/oppression
 Be aware of all your privileged identities
 Understand how to go about interacting with
others and the world with a social justice lens
 Check your motivation to ensure you are an Ally for
Social Justice
Questions on the Theories?
Cognitive Dimension
Socialization

SOCIALIZATION: “the process through which
individuals internalize the values…and norms of a
society and learn to function as its members”
(Conley, 2008, p. 114).

VALUES: moral beliefs

NORMS: how values are put into play (individually
& systemically)
Cycle of Socialization
FIRST SOCIALIZATION
Options for Action
THE BEGINNING
Not born with
values/beliefs
BUT the system is
in place.
CORE
Fear
Ignorance
Confusion
Insecurity
MAINTAIN STATUS QUO
TAKE A STAND
RESULTS
Dissonance,
Silence, Anger,
Collusion,
Ignorance,
Violence, Crime,
etc.
INSTITUTIONAL
& CULTURAL
SOCIALIZATION
Churches,
schools, media,
language, etc.
Conscious &
Unconscious
ENFORCEMENTS
Adapted from: Harro (2000a)
Advantaged/Disadvantaged Identities

People in the ADVANTAGED GROUPS are
institutionally and culturally in power.

People in the DISADVANTAGED GROUPS do not have
that same power and privilege, institutionally or
culturally
“It is not so much a ‘blame game’ as it is a ‘name
game!’”
(Cullen, 2008, p. 35)
Inequality

STRATIFICATION: structured social inequality

SOCIAL INEQUALITY: the result of uneven access to
resources.
Capital

ECONOMIC CAPITAL (money)


SOCIAL CAPITAL (relationships)
CULTURAL CAPITAL (knowledge)
Images: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Prejudice vs. Discrimination

PREJUDICE: negative thoughts and feelings about an
ethnic or racial group.

DISCRIMINATION: harmful or negative acts (not mere
thoughts) against people deemed inferior on the
basis of their minority identity category without
regard to their individual merit.
What We are Currently Doing…
? How many of your campuses include a FOCUS ON
explaining SOCIALIZATION & STRATIFICATION in their
ally development programs?
a) We are not doing this at this time
b) We are not sure
c) We have very little concentration on this at
this time
d) This is definitely a large part of our ally
development programs
What I Found:

Grand Valley State University –
Allies & Advocates (LGBT
Focus)


http://www.gvsu.edu/allies/
University of Missouri – Ally
Development (LGBT Focus)

http://lgbtq.missouri.edu/?page_id=292
Cycle of Liberation
REACHING OUT
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
GETTING READY
Empowerment of
Self through
education and
introspection.
MAINTAINING
Systemic
CORE
Self-Love,
Self-Esteem,
Balance, Joy,
Support,
Security
CREATING
CHANGE
Influencing policy,
assumptions,
structure.
Taking leadership
and risks.
BUILDING
COMMUNITY
Building support
networks and
coalitions
COALESCING
Adapted from: Harro (2000b)
Questions on the Cognitive Dimension?
“It is hard to look at the world from the perspective of how it is so flawed in a
way that hurts people. But what is good about that, is that you are not as
scared to look at yourself, and think about the way you benefit from these
flaws because it is not your fault.”
– Intro to Sociology College Student
Intrapersonal Dimension
Reflect on a Time When…
 You
were the TARGET of
discrimination?
 You ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED
in an
act of discrimination?
 Which
story would you be
more willing to share?
A. Target Story
B. Actively Participated Story
Who are You?



STEP ONE: Write down all of your identities.
STEP TWO: Categorize each identity as…
 TARGETED: An identity that is the target of
prejudice/discrimination
 ADVANTAGED: An identity that is privileged
STEP THREE: Draw a circle
 Create a pie chart that shows your identities,
with the size of each pie piece relating to how
aware you are of each identity on a daily basis
Personal Identity Wheel – My Example
Queer (T)
White (A)
Gender Conforming Bio
Female (A&T)
Middle Class (A)
Educated (A)
Christian (A)
Able Bodied (A)
Your Knapsack
"As a white person, I realized I had
been taught about racism as
something which puts others at a
disadvantage, but had been taught
not to see one of its corollary
aspects, white privilege which puts
me at an advantage."
(McIntosh, 1988, ¶2)
? What is in your KNAPSACK?
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
White Privileges
(McIntosh, 1988)




I can turn on the television or open to the front page
of the paper and see people of my race widely
represented.
When I am told about our national heritage or about
“civilization,” I am shown that people of my color
made it what it is.
I am never asked to speak for all the people of my
racial group.
I can take a job with an affirmative action employer
without having coworkers on the job suspect that I
got it because of race.
Gender Normative Privileges
(http://www.lambda10.org)




Strangers do not assume they can ask me what my
genitals look like and how I have sex.
My validity as a man/woman/human is not based on
how much surgery I have had or how well I “pass” as
a non-transperson.
People do not disrespect me by using incorrect
pronouns even after they have been corrected.
I do not have to worry about whether I will
experience harassment or violence for using a
bathroom or whether I will be safe changing in a
locker room.
Heterosexual Privilege
(Adams, Bell & Griffin, 2007).



I can walk in public, holding my partner’s hand, hug
my partner, and even kiss my partner in front of
others without disapproval, comments, laughter,
harassment, or the threat of violence.
I can work with young children and not fear being
accused of molesting, corrupting, or recruiting them
to my sexual orientation.
I can talk about my sexual orientation in casual
conversation and not be accused of flaunting it, or
pushing it on others.
Other Lists of Privileges - MIT



Male Privilege:
http://sap.mit.edu/content/pdf/male_privilege.pdf
Able-Bodied Privilege:
http://sap.mit.edu/content/pdf/able_bodied_privil
ege.pdf
Social Class Privilege:
http://sap.mit.edu/content/pdf/class_privilege_ch
ecklist.pdf
Questions on the Intrapersonal Dimension?
“I always felt like I was a good person because ‘I didn’t see race’ which made
me not-racist. However, what I learned through the workshop was that this
is actually counterproductive and denies my privilege and the experiences of
others.”
–College Student Workshop Participant
Interpersonal Dimension
Food for Thought…
“Your willingness to risk saying the wrong thing will
be uncomfortable and embarrassing in the short
term. Yet in the long term, the benefits far
exceed the shorter term consequences. This risk
taking is an essential element to your growth
and building significant connections.”
(Cullen, 2008, p. 12)

QUICK POLL: How many of you have either yourself
or experienced someone else get angry/feel guilt
when beginning to learn about privilege. (yes/no)

Instead of feeling guilty, use your privilege for good!
 Gives you a seat at the table
that those who are not
privileged don’t get
 Allows you to be an Ally to
oppressed groups
 People like you will listen to you
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Privilege Can be a Good Thing
Ally Work

Ally work involves 3
processes (Brido, 2000)
 EDUCATING Dominant Group
Members
 CREATING Institutional &
Cultural Change
 SUPPORTING Target Group
Members
Ally Work - Examples
 EDUCATING
 Develop
 CREATING
Dominant Group Members
Social Justice Ally Development Programs
Institutional & Cultural Change
 Keep
in mind accessibility for all programs, not just when
the issue is brought to you (i.e. consult your Center for
Students with Disabilities on your website, or make sure to
always have an interpreter at all programs, etc.)
 Challenge impactful language always, not just when
someone is negatively impacted
 SUPPORTING
 When
Target Group Members
in meetings, don’t wait for the gay person to bring up
an issue with what is being discussed that you also see
 Attend/volunteer at diversity programming
Supporting Target Group Members







Listen
Do not assume you are an expert
Be visible in your support, but also be careful
that your visibility does not take attention away
from target group members
Educate yourself
Do not expect praise
Apologize when necessary
Persevere
Intent vs. Impact

INTENT: what we meant

IMPACT: how it was perceived and how it made
the other person feel
“Just because we don’t intend or mean to hurt
someone with our words, doesn’t mean it still
doesn’t do just that.”
(Cullen, 2008, p. 12)
Action Steps (Cullen, 2008)



Start with the end in mind
Shift your thinking from “me” to “we”
Name it – claim it – act on it
Action Continuum
Actively
Participating
Recognizing,
No Action
Denying
Educating
Self
Recognizing,
Action
Reflection Questions:
? Where are you currently at?
? Where do you want to be?
? How are you going to get there?
Supporting
Encouraging
Educating
Others
Initiating,
Preventing
Spheres of Influence

There are four spheres of influence:
1.Self
1
2
3
4
2.Close family &
friends
3.Social, school, and
work relationships
4.Community
Recognize the Obstacles for Allies





Negotiating Identity
Feeling Alone
Making Mistakes
Requires Sacrifice
Requires Compassion
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Questions on the Interpersonal Dimension?
“I have always been afraid of saying the wrong thing. As a white student, I
chose to not say anything in order to not potentially be seen as racist. Part of
learning to become an ally is learning to trust yourself, forgive yourself, and
listen to others.”
–College Student Workshop Participant
Closing Thought….
“Diversity is about creating
magic – finding those who
have disappeared and
helping them re-appear.”
(Cullen, 2008, p. 134)
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
References

Adams, M., Bell, L.A. Griffin, P. (Eds.) (2007). Teaching for diversity and social
justice (2nd Ed.). NY: Routledge.

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W., Castañeda, R., Hackman, H., Peters, M. & Zúñiga, X.
(Eds.) (2000). Readings for diversity and social justice: An anthology on racism,
anti-Semitism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism. New York:
Routledge.

Bell, L.A. (2007). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In Adams,
M., Bell, L. A., & Griffin, P. (Eds), Teaching for diversity and social justice (2nd ed.)
(pp. 1-14). New York: Routledge.

Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression in people.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: Zed Books.

Broido, E. M. (2000). Ways of being an ally to lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.
In Towards acceptance: Sexual orientation issues on campus (Wall, V. A. & Evans,
N. J. Eds.). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
References

Conley, D. (2008). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a
sociologist. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Cullen, M. (2008). 35 dumb things well-intended people say: Surprising things
we say that widen the diversity gap. Garden City, NY: Morgan James
Publishing.

Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development: A
conceptual model. NASPA Journal, 43(4), pp. 39-60.

Goodman, D. J. (2011). Promotion diversity and social justice: Educating
people from privileged groups (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

Harro, B. (2000a). The cycle of socialization. In Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W.,
Castañeda, R., Hackman, H., Peters, M. & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.), Readings for
diversity and social justice: An anthology on racism, anti-Semitism, sexism,
heterosexism, ableism, and classism (pp. 15-20). New York: Routledge.
References

Harro, B. (2000b). The cycle of liberation. In Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W.,
Castañeda, R., Hackman, H., Peters, M. & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.), Readings for
diversity and social justice: An anthology on racism, anti-Semitism, sexism,
heterosexism, ableism, and classism (pp. 463-469). New York: Routledge.

Johnson, A. (2006). Privilege, power and difference (2nd Ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Kimmel, M. S. & Ferber, A.L. (Eds.), Privilege: A reader (pp. 253-283). Boulder,
CO: Westview Press.

King, P. M., & Baxter Magolda, M. B. (November/December 2005). A
developmental model of intercultural maturity. Journal of College Student
Development, 46 (6), pp. 571-592.
References

Kivel, p. (2002). Uprooting racism: How white people can work for racial justice
(Rev. ed.). Gabriola Island, B.C., Canada: New Society Publishers.

McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.
Excerpted in Working Paper 189, White privilege and male privilege: A personal
account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies,
Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.

Reason, R. D., & Broido, E. M. (Summer 2005). Issues and strategies for social
justice allies (and the student affairs professionals who hope to encourage
them). In New Directions for Student Services, no. 110, pp. 81-89.

Von Destinon, M., Evans, N. J., & Wall, V. A. (2000). Navigating the minefield:
Sexual orientation issues and campus politics. In Toward acceptance: Sexual
orientation issues on campus. Landham, MD: University Press of America.

Waters, R. (2010). Understanding allyhood as a developmental process. About
Campus. November/December, pp. 2-8.
THANK YOU!