Alan Johnson argues that before change can happen, we must acknowledge and name the problem we seek to change. The difficulty in naming a problem that we are all a part of, just by our very existence, is that people can equate the naming of a problem with blame.
On page 11, Johnson writes "you can't deal with a problem if you don't name it; once you name it, you can think, talk and write about it". If a problem is not named, it becomes the elephant in the room that everybody tiptoes around, while never acknowledging how much peoples lives are constricted by the presence of an elephant in the room. The problem Alan Johnson wants to name is the inequalities we know to exist based on people's gender, race and sexual orientation. Unlike social class, which can be traversed through social mobility; gender, race and sexual identity are inherent qualities that people are born with. They cannot be shed easily by a promotion or change of address. These are connected to our very selves.
Johnson argues that contrary to a widely held belief that people are afraid of differences, he sees people curious about the world and people around them. He argues that "If we feel afraid, it isn't what we don't know that frightens us, it's what we think we do know". (p.16) This reminds me of Ted Lasso's "Be Curious" speech when he tells his arch-nemesis to stop dismissing him based on his first impressions and assumptions. If we all got to know the person, instead of making assumptions born out of stereotypes our curiosity would make our knowledge of others deeper and more personal.
The Diversity Wheel (p.18, by M Loden and J. Rosener) shows all the ways people can be labeled, both for unchanging characteristics (in the inner circle) and changeable characteristics. For myself, I could be labeled a 44 year old white New Zealand-born able-bodied heterosexual female. As Johnson writes: "the trouble around diversity, then isn't just that people differ from one another. The trouble is produced by a world organized in ways that encourages people to use difference to include or exclude, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress, value or devalue, leave alone or harass." (p. 19)
If you would like to fill out the Diversity Wheel for yourself, you can here
Mary, I noticed that we wrote about similar things in our blogs. The two ideas that stood out to me were "naming the problem" and the concept of fear around what we do and do not know. The idea that privilege and power are the 'elephant in the room' is something we all know too well.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED your Ted Lasso clip and thought his "be curious" speech and the quote by Walt Whitman were spot on and the perfect way to relate Johnson's ideas to a real life situation. It is true that to be curious, it takes effort and a desire for more information and is a conscious choice; passing judgement is the opposite of that.
I really enjoyed reading your post, thank you for sharing.
Okay, first of all, I LOVE Ted Lasso. That scene you shared is one of my favorites. Great connection. Never judge a book by its cover. I think that this right here is why diverse environments are so important. By getting to spend time with and getting to know people who are different from us, we are able to make connections, find similarities, and dismantle beliefs we may have held, whether consciously or unconsciously about them.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, I like how you were able to make a connection to someone most people are able to recognize. It brings across a variety of good points and shows an example of real life situations. The diversity wheel link is a great idea to share!
ReplyDeleteI have watched (and taught!) that Ted Lasso clip 100 times!! I love it and it fits perfectly here. <3
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