ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, I discussed how resistance could be reduced if people from dominant groups reconceptualize how they think about social justice. Although change for most people tends to be difficult, it is even more so for those who feel they are on the losing end. People from privileged groups often see social change as a win-lose situation in which they lose. Even though greater equality would undoubtedly involve giving up and sharing power and resources, social justice could also enrich their lives. Living in a society where there are systematic, institutionalized inequities affects
everyone, whether in advantaged or disadvantaged roles. It has profound ramifications which influence and limit how we think about ourselves and others, how and with whom we interact, and the opportunities and choices we have about how to lead our lives. While in some instances there are positive effects, there are costs and harmful consequences for all of us, though in different ways. Most efforts to understand the social and psychological effects of oppression
have focused on the experiences of those in disadvantaged groups. Yet, systems of oppression also affect people in advantaged groups. When the experiences of people in privileged positions are considered, they tend to be compared to those who are oppressed. The focus is usually on how people from dominant groups oppress others or benefit from the inequalities. Of course, this is critical. Most theorists have paid less attention to how oppression has negative consequences for people in the advantaged group. However, our understanding cannot be complete unless this is fully explored as well. As members of an interdependent society, what affects some people inevitably affects us all. Martin Luther King reminds us, “All men [sic] are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” (1991, p. 7). One way to address resistance and to foster meaningful, long-term involvement
in social change is to help people in privileged groups understand how they are
harmed by structural inequality. In this chapter, I will first present specific ways people from dominant groups are adversely affected by oppression and how they can benefit by its elimination. Then, I will consider how systems of oppression more generally undermines their sense of humanity and human potential. As I have said before, most people are part of both advantaged and disadvantaged groups. The focus here is on their experience as someone from a privileged group, even though their other social identities always affect this experience.
