Very Liberal Workplace

[CoffeeCatholic]

He is very interested in social justice and destroying racism. He often talks of white privilege and other similar en vogue ideas. He wants me to help lead a book study on one of said topics soon and I fear if I do, he will assume I support these ideas and will ask me to lead more events around them.

This sounds like it’s his personal interests and not part of the job description you agreed to when you accepted your position? If it’s not part of your job description, and you are uncomfortable leading others in topics that are his own personal values but not part of your actual job… I’d say no thank you. (I’d consider his personality and such when deciding the best way to SAY my ‘no thank you’ but…) I wouldn’t start to go down the path of being roped into giving book studies and other events on social issues that are a personal passion rather than sticking to the job description guidelines.

 

[Jen95]

To the OP: familiarize yourself with the concept of intersectionality if you haven’t already.
Here’s a spoof quiz that gives you an idea of what it’s all about:

Intersectionality Score Calculator

Find your Intersectionality Score!

intersectionalityscore.com

 

[Annie]

Is leading book studies something within a reasonable scope of your job? I mean, if you felt comfortable about the book, would you feel ok about doing this? Because if you are a bookkeeper, I think you could reasonably say that’s not part of your job.

Also, you could bring up certain Catholic ideas. To take an issue that has come up in this thread, what is the role of individualism in our society? Is individualism taken too far generally in the US? Is it a good philosophical basis? Etc.

Would you be co-leading the group with a person of color, or would it be just you? I think, since you are new to the job, maybe you could say you don’t feel comfortable doing this by yourself, since you haven’t seen how it works in this organization. Your boss is a university prof, but maybe you are not?

 

[Servant31]

No one who teaches adults can steer opinion. They can provoke discussion with additional material, but that’s it.

If a teacher can’t divorce a him/herself from the material, it’s best not to teach the topic.

Thanks for the perspective. Its reassuring to hear there are instructors who teach this way.

 

[Zach]

Why is most of the focus on the book? That wasn’t what I found most worrying. In case anyone missed it here it is again:

he is focused on helping brown and black children, while I am focused on helping all children where there is a need, regardless of their origin or skin color.

Ive been volunteering for various organizations most of my life going into different areas of the city helping the poor, the homeless, drug addicts, etc, and never did I or any fellow volunteers ever distinguish by race. If anyone did we’d think there was something seriously wrong with their motivations.

 

[Servant31]

I think this is the challenge though. On the one hand you may have a point. One does want to challenge preconceived notions and established routines. However on the other that’s also a problem. If you don’t agree with the premise a given situation then you have confirmed its assertion as a denier and are, therefore, automatically guilty. I strongly disagree with this type of reasoning. It actually strikes me as a bit of a witch trial.

Edit: Black I think you bing up a good point. Just for clarity the assertion I have difficulty with is the one reported by the op in the book, not yours in the post.

 

[Zach]

It also denies the different experiences of people, which is ironic considering all the talk about all people needing to be understood and situated in their experiences. Well maybe not all people after all.

A privileged academic writing a book is going to have a different outlook from a working class or poor person. That person is busy trying to survive and has no use when someone privileged person comes along calling him or her privileged. That might work in the academic world but many people in the real world look on these academics espousing these views as acting like they are more enlightened and virtuous. And on top of it they say, see I told you so, your reaction proves my theory. No the only thing it proves is that people having different experiences aren’t all going to adhere to the same concepts and ideas.

 

[RobertAdams]

If you and your fellow volunteers ever did do anything that was hurtful to people of a certain race how would you know if you take offense, dismiss, attack and malign the motives of any one who tries to talk to you about it?

Jeez louise everyone, it’s just a book that makes some helpful points. You dont have to join antifa if you read it. I think I read one of Ben Shapiro’s books right after and managed to get something out of both w/o giving myself ulcers.

 

[Socrates92]

I never led students to come up with a “right” answer. I presented the issues and encouraged discussion… My job was to enhance their critical thinking.

You’d quite possibly be in the minority.

 

[Socrates92]

I suspect he wants my help in this because I am the only white subordinate in a position that could assist in the study.

Hehe. Maybe they need to hire more white people at your job.

 

[redal]

I feel like I have to hide who I am/my beliefs for fear of retribution.

If this is a primary concern, you need to find a different job.

As a biotech/pharma worker, I have elected to turn down numerous jobs and positions based on the use of fetal cells obtained through abortion rather than donation after fetal demise.

But, all I can control is my own upholding of my own moral and religious standards.

Do what you feel is right, not what is comfortable, and move on.

If I had decided to abandon my moral and religious concerns for a paycheck, that would have been on me, not on my prospective employer…and in the end, the decisions made have never resulted in financial insecurity for me or my family.

Trust God.

 

[C.Ray]

I hate to say this, but doesn’t your reaction to the book sort of prove its point? […] Learning isn’t supposed to be a comfortable process. It’s suppose to shake or stir us like a martini.

First: That all white people are privileged oppressors of innocent people of color it itself a myth. Many, many whites are very poor themselves.

Second: The concept of “white fragility” is insidious; built into the idea already is that whites are A) guilty of racist social oppression and B) unwilling or unable to face the truth of it. The first premise places white people automatically on the defensive and the second reinforces the first premise by noting how defensive white people get over it.

It’s a cheap rhetorical tactic and we should call it out for what it is. It reminds me of the old “heads I win, tails you lose” trick.

Oh, and Third: Only a savage would ever shake a martini.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I wish every parish would offer Ruby Payne’s books for discussion.

 

[TheLittleLady]

That all white people are privileged oppressors of innocent people of color it itself a myth. Many, many whites are very poor themselves.

Oppression, discrimination, have nothing to do with income brackets.

The concept of “white fragility” is insidious

I’d more call it a “white blind spot”.

Give you an example. I called a taxi. The driver was a young man of color. I asked if I can sit in the front (more comfortable for me with my disability) and he was fine with it.

It is my usual practice to ask people why they chose to be a cabbie or uber driver. He told me how he had worked for a well known local manufacturing company since he was in school, but, it reached a point where he could not advance any further. The supervisor level and above he had no hope of reaching because the owner of the company is a racist.

I answered, “well, that is terrible!”

The young man started to cry. He said that this conversation has happened many times and I was the first white person who did not respond with “Oh, that’s not true” or try to be an apologist for the local businessman.

While I had not overthought or planned a response, I simply answered from my heart. I did not think that it was all in this man’s head, I did not question his experience.

Most able bodied white people have not experienced the “soft discrimination” that happens every day. Maybe I am more aware of it because I have a very visible, severe disability, and the majority of people automatically assume I am less intelligent, less worthy, less able. I live with soft discrimination as well as outright able-ism every day. It makes me assume that other people who have a visible difference know what the are talking about.

Only a savage would ever shake a martini.

Absolutely!!

 

[OddBird]

I wish I could click “love” more than once. Thank you, @TheLittleLady.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Thank you

 

[blackforest]

Absolutely!!

Poor Mr. Bond!

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[billsherman]

Oppression, discrimination, have nothing to do with income brackets.

Exactly. In fact as many historians have ably demonstrated, white supremacy’s primary use has been to drive a wedge between non-whites and middle to lower class whites. By doing this, those groups will be less likely to join together and do something to prevent upper class whites from hoarding vastly disproportionate amounts of political and economic power.

Theodore Allen, I think, does a fantastic job demonstrating the origins of this racial system in the Virginia colony during the late 17th century. That self identified whites have a disproportionate amount of political and economic power is undeniable. That self identified whites are also defensive about having that disproportionate power is also undeniable. Exploring why those things are the way they are is a valid and necessary avenue of historical and sociological inquiry. It tells us something about us.

 

[Dan123]

Ive been volunteering for various organizations most of my life going into different areas of the city helping the poor, the homeless, drug addicts, etc, and never did I or any fellow volunteers ever distinguish by race. If anyone did we’d think there was something seriously wrong with their motivations.

How did you decide which areas of the city you went to?

 

[Zach]

Most able bodied white people have not experienced the “soft discrimination” that happens every day

Plenty have including me plenty of times. We have to update our thinking. It’s no longer 1950 where whites are over 90 percent of the US population. It’s 2020 where whites are barely 60 percent of the population and where births are now less than 50 percent white. People now of all races are in positions of power throughout society. People of all races are in subordinate positions. People of all races are poor. People of all races are rich. People all races are racists. People of all races experience racism. To single out one group is one or a combination of the following: disengenuous, not informed, naive, pandering, virtue singalling, politically correct, guilt ridden, brainwashed, ideologically driven.