Thinking about appropriation… | Change Happens: The SAFER Blog

I’ve got some extra time, what with the great big hole in my daily blog reading routine. So I’ve been thinking…

What would it mean to have a respectful dialog about issues that impact various oppressed communities, and include allies from outside those communities? When we’re on the privileged side of a given oppression, what are our responsibilities when it comes to talking about issues impacted by that oppression, and crediting those who first addressed these issues?

How should we handle it when, for no good reason, the powers that be give us a platform to speak, as if for a whole population or movement? What is the responsible thing to do if we end up with the mic in our face? How do we hold ourselves accountable?

What are our basic responsibilities to each other as people writing/speaking for social justice when it comes to intellectual property?

Finally, when we’re on the receiving end of a given oppression, how can we best communicate with privileged people who feel like they have “discovered” an issue or idea (a la Christopher Columbus), simply because they never paid attention to us before? Is there some way to get through to them, or will defensiveness always rule the day?

Thoughts?

One thought on “Thinking about appropriation…”

1. Issues clearly implicate different oppressions differently, and this has to be a grounding assumption of all social justice work. At the same time, in my experience we have to be able to be context-specific and strategic, as well as bold, broad, and adventurous, in our public/social justice work. This means generalizations will happen and perspectives will sometimes be left out. It’s inevitable, if regrettable. In my view, the important thing is to be open to (and invite) well-grounded criticism and willing to learn from and change in the face of it.

2. Appropriate attribution and crediting of ideas (and especially *work*) is important to movement-building and an ethical imperative. At the same time, credit and citation can be endlessly recursive, and sharing ideas freely is also important to movement-building and an ethical imperative.

Sarah on April 14, 2008 at 2:20 am said:

1. Issues clearly implicate different oppressions differently, and this has to be a grounding assumption of all social justice work. At the same time, in my experience we have to be able to be context-specific and strategic, as well as bold, broad, and adventurous, in our public/social justice work. This means generalizations will happen and perspectives will sometimes be left out. It’s inevitable, if regrettable. In my view, the important thing is to be open to (and invite) well-grounded criticism and willing to learn from and change in the face of it.

2. Appropriate attribution and crediting of ideas (and especially *work*) is important to movement-building and an ethical imperative. At the same time, credit and citation can be endlessly recursive, and sharing ideas freely is also important to movement-building and an ethical imperative.