The subjective position within the society to which one belongs is positionality. It shapes one’s views, comprehension, and relationships with the world. Individual social identities and their experiences shape perceptions and contribute to knowledge construction through introspection. Weaving personal reflection with scholarly inquiry, this paper illuminates the interplay between individual subjectivity, social contexts, and wider systems of privilege and oppression.
Part 1
Reflection on Positionality
The positionality is a key concept in social sciences and critical theory. It acknowledges that people view the world through the lens of their social identities, experiences and privileges. Positionality defines the way people perceive and move through their environments thereby affecting how they perceive, how they act and what they think (Njeri,2021). This framework allows individuals to be located within social hierarchies based on race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and ability. Social identities influence individual experiences and involve constructing socio-bounded knowledge and understanding of social occurrences. Hence, positionality becomes a pivotal tool for scrutinizing the subjective character of knowledge creation and interpreting societal dynamics.
As I think about my social positionality, I am deeply aware of the influences my identities and experiences exert on how I view the world. My being of mixed-race ancestry puts me in the position of playing with the slipstream connections between diverse racial and cultural communities that I am part of. In my childhood I found myself in situations which were both way to one another side, solving the problems of being self and being part of a group. Further, being in the middle class, I have had access to some privileges and chances which thus my beliefs and aspirations have been affected. Through these lived experiences I have gained sensitivity to the nuances of social identities and how they intersect to produce distinctly individual responses.
The inter-sectionalities of my social identities like race, gender, and class highly impact my experiences and perceptions. For example, as a woman of colour, I have seen instances of discrimination and microaggressions which are systematic in society showing how unfair the system is. Also, my background has influenced my accessibility to education, resources, and opportunities which has shaped my life path. These constitute the multiple dimensions of our perspective on the world, highlighting that we have to recognize and interrogate the ambiguities of social identity.
Existing heightened awareness of my position guides my interactions with others and my participation in societal matters. It has motivated me to deeply scrutinize my own biases, privileges, and assumptions leading to increased empathy and understanding in dealing with people from varied backgrounds. Furthermore, I became a part of social justice endeavours and promoted the agenda of transformation. Recognizing how my social positionality shapes my views and actions, I aim to walk through life with more humility, empathy and social awareness.
Considering my positionality has given significant information concerning social identity and its influence on personal narratives and outlooks. It has highlighted the role of humility, self-awareness and the perpetual development in negotiating societal forces and establishing deep bonds with others. Also, it has demonstrated the connectedness of individual experiences in broader systems of power and privilege, thus requiring collective action and solidarity to deal with systemic inequalities. Owning and questioning my position has promoted my personal development, increased my comprehension of social dynamics and elicited a passion for social justice and equality.
Part 2
Visual/Textual Analysis on Privilege or Oppression
Privilege and oppression are social constructs that are intertwined and influence the experiences of individuals within the society. Privilege means benefits assigned to some individuals or groups based on their social identities such as race, gender, class or ability. Nonetheless, oppression entails the systemic harm suffered by the marginalized (Mitchell et al., 2021). These elements are not discrete. They intersect, and each influences the other which gives form to a network of world social processes. In this visual/textual analysis, a YouTube video stands out as a powerful manifestation of privilege that shows the hierarchy of socioeconomic ups and downs among people.
The chosen visual/textual material is a captivating YouTube video which uses an intriguing exercise to show privilege. The clip exhibits a study setting where a group of respondents stand forward or backwards in a gathering depending on their responses to a series of statements (As/Is, 2015). These statements reveal different facets of privilege such as the availability of resources, society’s image and personal encounters. Visual exercise makes the abstract concept of privilege as something understandable and related (Raylander Eklund et al., 2022). The varied group of participants and their unreserved testimonies offer a look into privilege as it plays out along the interlocking social categories.
Visual/textual analysis explores the portrayal and the treatment of privilege in the choice of materials. The visual represents the societal inequalities that pertain to people’s identities. It indicates how differently people have been exposed to opportunities based on their ethnicity, gender and other groupings. The literal motion of individuals walking forward or backtracks the emotional experience of having privilege. Visual component highlights to immediacy and visibility of those disparities. Therefore, it proves to be a good medium for showing the multidimensional nature of societal privilege.
These apply nuances of privilege from a thorough analysis. Statements on access to education, safety, and familial support evoke different responses that show the inequality of societal blessings. The disparities become visible as participants undertake the exercise, they can access its resources while others can barely cope. The visualization portrays the way privilege is dependent on several factors.
Integration of the selected material enriches a larger public academic discussion about the privilege. A solid and relevant illustration enables a more fluent comprehension of the embedded within the societal system the systemic privileges and disadvantages. It triggers viewers to reflect on their standpoint and privileges, developing consciousness and compassion. Visual/textual analysis is part of a wider discussion that encompasses social justice, inequality and activation of joint forces to eliminate oppressive systems.
Recognizing the implications of one’s positionality in the interpretation and analysis of the visual/textual material is significant. My social identities and life experiences inescapably contribute to my interpretation. Taking this into account, I aim to analyze with reflexivity, appreciating that my viewpoints can be shaped by my positionality. The exercise stresses the relevance of self-awareness and humility in conducting a discussion about privilege and oppression through continuous reflection and dialogue to achieve an equitable society.
Conclusion
In essence, this paper examined the idea of positionality by taking into account personal viewpoints and conducting a detailed analysis. Studying where people come from shows that their social identity and personal views work together to affect how they see the world. It is crucial to understand your position to effectively communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, people should apply this knowledge to advocate for fairness and equality, and to dismantle unjust systems. Ultimately, individuals must have self-awareness and analyze societal issues to strive for a more just and equitable world.
References
Njeri, S. (2021). Race, positionality and the researcher. The companion to peace and conflict fieldwork, 381-394. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46433-2_26
Mitchell, U. A., Nishida, A., Fletcher, F. E., & Molina, Y. (2021). The long arm of oppression: how structural stigma against marginalized communities perpetuates within-group health disparities. Health Education & Behavior, 48(3), 342-351. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981211011927
As/Is. (2015, July 4). What is privilege? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/hD5f8GuNuGQ?si=LQzK_OqTAhKxyHkb
Rylander Eklund, A., Navarro Aguiar, U., & Amacker, A. (2022). Design thinking as sensemaking: Developing a pragmatist theory of practice to (re) introduce sensibility. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 39(1), 24-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12604
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