The Avarna video discusses 5 examples of the interconnected ways internalized superiority and inferiority work to cause harm and reinforce systemic oppression: stereotypes, gaslighting, respectability politics, tokenism, and conflating accountability with “call-out” or “cancel” culture. Below are further resources for gaslighting, respectability politics, tokenism, and conflating accountability with “call-out” or “cancel” culture (we are not including stereotypes since there is a previous lesson on stereotypes).
Chose one example to learn more about:
- Gaslighting: “What is gaslighting at work?” – Shonna Waters, PhD
- Respectability politics: Playing the Game of Respectability Politics, But At What Cost? – Odochi Ibe
- Tokenism: “8 Ways People of Color are Tokenized by Non-Profits” – Helen Kim Ho
- Call out/cancel culture: “The second wave of ‘cancel culture’” – Aja Romano
After watching the Lesson 6 video and reading the article of your choice, reflect on and write down the following in preparation for discussion. How would you succinctly articulate:
- The definition of the concept?
- How it is an expression of internalized superiority?
- How it harms people with marginalized identities and their perceptions of themselves?
