Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Have you ever felt like your passion for a cause is lost in translation? It's a common struggle. Take antiracism, for example. In Spain, my educational materials on microaggressions hit the mark, but elsewhere, they fell flat. People questioned the need for discussions on racial microaggressions, in places where they struggle with the visible acts of aggression on the daily basis. Gender equality? Sure, people agreed, but branded my ideas as radical. And when I tackled fatphobia, jaws dropped, with some wondering if I was advocating for obesity.
So, the question is how to approach topics that face significant resistance within society? And where does this resistance come from? Certainly, many issues are closely tied to people's social and political affiliations, and I'm not planning to delve into that. Another important factor is readiness, which I believe is crucial to consider when aiming to "change the world." Readiness is closely linked to the environment we live in and the narratives we're exposed to. For example, consider feminism: 100 years ago, women were gaining the right to vote, a process that took much longer in some countries. Now, it's so normalized that even the most conservative individuals would unlikely suggest limiting this right. Similarly, the division of household responsibilities has evolved. In my parents' era, these duties were largely assigned to women. Nowadays, it varies greatly depending on the social context. In many places, sharing household tasks has become quite normal, while in others, it's only partly or not always shared.
Readiness in this context refers to our state of preparedness to step forward and embrace, reflect on, and implement changes related to the social issues we are advocating for. It is influenced by various factors, including how the issue is perceived in our surroundings, its level of social acceptance and public discussion, our personal interest in the topic, and our knowledge.
Furthermore, laws play a crucial role in this readiness. Besides the legal consequences they entail, laws also provide a symbolic legitimization of certain beliefs and viewpoints. For instance, consider the topic of the death penalty: in countries where it is still legal, there tends to be more extensive discussion and space for differing opinions. Conversely, in countries where the death penalty is prohibited, public debate on the matter gradually diminishes.
I might express something revolutionary or subject to strong criticism, but I firmly believe that our opinions and beliefs are often not entirely our own. They are heavily influenced by the environment we inhabit, the educational systems we are part of, our upbringing, life experiences, and numerous other factors. Importantly, our opinions and beliefs evolve over time.
Let's step into the shoes of those advocating for social justice – activists, educators, creators, and more. What actions can we take? Should we adjust our approach for better outcomes? Is there anything else we should consider?
I always recommend reflecting on our roles before taking action. As an activist, I won't water down my arguments to cater to thin privilege, but as an educator and youth worker, I'll tailor content to fit the specific groups I'm working with. To define what to do it is useful to evaluate the stage of competence my target group is, according to the model of Conscious Competence.
The four stages of competence, or the "conscious competence" learning model, relates to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill. It consists of four stages reflected in two dimensions: whether we have the competence and whether we're aware of it. These stages are as follows:
Unconscious incompetence: Not knowing that we lack certain knowledge or skills. Often is happening because something is not relevant for us, we don´t need a competence. Like small children that are not aware of not knowing how to drive a car.
Conscious incompetence: Realizing that we lack specific competencies. Following a driving example, it is when we realize that we want to get the driving license, and we are getting conscious, what we need to learn.
Conscious competence: Having acquired the competence but needing to actively remember and apply it, similar to someone who has just obtained a driver's license but still needs to think about driving.
Unconscious competence: Internalizing learning to the point where it becomes automatic, like driving without needing to consciously think about each step.
In my work addressing fatphobia, I've noticed many people are at the stage of unconscious incompetence. However, to create a world free from fatphobia, we must strive for the last stage: unconscious competence. As with driving a car, it´s impossible to drive, if you have never learnt how to drive, nor being aware that it is a competence we are missing. Therefore I want to suggest the 3-step model, that reflects on the actions necessary from moving between each stage of conscious competence model.
Step 1: Awareness
Moving from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence involves becoming aware of what we know and don't know through activities that raise awareness. For example, in the feminist struggle, it was crucial for people to understand the injustice of denying women the right to vote in the past. It is about helping people see and understand the injustice, and to know that those injustices exist, what might be challenging when we will with some privileges.
Step 2: Learning
Transitioning from conscious incompetence to conscious competence means obtaining skills necessary to fight injustice. Digging deeper into the topic, understanding causes and consequences, and getting skills to act. This step requires ongoing evaluation and reflection to improve inclusivity.
Step 3: Practice
Moving from conscious competence to unconscious competence involves internalizing learning and transforming it into daily practices and habits. This requires continuous practice, including planning inclusive activities, developing tools, sharing personal experiences, and adjusting behaviors.
This very simple structure helped me understand the resistance I sometime face, and reflect better on the tools to use when we are fighting for social justice or education about DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging). What are your experiences in this area? Is this content helpful? Comment below, and if you want to support me, feel welcome to share it.
Bibliography:
De Phillips, Frank Anthony; Berliner, William M.; Cribbin, James J. (1960). "Meaning of learning and knowledge". Management of training programs. Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin. p. 69. OCLC 604759
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