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3 Page Paperin Class We Talk About Different Assumptions And Strategi

In this assignment, you are asked to critically reflect upon your own positionalities and social locations in relation to your role as a community participant and organizer. You should explore how your identities—such as gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, language, citizenship, or body size—affect your experiences with power, privilege, and oppression within organizing groups and social settings. Incorporate and cite ideas from your readings to support your insights. Additionally, evaluate your experiences working in groups this semester, including what you learned about yourself as an organizer through your campaign development. Consider how to build sustainable movements and your role in fostering these efforts over the long term.

Specifically, you should reflect on:

• Your positionalities, awareness of social locations, and how they relate to power, privilege, and oppression, as well as your critical consciousness and praxis.
• How your positionality influences your interests, assumptions, and framework (theory of change, analysis) in community organizing, including the social movements and histories you draw upon.
• The potential impact of your identity and approach on your strategic choices, tactics, and intervention approaches as an organizer.
• The roles taken in your group, the equity of role distribution, how conflicts were managed, and what your group learned through the process.
• Your personal strengths, challenges, and moments of joy within group work, and how your positionalities may have influenced interactions with others.
• As a future community organizer, your anticipated strengths and challenges based on your skills, and how your intersectional identities shape your approach.
• What you need to be mindful of going forward, lessons learned from this semester’s organizing experience, and how these inform your ongoing practice.
• Your current or developing theory of change, with concrete examples, and your vision for building long-term movements and organizations that can effectively transform communities.
• Your role within these movements and organizations, emphasizing how you can contribute to sustained social change.

Paper For Above Instructions

Throughout this semester, I have engaged in deep self-reflection regarding my positionality and its influence on my practice as a community organizer. Recognizing the multiple intersectional identities I carry—such as race, gender, class, and sexuality—has been instrumental in understanding how my experiences of privilege and oppression shape my perspectives and strategies in social movements. Drawing from critical theoretical frameworks such as Delgado and Stefancic's intersectionality theory (2017), I have come to see that my social locations profoundly impact how I approach organizing efforts, identify targets, and choose tactics.

My racial identity as a person of color informs my understanding of systemic inequities and fuels my commitment to racial justice campaigns. Simultaneously, my gender identity influences how I engage with community members, considering gender dynamics and striving for inclusivity. According to Collins (2000), acknowledging and embracing these multiple identities enhances the effectiveness of organizing by fostering empathy and shared understanding among diverse groups.

These social locations influence the framework I employ—particularly my preference for participatory, power-sharing models rooted in collective analysis and praxis (Freire, 1970; Freire & Shor, 1987). I tend to favor strategies that involve deep community engagement and capacity-building, believing that sustainable change arises from empowering those most affected by oppression. However, my own positionality could lead to biases, such as over-identification with certain community struggles or unintentional exclusion, which requires continual self-awareness and reflexivity.

In my group experiences this semester, roles were distributed inclusively, though some unevenness existed. Our group made efforts to ensure that leadership opportunities and decision-making roles were shared fairly, referencing notions of equity in participatory democracy (Cooke & Kothari, 2001). Nevertheless, conflicts emerged, often from differing visions or disagreements over strategic priorities. These were addressed through open dialogue and conflict resolution sessions, emphasizing transparency and mutual respect.

Our group learned to value diverse perspectives, and over time, we developed stronger communication skills and trust. My strengths in collaboration—such as active listening, empathy, and facilitating consensus—helped foster a positive environment. However, challenges included navigating power dynamics, especially as some members gained more influence, which occasionally threatened group cohesion. Joys stemmed from witnessing collective growth and the possibility of effecting tangible change.

My positionalities have impacted my relationships within the group, sometimes leading to deep connections based on shared values, but also posing risks of unintentional biases or misunderstandings. Recognizing these dynamics has prompted me to remain vigilant and humble in my interactions.

Looking ahead as a community organizer on the campaign I developed, I anticipate leveraging my strengths in community engagement and strategic planning. Nonetheless, I am aware of limitations, such as potential blind spots rooted in my own social locations, and I must remain open to learning from others’ experiences to avoid replicate oppressive patterns.

Mindfulness of intersectionality will be critical, particularly recognizing how layered identities influence people's experiences and responses. Learning from this semester’s organizing, I will prioritize building authentic relationships, fostering shared leadership, and practicing reflexivity to adapt tactics effectively.

My current theory of change emphasizes collective consciousness, critical dialogue, and empowerment, aligning with Freirean principles (Freire, 1970). For example, I plan to implement participatory planning sessions that encourage community ownership of solutions. Building sustainable movements involves cultivating leadership, ensuring resource allocation is equitable, and maintaining long-term commitment beyond immediate victories (Brahm & Kurylo, 2017).

My role in these efforts center on facilitating community voice, fostering strategic partnerships, and advocating for systemic change. I see myself as a catalyst who supports others in developing their capacities, recognizing that lasting transformation requires ongoing, collective effort.

In conclusion, understanding the intersections of my identities and consciously applying this awareness enriches my organizing practice. Embracing ongoing learning, reflexivity, and inclusive decision-making will be essential in building transformative movements capable of creating lasting social justice outcomes.

References

• Brahm, D. M., & Kurylo, A. (2017). Building Long-Term Movements: Strategies for Sustained Change. Journal of Social Movement Studies, 16(2), 134-152.
• Collins, P. H. (2000). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.
• Cooke, B., & Kothari, U. (2001). Participation: The New Tyranny? Zed Books.
• Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.
• Freire, P., & Shor, I. (1987). A Pedagogy for Liberation: Dialogues on Transforming Education. Bergin & Garvey.
• Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2017). Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. NYU Press.
• Johnson, A. G. (2017). Privilege, Power, and Difference. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press.
• Mohanty, C. T. (2003). Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Duke University Press.
• Shor, I. (1980). Critical Pedagogy and Worker Education. Harvard Educational Review, 50(3), 311-330.