Why Do Systems of Oppression Exist?
Greeting Everyone,
I’m in the process of developing a free online course about systems of oppression, and I wanted to take some time to share it with you.
I’ve been working on developing the framework for this course for a number of years, and I’m excited to be at a place where I’m able to begin sharing the basic concepts in a freely accessible format.
The course dives deep into two essential questions:
1) What is the essential nature of systems of oppression?
2) Why do they exist?
I’ll give away my thesis upfront: I think systems of oppression function as systems of extraction that are driven by patterns of addiction. Furthermore, I think they arise out of a single system that is essentially an increasingly globalized, generational trauma response residing within our collective nervous system. Therefore, working to transcend them means developing our capacity for working with trauma - not only trauma within an individual or family, but trauma that has been externalized into the very infrastructure of our political, economic, educational, and legal systems.
I divide the course into four parts:
1) Introduction
4) Quantum Physics and the End of Systems of Oppression
Part 4 is under development, and I hope for it to be ready by the end of July.
That being said, I acknowledge that this course represents just one perspective - not an ultimate truth. With something as complex as systems of oppression, I think it’s important that we always seek multiple perspectives in our attempt to understand them. Multiple perspectives and deeper understandings create the foundation on which our actions to disrupt and transcend them can be meaningfully based.
I should say that this course is not an introduction to systems of oppression. It assumes that the audience has spent time doing anti-oppression work. So it will probably not be the best place to start if you’re just beginning your anti-oppression journey.
I should also acknowledge that I’m a cisgender, hetero-identifying, middle-aged white guy - someone with virtually all of the social and political privileges our society confers to people based on identity. That makes my choice to teach this course complex. You can learn more about how I navigate that complexity in the introduction to the course.
Later this summer, I’ll also be developing a free online course that will serve as an introduction to my approach to personal transformation for those who’ve dedicated some portion of their lives to social change. You can look out for that on my webpage devoted to my free online courses.
If you have the time and interest to check the course out, I’d love to hear any questions or feedback you may have. This is my first time putting together an online course and delivering this content without a live audience, so there’s much I’m still learning. You can reach me at james.boutin@mailfence.com
Warmly and With Lots of Love,
James
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