Subject: Re: with extreme prejudice
erespess@nji.com
Date: Thu Feb 03 2000 - 20:37:19 EST
>How about if you've been through the museum a couple of times and have
>now been properly cleansed of your ideological impurities? It doesn't
>matter; next time around, the "not prejudiced" door is still locked to
>you.
It is really unfortunate that such a powerful tool would be used so
badly. I think the problem with the set-up of those doors is that
they are using very specific definitions of prejudice and
prejudice-free commonly used in "diversity training" type workshops.
The idea is SUPPOSED to be that it is impossible for anyone growing
up in western cultures (probably any culture) to be completely free
of prejudice, including the people who put up that sign. Supposedly
this is a freeing concept, allowing people to address their ideas and
possibly reevaluate them without feeling like slime for having them
in the first place. The best diversity trainers point out that
prejudice does not equal evil, and prejudice-free does not equal
good. They should also make clear that they hold themselves to this
same ideal. Even the most educated, compassionate, tolerant person
is still affected by what they see and hear. Being able to accept
that and stay aware of one's own mental processes should be the point
of this way of thinking.
When this is used so cavalierly without any kind explanation it puts
people in the position of understandably misinterpreting the message,
which can be helpful in the right context. No one wants to feel
blamed or accused, especially those who are trying to figure this
stuff out (which I would assume was true of anyone being in the
position of entering those doors). I'm sure there are people who
understood the door-labeling in the spirit it was meant who may not
see why people could get upset by it. It is so important for people
working in these fields (diversity training, conflict resolution,
etc.) to understand that they (we) use jargon not known by everyone.
It's pretty sad when someone supposedly trying to help ends up
offending people.
Elizabeth
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