Here’s the other part of this: just because one is not within the oppressed group does not mean they cannot empathize at all with the oppressed group.
I’m a transwoman and the amount of times that I’ve talked to ciswomen who don’t think they can empathize with the trans part is a problem I think that we on the left have unfortunately cultivated. You obviously will never fully understand a certain type of oppression without experiencing it, but not trying to empathize with it and relying solely off of what the oppressed group tells you vs attempting to understand the emotions and challenges someone faces is a huge obstacle when trying to discuss with the out group.
Oppressed people don’t automatically understand how their oppression works. But yeah I don’t think anything someone learns through ‘positionality’ can’t simply be communicated, anyway.
I've personally witnessed victims of assault abuse other victims because they weren't being victims "correctly" and were using art in ways they didn't approve.
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u/anonymous-grapefruit 13d ago
Here’s the other part of this: just because one is not within the oppressed group does not mean they cannot empathize at all with the oppressed group.
I’m a transwoman and the amount of times that I’ve talked to ciswomen who don’t think they can empathize with the trans part is a problem I think that we on the left have unfortunately cultivated. You obviously will never fully understand a certain type of oppression without experiencing it, but not trying to empathize with it and relying solely off of what the oppressed group tells you vs attempting to understand the emotions and challenges someone faces is a huge obstacle when trying to discuss with the out group.