How can you manage conflicts related to identity, privilege, and oppression?

1 Understand your own identity

The first step to managing conflicts related to identity, privilege, and oppression is to understand your own identity and how it shapes your perspectives, values, and behaviors. Identity is the sense of who you are and how you belong to different groups based on your social and cultural characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, ability, and more. Identity is complex, dynamic, and multifaceted, and it can influence how you perceive yourself and others, how you communicate and relate, and how you experience power and privilege. By reflecting on your own identity, you can become more aware of your biases, assumptions, and blind spots, as well as your strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

2 Acknowledge the impact of privilege and oppression

The second step to managing conflicts related to identity, privilege, and oppression is to acknowledge the impact of privilege and oppression on yourself and others. Privilege is the unearned advantage or benefit that some groups have over others in society based on their identity, such as access to resources, opportunities, rights, and respect. Oppression is the systematic and institutionalized discrimination and marginalization of some groups based on their identity, such as exclusion, violence, injustice, and stigma. Privilege and oppression are not static or binary, but rather intersecting and contextual, meaning that you can have privilege in some areas and experience oppression in others, depending on the situation. By acknowledging the impact of privilege and oppression, you can recognize the power dynamics and inequalities that exist in society and how they affect the sources and outcomes of conflicts.

4 Express yourself respectfully and authentically

The fourth step to managing conflicts related to identity, privilege, and oppression is to express yourself respectfully and authentically to the other party or parties involved in the conflict. Expressing yourself respectfully means using polite and constructive language, avoiding personal attacks, stereotypes, or generalizations, and acknowledging the validity and value of different views. Expressing yourself authentically means sharing your feelings, needs, and experiences, without hiding, minimizing, or exaggerating them. Expressing yourself respectfully and authentically can help you communicate your position, concerns, and expectations clearly and honestly, as well as demonstrate your willingness and commitment to resolve the conflict.

6 Collaborate to find mutually beneficial solutions

The sixth and final step to managing conflicts related to identity, privilege, and oppression is to collaborate to find mutually beneficial solutions with the other party or parties involved in the conflict. Collaborating to find mutually beneficial solutions means working together as partners, not as adversaries, to identify the common goals, interests, and values that underlie the conflict, and to generate and evaluate options that can satisfy all parties' needs and expectations. Collaborating to find mutually beneficial solutions means being creative, flexible, and cooperative, without compromising your own identity, integrity, or dignity. Collaborating to find mutually beneficial solutions means being optimistic, realistic, and accountable, without giving up or giving in.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?