Discussion Post #1 Understanding Our Social Identities and Biases
The Power Flower is the tool I selected to explore my intersecting identities and how they contribute to my societal privilege. The Power Flower represented a view of my complex identities, including gender, race, ethnicity, age, education, and more. Each petal symbolized a different category, illustrating how these intersect and shape my experiences. By understanding intersectionality, I can be more sensitive, recognizing that power is relational and dynamic. It encouraged me to reflect on interconnected identities that I have come across and what I might have done to address social injustices or, conversely, not done to address injustice. The concept of implicit bias is familiar to me from a business perspective. However, this exercise has made me reconsider biases beyond my business career and what stereotypes I may have directly or indirectly affected my behaviour.
DiAngelo (2011) examines how white people, such as myself, respond to discussions about racism by introducing the concept of “white fragility,” which refers to the discomfort and defensiveness white individuals experience when racial stress arises and how implicit bias plays a role here. Her research shows that white people perceive danger simply by the presence of racial stress that leads to defensive behaviours like argumentation, silence, or exiting the situation (DiAngelo, 2011). This fragility and discomfort reinforce racial inequities and hinder productive dialogue about racism (DiAngelo, 2011).
In summary, the Power Flower and DiAngelo’s insights intersect by highlighting the complexity of identity, privilege, and bias. Reflecting on both can deepen your understanding and promote more inclusive conversations.
References
Werise-toolkit.org., nd. Power Flower: Our Intersecting Identities [website]. Retrieved from https://werise-
toolkit.org/en/system/tdf/pdf/tools/Power-Flower-Our-Intersecting-Identities_0.pdf?file=1&force=.
DiAngelo, R. (2011). White Fragility. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3), 54-
70. https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/view/249/116