Table Of ContentStriving for equity: Anti-oppressive practice in
child and youth mental health
AOP Journal
Developed by the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth
Mental Health
Fall 2014
Developed by:
www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca
Anti-oppressive practice
Introduction
What’s this for?
This journal is intended to help you capture your thoughts, ideas and reflections as you work through the module. It’s an
opportunity for you take notes or complete activities all in one place. At the end of journal, there is additional space for
you to jot down anything else that comes to mind. We invite you to use this in whatever way is most beneficial to you.
2
Anti-oppressive practice
Lesson 1: Systems of oppression in practice
Before we can understand anti-oppressive practice, it’s important to understand what oppression is and how its impact.
In this section we’ll describe the building blocks of anti-oppressive practice and explore how systems of oppression
impact our work in organizations.
3
Anti-oppressive practice
Lesson 2: Reflecting on your point of view
Activity: Where are you at?
Read the statements one-by-one on either side of the teeter-totter. If you think that the statement relates to you, put a
mark on the statement to show this. Feel free to write down additional statements that are meaningful to you in the box
below.
This activity can bring up some feelings of discomfort or uneasiness. If you don’t feel comfortable completing it, take
some time to reflect on your own.
Based on the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh; see the additional resources
4
Anti-oppressive practice
Activity: Social location
Each one of us has a social location which determines where we place on a continuum of privilege or marginalization in
society. It’s important to recognize that the way we experience privilege as an individual is complex. We should always
remember that our individual context and the many factors that impact our well-being impact how we experience
oppression.
Take some time to reflect on the factors that contribute to your social location and how it impacts your work.
5
Anti-oppressive practice
Activity: Power flower
The middle circle is you – your social location. On the first layer, write your corresponding personal identities, for
instance, your class, religion, language or race.
In each section of the second layer, write the identities of those who have power in the organizations you’re a part of.
On the outside layer you can write the identities of those in the broader community who have power. You can define
your community as you see it, such as your region, city, province, country or global community.
This activity helps to show us what we mean by intersecting identities. Then it adds on another layer of reflection by
showing us how systems and institutions in our communities are shaped around the dominant culture.
6
Anti-oppressive practice
What stands out to you in this activity? Where do you stand when it comes to power, privilege and marginalization in
your organization or your community?
Case example: Exploring privilege as a white minority student
One youth engagement worker shared an experience of learning about privilege and the process of recognizing that the
concept of reverse racism is not possible. As a white minority student in a school of mostly black and Latino identified
high school students, her daily experience included threats of physical violence and insults based on her skin color. In
her junior year, she was denied an incredible opportunity to earn an additional science credit over the summer at a local
aquarium and then complete the class with a special class trip to a local theme park with no cost to her. As a person
living in poverty, there weren’t many opportunities to enjoy such an incredible and expensive day, and she was well
aware of what the science credit might do for her university application. When the teacher told her that the
opportunity wasn’t available to her because she was white, she didn’t understand. Why should she be denied such an
incredible opportunity just because of the color of her skin? She thought that the elimination of racism meant all people
should have equal access to such opportunities. It seemed unfair to her that she was excluded just because she was
white.
Reflecting on this experience 20 years later, she explained how she now understands that racism refers to the structural
powers behind the discrimination. She realized that she had never felt shame of her skin color, even with daily exposure
to slurs related to it. Though it may have been challenging to be the target of anger from black and Latino students in
the school, she did not experience institutional power behind discrimination that resulted in being seen as less capable
by university administrators, future employers or the general public. She was still able to turn on the television and see
positive images of people of her skin tone. While she worked hard to create educational opportunities for herself, so did
many of her black and Latino peers who were not as successful in changing their socioeconomic status. When she left
the community and applied for jobs and apartments, no one knew where she was from based on the colour of her skin.
7
Anti-oppressive practice
Lesson reflection
What have been your reactions throughout the lesson?
How do you or how does your organization collaborate and partner with diverse children, youth, families and service
providers at different levels of care?
Lesson 3: An anti-oppressive lens in practice
In this section, we’ll explore what anti-oppression looks like through a shift in our lens.
Reflection 1:
Think of a time you were working with individuals who face varying levels of oppression.
What are some ways you engaged youth and families in making decisions? What helped you collaborate with the youth
or family to meet their needs?
8
Anti-oppressive practice
Becoming an ally
Learn
• Understand, learn and reflect on your positions of privilege and the systems of oppression that sustain them.
List your privileges and show them to others, helping others see their own invisible privilege. Don’t stop learning
about forms of oppression and how they’ve come about. It’s also important to question the individual,
organizational and institutional impact. Try to understand as much as you can about the oppression by
educating yourself. Ignorance will only contribute to more oppression. Those who have been oppressed may not
have the time, interest or energy to be your teacher and answer all of your questions. It’s not their responsibility
to educate or to provide you with emotional support. They may need to focus their energy on overcoming their
own struggles. Ask yourself: how is oppression denied, minimized or justified? Acknowledge that we’re all a part
of it, whether we’re part of a dominant group or not.
Listen
• Dominant groups may be confronted with hostility or someone pointing out oppressive attitudes. Listen actively
to what they’re saying. Remember, you haven’t lived what they’ve lived. Reflect and try to learn more about the
situation instead of being defensive. Turn feelings of guilt into responsibility to make a change. It’s not meant to
be personal; it’s about experiences within an oppressive system.
Take risks
• Take action with others and take risks. Work with your colleagues to educate each other, share strategies and
stories. De-construct oppressive processes within yourself, such as your tendency to stereotype or use biased
information, your organization and your community.
Speak up
• Speak up against an oppressive act or comment. It shouldn’t always be the job of marginalized groups. However,
don’t speak on behalf of a young person. If you’re going to speak out, get permission. Point out that you’re
speaking from your own point of view as an ally.
Respect
• Marginalized groups are the experts of their own experiences and should take the lead. Don’t think you know
what is good for them. To respect their leadership, allies can ask questions, find out their perspective, educate
yourself and build a trusting relationship.
Don’t assume
• Do not assume all individuals in marginalized groups are the same. Struggles, differences and disagreements
happen within marginalized and dominant groups. There will always be debate and discussion on issues and
ideas in all groups and communities. It’s important to understand the unique histories, strengths, needs and
resources of groups of people, family members and individuals.
Adapted from Youth Environmental Network, n.d.
9
Anti-oppressive practice
What is an anti-oppressive space?
Co-create and clarify policy.
• Develop policies alongside marginalized identities to provide protection against oppression and discrimination.
There are often gaps in information and resources shared about marginalized identities, since priorities and
objectives can often focus on the interests of dominant groups. It’s important that this information is available
and accessible. Collect statistics and distribute information about issues affecting marginalized groups in your
community. In addition, youth should understand policy and know their rights.
Consider the needs of service users.
• Reflect on the needs of the person before they come into the space. What do they need today? What would
make it a safer space? Think about coping strategies you might need to focus on or how mental health will be
impacted by these experiences.
Engage service users in decisions and conversations.
• When planning policy, programs and treatment, be sure to engage youth and families in decisions and
conversations. De-construct the idea that service providers are the experts. Youth and families are the experts
on their own experiences and are the agents of change in their own lives. Use your own name to introduce
yourself instead of your title or position in the organization. Seek, consider and incorporate input from youth
before making program decisions. Give youth the opportunity to tell services providers what they think about
the services they get from them. For example, hold reflection sessions to assess program activities and
participant involvement, or openly explain to youth the expectations about how services they receive are
supposed to help. Ask families where they prefer meetings to take place, discuss potential barriers to attending
treatment with families during initial screening or encourage families to bring siblings if they choose.
Listen. Trust. Believe.
• Trust the people who have never had access to these positions – if they tell you what they need to make the
space more safe or comfortable, believe what they say. Consider appointing leadership roles to youth who hold
marginalized identities when policies about spaces need to be developed, or resources need to be distributed
around their identities.
Consider physical and symbolic space.
• Have images and artwork that represent the diverse identities and experiences of those you serve and in your
community. Are you aware of any biases or triggers that might be represented in images or artwork? Are all of
the identities represented in these images?
• It’s also important to provide room for people to meet and have conversations with others who share their
identities. Acknowledge the differences across and within groups and provide protection around a space for
people to meet. Include youth and families in developing or designing spaces that meet their own needs.
10
Description:Before we can understand anti-oppressive practice, it's important to understand what oppression is and . don't speak on behalf of a young person.
