personal reflections on power and voice
Name: Matthew Smith
Course Department, Number & Title: D524 Power and Voice in Adult Education
Semester & Year Enrolled: Fall 2016
Document: Personal Reflections on Power and Voice
I chose the voice history assignment because it was an incredibly difficult project to complete and opened the door to better understandings of how I hold myself back and engage in self-oppression. Reflecting on the answers to questions such as “What forms of oppression do you see evident in your own life?” and “What intentional, personal work have you done to understand the realities of individuals who are different from you?” is an exercise in self-discovery. The process of sharing this with another individual is intimidating. These are personal reflections and, in my case, admissions of doubt and ability. Being able to share with someone else things I only recently admitted, however, proved to be more empowering than I could have imagined.
Truth be told, there was no easy way to confront my past as it relates to my present without questioning if everything I’d held true was a lie. Some may not approach this assignment the same way I did, though I firmly believe understanding my tendency to self-oppress in the name of the status quo helped break me free from seeing the world in closed terms. This was critical to growing as an individual. I also feel completing this project in partnership with another member in the adult education program helped develop deeper levels of empathic recognition. Seeing as how empathy is one of the central tenets of emancipatory learning (as outlined in my introductory framing statement), this assignment marked a turning point in my program. From here I saw each reading in a different context. My field of vision widened and I was able to consider more possibilities. Being able to put myself in another’s situation and try to understand why they feel the way they do is such a large part of emancipatory dialogue. Simply, there is no whole-person dialogue if there is not a mutual understanding of the contextual constructs influencing thought and action.
I applied this assignment immediately. To be sure, there is no real call to action or conclusion made with this artifact. I did not research or have to reflect on what I read on a specific topic and then have an outlet to apply those findings. What I was able to apply, however was the increased self-awareness I developed. Having a rooted understanding of why I am who I am and how my experiences shaped my worldview found its way into every one of my interactions. From the way I absorb materials and resources to my relationship with my family and colleagues at work, I now have the ability to not take something at face-value, even those things which seem altruistic on the surface. As I look toward the future, the challenge is facilitating discoveries such as the ones I made in others.
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Course Department, Number & Title: D524 Power and Voice in Adult Education
Semester & Year Enrolled: Fall 2016
Document: Personal Reflections on Power and Voice
I chose the voice history assignment because it was an incredibly difficult project to complete and opened the door to better understandings of how I hold myself back and engage in self-oppression. Reflecting on the answers to questions such as “What forms of oppression do you see evident in your own life?” and “What intentional, personal work have you done to understand the realities of individuals who are different from you?” is an exercise in self-discovery. The process of sharing this with another individual is intimidating. These are personal reflections and, in my case, admissions of doubt and ability. Being able to share with someone else things I only recently admitted, however, proved to be more empowering than I could have imagined.
Truth be told, there was no easy way to confront my past as it relates to my present without questioning if everything I’d held true was a lie. Some may not approach this assignment the same way I did, though I firmly believe understanding my tendency to self-oppress in the name of the status quo helped break me free from seeing the world in closed terms. This was critical to growing as an individual. I also feel completing this project in partnership with another member in the adult education program helped develop deeper levels of empathic recognition. Seeing as how empathy is one of the central tenets of emancipatory learning (as outlined in my introductory framing statement), this assignment marked a turning point in my program. From here I saw each reading in a different context. My field of vision widened and I was able to consider more possibilities. Being able to put myself in another’s situation and try to understand why they feel the way they do is such a large part of emancipatory dialogue. Simply, there is no whole-person dialogue if there is not a mutual understanding of the contextual constructs influencing thought and action.
I applied this assignment immediately. To be sure, there is no real call to action or conclusion made with this artifact. I did not research or have to reflect on what I read on a specific topic and then have an outlet to apply those findings. What I was able to apply, however was the increased self-awareness I developed. Having a rooted understanding of why I am who I am and how my experiences shaped my worldview found its way into every one of my interactions. From the way I absorb materials and resources to my relationship with my family and colleagues at work, I now have the ability to not take something at face-value, even those things which seem altruistic on the surface. As I look toward the future, the challenge is facilitating discoveries such as the ones I made in others.
Click to view