« Jan. 13 Reflection: Academic connections

Mary Bullock

Beloved Reflection

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Kathryn Smith Reagan Green
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What I am seeing in the real world versus what I have seen in my classes on social reform and justice have been the lack of an explicit aggressor. There is more of a system incompatible with community rather than a pathogen seeking to destroy community. This is complex as we have learned in our reading, rather than complicated. The problem contains layers and relationships within histories and cultures that the solution will have to come from many groups of people in one concerted effort, rather than a single well meant social justice warrior. Talking with Rev. Sanders this week also shows the hidden issues that communities run into on the daily basis when not fighting overall battles of space and legitimacy. These include long work hours and personal burden on the part of workers and those who care. Finding a solution that is self-sustaining and is adapted to function for the community and not by the community is essential in freeing resources for further outreach. One example is that Rev. Sanders must open and close the church for any and all events as there is no full building staff or security to do so for her. Finding a solution that doesn't create more work for her is an example of complexity that requires reflection and taking stock of all variable affecting the situation.
2 replies
  1. Post by Reagan Green
    Re: Beloved Reflection
    My mom went to high school with Reverend Sanders, so it’s really interesting getting to hear her perspective on things like this. I love how you took the time to point out that larger problems are often made up of smaller problems, and the smaller problems it to be addressed, because they are often overlooked. In order to solve larger problems, we must first of smaller ones, even if they seem more insignificant. This is a really interesting connection, and I can’t wait to hear more about your work out beloved!
  2. Post by Kathryn Smith
    Re: Beloved Reflection
    I would love to hear more about your observation of a system incompatible with community vs. a pathogen seeking to destroy the community. Are the resulting effects on the community the same either way? What accounts for the absence of typical aggressor that you've learned about in your class? Is it easier to effect change on issues that are caused by a single aggressor or by a system like you mention? How would you tailor your approach in each case?
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