In part, higher education is earned. It takes effort and resources (time and money). Those of us who’ve completed at least an undergraduate degree likely can reflect back on long nights and tired mornings getting through the readings, writings, and other assignments to receive our passing grades. In part, higher education is a privilege. It … Continued
Intersectionality is the awareness that prejudices and disadvantages (as well as privileges) are not a series of easily defined A and B categories and are much more intertwined and nuanced. As an example, let’s assume our Governor for the great state of [insert state here] wants to help small communities and rural communities, understanding that … Continued
One of the challenges to promoting equity and understanding is we have not adequately defined the status quo, the accepted norm, the set standard we place on various aspects and functions of society. It’s difficult to question, critique, and ultimately change the way we perceive and engage in our work when our current methods are … Continued
Ethics is not a conversation of what we actually do, but of what we should do. It’s important to make this distinction as this post will focus on the compass, the lighthouse of our profession but that alone will not mean we’ll walk in the right direction or won’t run ashore. Still, it is far … Continued
When I started conceptualizing Social Justice -> Local Government last year, I came up with a basic premise which I spoke of in my introductory post this January. “In this series I will take the most critical, interesting, and relevant lessons I learn in my coursework and research [on social justice topics such as feminism … Continued
One of the two classes I’m taking this semester is “Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender”, covering many different perspectives and ideas regarding women’s representation and empowerment. A common thread among these theories is the question of agency and power, on the layers of control that exist. Although there are different valid definitions of … Continued
Photo by Olav Ahrens Røtne on Unsplash Having a good heart and good intentions are not good enough. If our goal is to better serve disenfranchised individuals and groups in our communities, to implement projects with tangible results, we require the same level of competence and preparation that we would for any other professional endeavor. Attempting to assist … Continued
This guest blog is by ELGL member Matt Hirschinger, the Assistant to the Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado. Read Matt’s writing about criticizing other cultures professionally, understanding privilege, understanding identity, and impressing in meetings. Read all of Matt’s other articles at the Social Justice –> Government homepage. My name is Matt Hirschinger, and I had the opportunity … Continued
This guest blog is by ELGL member Matt Hirschinger, the Assistant to the Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado. Read Matt’s writing about criticizing other cultures professionally, understanding privilege, understanding identity, and impressing in meetings. In local government, we ask a lot of questions. Whether to reach out to our citizens to better understand their priorities, to … Continued
This guest blog is by ELGL member Matt Hirschinger, the Assistant to the Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado. Read Matt’s writing about understanding privilege, understanding identity, and impressing in meetings. It’s a common discussion to consider ways to open ourselves to other cultures and appreciate the differences that exist among us. The social, economic, and personal … Continued
