TBN #50

Written By Amber Benton

Seeking Nuance

Let’s catch up…

Hi there, friend!

It’s been an interesting week on the interwebs but I remain hopeful.

LinkedIn recently posed this question: How can you develop a more nuanced understanding of social issues and their intersectionality? Since this is the year of expansion (see TBN #49), I thought the question was a perfect fit for this week’s email.

But before I answer the question, I think it is important to distinguish between intersectionality and intersections. The former deals with oppression whereas the latter simply deals with overlap. Intersectionality is a concept that helps us understand how people with multiple marginalized identities experience life differently than people with a singular or different marginalized identity. For instance, a disabled Person of Color is going to experience life differently than a white disabled person because they hold multiple marginalized identities (race, ability). They will also experience life differently than a white, able-bodied person who has a marginalized identity (ability) but also benefits from white privilege. 

Now that we’ve taken care of the intersectionality part, let’s get back to the question. 

So, how do you find nuance?

Often people look for nuance in the social issues themselves. They attempt to learn everything there is to know about a particular issue. While educating yourself is important, it can also be exhausting and overwhelming to learn everything under the sun about a social issue. Further, one person cannot know everything about a single issue. Even if you consider yourself an expert, you are viewing the issue from your own biased lens.   

Another approach is to look for intricacies within social issues. For instance, a person may seek out to find how racism is different for Black folks versus Asian folks versus Latina/e/o/x folks versus mixed race folks.This too will lead you down an exhausting and overwhelming rabbit hole.  

However, I implore you to think about nuance a bit differently. Rather than starting with an extensive Google search session, I recommend for you to take the social issue you are interested in and examine what you already know (or think you know) about it. From there, ask yourself some questions…

Basic Questions to Seek Nuance:

  • What sources are informing my opinion?

  • Where did I find these sources of information? Are they credible? Are these sources considered mainstream?

  • Are the authors of these sources affected by the social issue? Are the people most affected by the social issue, controlling the narrative around the issue?

  • Do the authors of the sources connect this social issue to other social issues or broader implications?

  • What position do the sources take? Is it political? Is it a call to action? Is it to seek favor? Is it to unite or divide?

  • What information do they (the sources) use to inform their position on the social issue?

  • What is their role in relationship to the social issue? Are they an educator? Researcher? Journalist? Podcaster? Influencer?

  • Are there other possible positions on this issue?

By asking yourself these questions, you’ll likely find areas where you need to seek out more information. The more information you find, you’ll begin to see that the social issue is not just a matter of being pro [insert social issue] or against [insert social issue]. Rather, a multiplicity of sides and various takes on complex issues that affect many individuals and groups in interconnected ways. From there, you will begin to reveal the nuance.

I hope you take some time to learn the nuance in the issues most concerning to you.

WEEKLY UPDATE

CLIFF NOTES: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

HOMEWORK: reimagining the world

Mood Booster for the Week 🎶: ELECTROWAVEBABY

What I’m Reading 📚: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

What I’m Watching 📺: Killers of the Flower Moon (if you’ve already watched, ask yourself about the nuance in the film).

I’d love to hear from you!

What do you need to be better in work and in life? Send me a message or connect with me on social.

Get in touch

Amber Benton

Dr. Amber Benton (she/her/hers) is an educator, diversity/inclusion/equity (DEI) expert, and intergroup dialogue facilitator. She is an advocate for healthy workplace cultures with over a decade of professional experience. She has served as a Chief Diversity Officer for the past several years and holds master’s and doctoral degrees in education.

https://www.amberbenton.com
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TBN #51
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