People with a double consciousness understand the realities of the society they are living in better than those who dominate it within the center. Those at the center have the luxury of being blissfully ignorant of some of the faults within the system they have established. The center is advantageous in the sense that their ability to make the most out of every opportunity within their society is achievable, however they lack a wholesome perspective of the society which they built around their ideals and norms. Their unawareness is a privilege few can actually afford to maintain. Especially in the 21st century where the voices of the margins are becoming louder it is virtually impossible to be unaware of the struggles which affect populations within a state. People who are so unaware of their central dominance in society must truly surround themselves with others of a single consciousness and with single consciousness media in order to remain ignorant of the marginalized. The epistemic privilege they are lacking is a choice. Those at the center have the ability to learn from those on the margins but some simply choose not too.
There are different kinds of double consciousness that I believe are present within our society. Race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, low income, homelessness, mental illness, and handicaps both visible and invisible are categories of marginalized groups. All of these have different struggles balancing their double consciousness and some might even have triple consciousness. The benefits gained from balancing one’s identities lends them a greater understanding of the world around them. Some marginalized groups have a more pessimistic view because of the insurmountable hardships they face in a society that may not recognize one of their identities or treats them as incapable of progress. Of course I believe that if you take any issue you can always find some good that comes of it, but maybe the hardships and constant exclusion the margins face outweighs the benefit of a more empathetic and wholesome perspective of society.
Dear well...hmm,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your invocation of a triple consciousness in this discussion. Do you think that a triple consciousness was evident in the Enloe article among the indigenous individuals who instigated the Zapatista uprising? It could be argued that in addition to a feeling of racial/ethnic alienation (given that the indigenous instigators of the uprising were not a part of the mestizo majority in Mexico), socioeconomic alienation as a facet motivating the indigenous individuals’ consciousness at the margins of society was a factor in the uprising as well.
I do believe a triple consciousness is noticeable in that situation. Triple consciousness is very common today because of the melting pot that is the United States. Along with that there are quite a few cross cutting cleavages in America today especially when it comes to race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health.
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