AIBU about ‘performative wokeness’

[HRVY]

Came across the term ‘performative wokery’ the other day (not a new expression, but it’s the first time I’d seen it).

It’s been defined as supporting social justice causes just to further your own agenda rather than supporting those causes because you actually believe in them and want to help others. (It seems to be a bit like virtue signalling).

AIBU to think that sometimes it’s difficult to actually be sure if people are supporting social causes because they want to help others or if they’re doing it just because they want to come across as good people?

Sorry if this seems very cynical. I’ve just been thinking of it a lot lately as we’ve had a lot of diversity and inclusion workshops and talks at work recently. These have all been very worthwhile, and I’ve been involved in organising/leading some and attending others that other colleagues have led.

I just worry that other colleagues either see me as someone being ‘performatively woke’. What can I do to change this? I don’t go around telling other colleagues I’m brilliant because I’m involved in the workshops, but obviously promote the workshops and topics, and I worry that colleagues think I’m being performatively woke. Maybe I’m just overthinking.

Anyone?

Has anyone ever suggested that you are?

It seems an odd thing to be worried about.

what sort of thing are you workshopping?
What worthwhile message are you putting out there that you think your colleagues need to hear?

Thanks Keating. No, no one’s suggested it - it’s just been on my mind lately, but I think it’s probably just because I’ve seen a lot in the media about performative wokeness (I really dislike the term though). I reckon I’m just overthinking.

If you do genuinely care about your causes, it shouldn't matter what other people think. Similarly, if a "fake" or self interested "woke person" does the same advocacy work or achieves the same good/just ends as a "genuine" or "pure" person supporting the same, is it really a problem? There is no wholly selfless act, anything -- doing good makes people feel good! Altruism is nice!

I think all you can do is to be true to yourself and what you believe in. A lot of detractors like to paint people who care about social justice as just doing it to look good, but in my experience that’s largely untrue. Ask yourself what kind of people find sneering at those trying to do the right thing a worthwhile thing to do

I’ve just been doing workshops on race @Pagwatch. The workshops have been developed by a central team, and I just deliver them (along with around 50 or so other colleagues) as part of a wider corporate responsibility.

@crackofdoom

I think all you can do is to be true to yourself and what you believe in. A lot of detractors like to paint people who care about social justice as just doing it to look good, but in my experience that’s largely untrue. Ask yourself what kind of people find sneering at those trying to do the right thing a worthwhile thing to do

Agree.

I think the phrase 'virtue signalling' is just something arsewipes say to try to drag other people down to their shitty level.

Thanks crack and suspiria! (I don’t do myself any favours by seeing newspaper headlines that criticise wokeness).

At the risk of sounding wankery, be true to yourself, and be authentic.

If you want to go to the workshops, to learn and support - do it.
Who cares what other people think?
And if they do judge you negatively... well, aren’t they topics worth ignoring that for?

Then walk the walk - the authenticity. That doesn’t mean pushing it on others. Think about your behaviours, your choices, your words - are they inclusive? If they are, then people will in some cases see it’s not just a performance for you. In other cases they’ll never see it - but that’s fine, because you’re not doing to you look good.

Basically, yes - you’re overthinking.

People will laugh or sneer when they’re challenged - like the stupid comments that vegetarians get, trying to trip them up. People may want to judge you for performance wokery or virtue signalling - but part of being genuinely committed to these causes means that you rise above that, and support them anyway.

Then I’m sure you’re delivering something that matters to you and you should carry on.
I think people get wary when there are corporate based initiatives as they can feel like lip service or like a tick box exercise.
If you’re delivering one message that matters to you then I suspect you are worrying for nothing.

Woke is a stupid and usually meaningless term, most often used by right wingers with their own agenda.

Thanks everyone!! Your comments are really helpful.

‘Woke’ is the new ‘snowflake’ which was the new ‘PC gone mad’. I’ve noticed on here that it’s usually used by those trying to make others feel bad for caring about others.

You can almost picture them writing ‘woke’ angrily then folding their arms in triumph after using their new favourite word. They remind me of when my then toddler DS discovered the word ‘Poo’ and wouldn’t let it go. . It’s just so overused and cringey as an insult. As soon as I see it in someone’s post I stop reading and skip to the next post.

Forgot to add that you shouldn’t worry about it, you know you’re being sincere and you’re helping. That’s what matters.

I think if you come across as genuine and informative rather than preachy, nobody will think that.

The "woke" types that wind people up are those that are only interested in attacking others that they consider to have the wrong opinions. They just sow division and are totally uninterested in the causes they claim to represent.

It's mostly driven by social media because you only get noticed by expressing extreme opinions and being as nasty as possible.

I don't think anyone gets upset about people who quietly get on with doing stuff that they consider to be good for society.

Thanks everyone ❤️

I wonder if sometimes I do move across into being preachy (when I’m talking about topics like race or LGBT rights to family maybe).

Any tips on how not to tip over into preachiness?

This reminds me of that episode of Friends where Phoebe can't find a truly selfless deed.

I'm sure your workshops are fine op, but according to the wisdomness of Joey Tribbiani, there are no good deeds.

^Preachy (when I’m talking about topics like race or LGBT rights to family maybe).^

Listen to women.
Don't discount their concerns as bigotry when 'rights' wanted are women's sex based ones.

That'll do.

I'm really happy to read these comments. There is so much hate flying around online and in certain papers, towards people who "feel", believe in their own morals and try to make a difference to various injustices in this world. The loudest voices online are often the vitriolic ones, trying to belittle - and whether they're wrapped up in softer words like "wokery", "virtue signalling" etc - these are nevertheless attempts to stop independent thought, change, progress and reality from being discussed (whether about climate change, animal welfare and science, human social justice etc). But this thread is a reminder to those too afraid to be labelled as such - that doing what is right, is the main thing. Those without a need to feel validated by pondlife can and do rise above it by holding true to their beliefs.

Well it comes down to your motivations for doing all these workshops really. Is it because you genuinely care about the topic (very few people actually genuinely care about things that don't affect them directly) or do you just like lecturing people and maybe feeling a bit superior?

And what do you hope to achieve with them? Do you genuinely believe that some 55-year-old racist man will somehow be converted by sitting in on a 30 minute workshop during his lunch break? Because I suspect it's highly unlikely.

That's why I don't buy into a lot of this stuff. Because it's performative and doesn't really change anything.

@ SunnydaleclassProtector99 I came to say the exact same thing 😁

I really do care very deeply about the topics covered in the workshops I’m delivering.

Through delivering the workshops, I’ve learned so much about race, and I am ashamed at how little I knew previously and at how ignorant I was. I realise I still have a huge amount to learn and a long way to go.

I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn what I have, and I hope that my colleagues will feel similarly after the workshops (depending on their current level of knowledge around race).

I’m glad as well that posters have mentioned it’s unlikely I’ll change someone’s mind through delivering the workshop. I completely agree with this. I hope at least that the material in the workshop makes them question themselves or challenge themselves - that for me would be progress or an achievement.

I realise that workshop participants may not get to a point where they start challenging or questioning their own views, but at least through attending the workshop, they’ve also been exposed to other people’s views and lived experiences, which I think is very important.