Segregating group discussions about racialised issues

[Sparklybutold]

Currently training to become a psychotherapist and it has been decided to separate the group into those who are non white to have a space they can use to discuss racialised issues. I can't decide how I feel about this. I'm curious how others would feel about this? As a white person do I deserve a say at all? Or is it a missed opportunity to discuss things that as a white person I need to hear? FWIW given the nature of who's running the course it would not be wise for me to share my views on this with them so I wanted to explore it here instead.

there's an academic on here who I think was reduced to tears by something like this at her work because it was just full of stereotyping

That was me. I had the ghastly experience of being the only POC in a room of very "progressive" academics whitesplaining racism and inclusion, some of whom wanted to steamroller through ludicrous (and occasionally illegal) policies based on what they thought would be good for their career or SJW credentials. My line manager (a white man) let it happen because he also wants to bask in the glory of getting a strategy implemented. They couldn't seem to understand that not everyone wants their difference drawn attention to and made the subject of "action" in the workplace. It's extremely othering and takes me right back to overt 1980s racism. I simply don't want my skin colour drawn attention to, thanks, I just want to get on with my job.

@MangyInseam you don’t seem to understand the concept of white privilege

thats a shame

the ‘as a white person do I have a say’ says it all in the original post.

Well this is it, really.

A university course doesn't exist to validate each of us in all our individuality.

A university course is not going to be able to address all of these things for each individual in a group setting. It's completely impractical and suggests a strong tendency to stereotype to even think it is possible.

A lot of psychotherapy courses want students to undergo their own, individual therapy, in order to address important issues about them as individuals that will affect their ability to do the work. That's not going to be accomplished in a group setting. It's something we all have to work out largely on our own in the end.

I think the concept of white privileged comes from an ideology that is essentially a re-branding of 19th century scientific racism.

So yeah, I reject it pretty absolutely. Which isn't the same as not understanding it.

If a man started whinging about wanted to be included in women-only spaces so that he could benefit from "things I need to hear as a man" I'd want to give him a thick ear.

There is a time & place for white people to listen to BAME people, & it's not by invading their safe spaces. They need to wait to be invited, It's also not BAME people's job to educate the white folks. See Reni Eddo-Lodge - www.amazon.co.uk/Longer-Talking-White-People-About/dp/140887055X

This.

Not sure that's quite fair.
I read that statement as OP questioning if she has any right to be included. More like "SHOULD I even have a say?", & acknowledging her own privilege.

Agreed.

I was just going to share this! There's a thread in fwr about this.

GCAcademic I totally get it.

I actually prefer old style racism. Personally I felt there was less of it, though that depends on experience. But there was an honesty to it. You knew who to avoid. Now they are portrayed as good guys. It's a bloody nightmare.

I would be very concerned about how this ideological approach to your training is going to impact future clients/patients. If racial segregation is normalised and treated as acceptable, how does that filter through to your practice?

I think it's a sensible idea. A space centred around non-white people. I think otherwise the risk is always white people feeling aggrieved or going off on tangents. A woman's career ended because she felt she complained about what she deemed 'anti-white' racism - I'd like to try whatever she's on because that sort of high must absolutely detach your mind from all that is real.

The question is really about where such spaces are appropriate.

I'd absolutely have objected if my university program had tried to hive off women to talk about woman-stuff. Men coming into the women's toilets were a different thing altogether.

We used to do this in South Africa! Fun times 🙄

I did a womens studies course at uni. There was one man on the course. I did find it uncomfortable how he was treated being in the class and despite arguably being from the powerful class so to speak, in that class he was in the minority and not treated especially well. Any place that is all one thing (other than due to physical safety, for example a toilet or changing room) runs the risk of becoming an echo chamber.

@GCAcademic

thank you for sharing your experience

@KettrickenSmiled

Fair enough. Thanks for sharing your views.

Did you watch the interview? She goes into a lot of detail about what happened, what was said to her, how the class was organised. It's really shocking. And yes, racist.

Very mature?

Mixing upper- and lower-case letters. Ooh, well, that's convinced me! 🙄

Not everyone subscribes to critical race theory.

Sidebar but so ironic given I was on here

my cousin has just sent me a joke meme/satire that she finds hilarious about our ethnic group and I just find it depressing and don't understand why it's funny. (I am slowly distancing myself, for many reasons).

she is an academic. With apologies to academics, I often wonder if the overthinking and studying of absolutely everything has damaged race relations.