Minutus

Agree Elham that prejudice can occur anywhere there are hierarchical structures created in a society that

place value on one group over another. Being American i study the conditions of this country primarily. The dynamics
will prevail anywhere where divide and conquer tactics are used to control the public at the expense of everyone and

in favor of the ruling elite. In the US racism was created as a social construct with clear intention by those who profited

from a weak and controlled working class. For me, it became a central issue in working to deal with social inequity and

my knowledge is from personal experience as well as academic study. If people don't want to be racist they need to

stop and take a good look and listen to those who are the recipients of racist structures and abuse.
And as Joe was honest enough to note his own personal observations of himself in his practice. While unpleasant to

see, as homeopaths it is encumbent upon us to see our own racism and other form of prejudice as it does impact
our practices. When that door is closed with a patient, you still bring yourself in toto into the conversation.
t

Shannon

Sorry if I missed your point. If you would like, privately post me with what you were interested in and I

will try to give you a better answer.

t

Hi Tanya,
As an introvert talking to an extrovert, for me, change is internal. I can't blame our social class ect., social/cultural baggage for all of my ignorance. I know that I personally am full of my own ignorance and suffer because of it. I watch my own ignorance in action every day. I try to change that and am less focused on the external factors. Just a difference in perspective.
This gets into how I relate to patients and how I train myself as a homeopath. So to me, it is a very relevant subject.
Blessings,
Ellen

Ellen

I think the trick bag is that we are products of our society, for good or bad, but it becomes our adult responsibility to deal with the baggage
bequeathed us. Seems pretty unfair, but that is how it works. Some of us were given more baggage than others. It becomes part of our

lfie journey as to how we handle it and what kind of people we become in life. I do find it important to understand the nature of our

social institutions in order to understand how we developed our ideas, feelings and belief systems. Without that understanding we

struggle in the dark, so to say, often blaming ourselves for what was put upon us. I find it helps to know the where's and how's of
the influences that made us who we are.
t

Hi Tanya,

I agree. It is a mixture. The more aware you are, the better. However, knowing the exact combination of causes is not as important as knowing that we are causing our own suffering and the suffering of others. It does not require elaborate analysis to see that we are all are involved in the mix. Blame is not important. Better not to be wasting a lot of energy on blame, guilt etc. Better to just be aware of what does not work in your own sphere of action so that you can change it. You cannot change something that you are unaware of.

A shouting match about supposed external causes does not solve the problem. Better laws, policies etc to control the obvious weaknesses of human nature are essential. But they are not going to make these weaknesses disappear. For me, awareness is a first personal step. The need for social change is not necessarily a step that individuals can enact. Obviously, seeing the chains of reaction and the cultural and social structures that encouraging further suffering are needed. But, as we can see from senseless shouting matches, we do not all see things the same way. Personally, I work on changes of awareness. I think there are many roads to Rome. Even if the perspective is not mine, I think that we can agree on common goals and ethics.

Ellen