Belonging & Repressive Tolerance
Hold my Drink Podcast Blog, Episode 40
It seems that we have moved on from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) nomenclature to Belonging. In a world where new words come in and out of vogue before the ink dries on the latest Merriam Webster edition, this comes as no surprise. After all, Belonging is ultimately the goal of DEI programs.
While the lexicon has shifted, perhaps to pacify an increasingly vocal backlash to some of the identarian principles of DEI methodology, the tools of the trade remain the same. Operating under the more mollifying moniker of Belonging, DEI gurus preach Tolerance. Who can argue with Tolerance? It definitely seems to be what the world needs now, if not yesterday.
And yet, how we apply this Belonging seems counterintuitive to the value of Tolerance. Much like its predecessor, DEI, Belonging has us break into Affinity Groups. That is, groups that are comprised of others like us — gay, black, white, straight, Jewish, Christian, whatever… In these groups of our familiars, we belong.
Sometimes this exercise is helpful to build solidarity among minority groups that must navigate majority cultures. It provides terra firma for those adrift in troubled waters. So why does it seem that these waters have only become more turbulent as our efforts to introduce Belonging have magnified?
It is in the spaces crafted for Belonging that we exercise what Jason and Zander call Repressive Tolerance. That is, our Affinity Groups have separated us so thoroughly, that while we may become more tolerant within our circles of similarity, we have come to see those outside our groups as the “other” and “evil”. This “othering” lends itself to victimization to remain cogent. Victimization is necessary to demonize outside groups and fortify our own boundaries to preserve group identity and solidarity.
To break out of this cycle, Jason and Zander have crafted a different model of Belonging, centered on Human Dignity and Shared Values. Who can argue with Human Dignity? Once again, it’s all in the interpretation. Human Dignity centers on the value of each individual — regardless of color, religion, sex, gender or whatever identity. It forces us to recognize ourselves in the other. Dignity dissolves power and ego and crushes the narrative. Where could this go wrong?
Affinity Groups are a source of collective power. If we adopt dignity over affinity, the groups dissolve. If the group dissolves, so does an entire industry hell-bent on profiting on our division. And we can’t have that, now can we? Exchange our group intersections for individual interconnections? Preposterous!
Join us as we dip into the murky waters of Belonging past the muddle of Tolerance in search for clarity on our way to our final destination of Truth and Reconciliation.
In the Hold my Drink — navigating culture with a chaser of civility, and Counterweight podcast, Episode 40, we speak with Zander Keig and Jason Littlefield who together are working on a new model of Belonging and Diversity training at Empower ED. We discuss the Repressive Tolerance of current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Belonging programs, and their alternative program that centers on Human Dignity. Join us as we dig deep into the meaning of Successor Ideology, including Equal Outcomes, Marxist Philosophy, and Identarian Politics to find solutions and heal our divisions in Shared Values, Appreciative Inquiry and Truth and Reconciliation. All discussed with a chaser of civility of course, and a lemon shandy and a vodka creamsicle.
Hold my Drink welcomes all people with all kinds of beverages to join us as we explore the truths of a chaotic and beautiful world, together.
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Zander’s Resources
A Critique of Pure Tolerance, Robert Paul Wolff, Barrington Moore, Jr., Herbert Marcuse
Jason’s Resources
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis, John Vervaeke
Jen’s Resources
Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell
The Successor Ideology, Manhattan Institute, Ross Douthat, Coleman Hughes, Wesley Yang, Reihan Salam
Jason Littlefield is an educator passionate about the health and well-being of individuals and the preservation/restoration of human liberalism. He is the executive director of EmpowerED Pathways (501c3) and designer of the Compassionate Humanism framework for life, leadership, and learning. He served as a public educator for twenty-one years in roles of teacher/coach, campus administrator, and district-wide as a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist. Jason has also served students, families, and other educators in Taiwan, China, and Benin, Africa. In 2017, he co-founded EmpowerED Pathways with the intention of starting a movement to leverage the K-12 experience and cultivate the emotional intelligence and well-being of educators, youth, and community members. He is currently focused on advancing the vision of, establishing an empowered society of individuals at peace within themselves and with others by providing a humanity-centered alternative to the destructive ideology permeating the zeitgeist. As Executive Director, he draws upon his StrengthsFinder strengths (relator, futuristic, strategic, and restorative, and self-assurance) to intentionally lead from the heart and build a hopeful tomorrow. You can find him on Twitter @JasonTheeHuman & @empowerED_TX
Zander Keig is a proud Coast Guard Veteran and an award-winning Social Worker, Educator, and Public Speaker with subject-matter knowledge and experience in developing LGBT diversity and inclusion programs, interpersonal and organizational conflict management training, clinical peer consultation and mentorship, and corporate mental wellness program development. He has served in various capacities: clinician, trainer, speaker, consultant, coach, advisor, facilitator, mentor, networker, educator, leader, and community builder.
2020 WPATH Harry Benjamin Distinguished Education Award | 2020 NASW National Social Worker of the Year | 2020 WPATH Certified Gender Specialist | 2018 NASW CA Social Worker of the Year | 2014 San Francisco CARES Social Worker of the Year
You can find more of Zander’s writings here.
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