The Impact of the Individual on Social Change: The Importance of Activism in Today’s World

I thought that all three of the readings for today did a wonderful job of promoting certain roles one can take within social justice activism. Re-reading Jessica Greenstone’s, “Learning the Meaning of One” takes me back to the beginning of the semester when we were first assigned this piece. I remember fully connecting with Greenstone’s words, especially because of our mutual identity of a white, female, Jew. However, now that I re-read Greenstone’s words I connect with them on a much deeper level. As one of the last posts of the semester, I can truly say how much this class has taught me about the realities of our society. Before taking Women’s Studies, I was a fully naïve member of our patriarchal culture. I admit that I too fell for the constant enlightened sexism that is presented in the media, and I was a believer that women’s issues were slowly becoming obsolete today. Moreover, I never attached myself to activism in any way, but now that the semester is almost is over I feel the need to promote social justice in the same sense that Greenstone does.

Greenstone states that we all have biases based on the unconscious influence of societal constructs and beliefs, and that we all need to be placed in the shoes of others to reach enlightenment. I think that education is one of the greatest modes of such enlightenment, especially in the field of activism, and thus, I agree with Greenstone in that social change only succeeds once individuals are exposed to certain disturbing truths within our society. I think that social justice classes should be required in all elementary/ high schools, and here too at Colgate. I also think that as a newly educated group of students, we all now have the responsibility to promote Women’s Studies to our peers, so that they can be enlightened as we have been.

After this class, I also now see just how much my identity affects all of my social biases and choices. I am reminded of one of the first days of class in which we wrote down adjectives that describe ourselves. At that time, I don’t think that I fully recognized the power of each of those adjectives in relation to the way that I view the world. Now I understand the importance of these qualities, especially when it comes to activism. As Allison Attenello claims in, “Navigating Identity Politics in Activism,” the importance of recognizing one’s identity politics is crucial if he or she were to become a social justice leader. Attenello acted as a leader of a Mexican women’s rights group, Unidad de New Brunswick, however, she felt that she could not fully connect to the wants and needs of this group due to her lack of understanding of the cultural identity of the group. Thus, instead of remaining as an active leader of the group, she transitioned to becoming an instructor of activism among these women, helping them with their organizing and leadership skills instead of representing them as an outsider to their identity.

Overall, the readings for today portray the power of social activism in producing real social change. Throughout the semester I have been amazed at how much such young men and women can accomplish for society, solely due to their exposure to the realities of the world. For example, in the third reading for today, Shira Pruce describes how she rallied for the rights of both women and Jews, and eventually became a part of Isreali Parliament (Knesset) almost immediately after graduating college. I find this to be extremely impressive, and it enables me to see just how influential one individual can be on social change. I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to be a part of this class, and to also be enlightened about certain aspects of our culture that remain hidden to most eyes. I also hope to enlighten others through my newfound knowledge of social justice, thus passing along the significance of these hidden realities in order to aid in heightening the quality of life for all marginalized individuals today.