During our lecture Shahana Rasool asked us to divide into groups and think of a few keywords that are “popping up” for us regarding oppression. One of the words that my classmate and I thought of is shame, which also touches on guilt. We thought that both the oppressor and the oppressed might feel shame. The oppressed might feel like their traditions, culture or way of living is shameful in the eyes of the oppressor. The oppressor might feel shame and guilt about what they are doing or what they did to the oppressed.
The word “shame” reminds me of my clinical placement. The placement is a halfway house, and I had the privilege of sitting in for a group therapy session. During the therapy session, the social worker discussed a re-integration plan with the participants. One of the topics that they discussed is shame and guilt. Many of the patients revealed that they feel guilty for what they have done to others in the past (while being substance dependent). The social worker discussed stigma and how the patients might be shamed and stigmatised by others once they are out of the halfway house.
My drawing resembles a person struggling with guilt and shame. The messy medium of charcoal resembles the difficulty of cleaning away feelings of guilt and shame. I transformed it into a social media post where I encourage the breaking of stigma. I understand the importance of dealing with the stigma that is placed on an individual, and I would like to learn how to help individuals who are stigmatised.