Kelly Li, Period 5, 2/8/2021, Day B

Kelly Li
Period 5
02/08/2021
Day B
Modern Mythology 2021

Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

Typically, I choose to stay out of discussions about politics or the issues with our world as they might be uncomfortable to talk about. However, I feel that these unsettling discussions are necessary, especially during these times where everyone is learning more about themselves and their own personal values. It is vital that we can educate one another about the issues of inequity, oppression, and power because someday, this generation will have a greater responsibility in society and take hold of the reigns on the decisions of our government. Evidently, there have been many demonstrations of the bigotry, prejudice, and oppression happening in our world, still. Despicable actions such as hate crimes toward a particular group or unnecessary use of power or force from police officers show how questionable the people in our society are, and the range of reactions towards these acts show how controversial these issues can be. I feel that it is important that we do not ignore what is going on and that we can have efficient and educative discussions to acknowledge these hard topics, rather than avoid them for the sake of our own “bliss”. I think having respectful conversations about inequity, oppression, and the multitude of other difficult issues in our communities will guide future generations toward a more positive and healthy environment. Although these issues may not be extinguished for a very long time, tackling them by educating others and hearing one another is better than ignorance or averting the problems.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

I reflect critically on my own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences by actively listening or reading about other people’s feelings or thoughts, and then learning from that. Being aware of other people’s perspectives allow me to reflect on myself and gain a better understanding of how the world around me functions. When reading the news or listening to podcasts about other people’s beliefs, I tend to find myself in agreement or disagreement or thinking about how I view the situation but nonetheless, it is informative and helpful as I take into consideration of their own personal views. By being mindful of everyone’s experiences, I can form my own opinions and connect them to my own thoughts. Overall, I like being informed by those who live different lives contrasting from my own as well as informing others about my own experiences so that we can learn from each other, form healthier connections, and develop a broader understanding of one another. As time passes by, I value growth and improvement as I progress to hopefully becoming a better listener, a better communicator, and the best version of myself overall.