Challenging Injustice Essay

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Challenging Injustice Introduction Challenging racism, sexism, rankism and other isms must happen at both personal and public levels if real change is to occur. “Regardless of surface distinctions such as ethnicity, religion, color, or gender, persistent abuse and discrimination is predicted on power difference inherent in rank. Race-based discrimination is called racism, gender-based discrimination is called sexism. By analogy, rank-based discrimination can be called rankism (Fuller, p. 3). Analysis The book says it best, rankism, “Once you have a name for it, you see it everywhere” (Fuller, p. 3). “Rank is the proverbial rhinoceros I the living room, as sex was in the fifties. It’s an embarrassing issue that everyone is aware of but avoids as long as possible. It is the unmentionable on the bill of particulars that can, and often does, lead to the disadvantaging of those who are low on the totem pole. We still live every day with inequities deriving from a form of discrimination that everyone knows bit no one calls by name- discrimination based on rank” (Fuller, p. 97). I have personally faced rankism in both personal and profession environments. As far as the existence of rankism, there are multiple faces, “Like racism, rank abuse has an institutional face as well as an interpersonal one. When the power inherent in a position of authority is used to fortify that position, the institutions purpose is subverted. Behaviors are not aligned with the institution’s professed goals; rather they are skewed to preserve the rank, power, salaries, and security of rank-holders” (Fuller, p. 29). The corporate face of rank abuse is arrogance, none more so than of the monopolist who owns a market and can dispense with good service. Such organizations act as if they “own” both their customers and employees. The truth is they own neither” (Fuller, p. 31).

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