Re-imagining Self and Culture

Welcome and introduction!

Often diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging efforts are an attempt to engage a new pattern of being while unknowingly holding on to the same old beliefs and habits that keep systems of exclusion in place.

For those who grew up within the dominant culture, we are often unconscious to the ways in which our beliefs and habits maintain the status quo.

The Re-imagining Self and Culture course is for folks who grew up within the dominant settler occupier culture of North America. With a focus on how the mainstream culture impacts our thinking patterns, values, and sense of who belongs and what’s considered “normal,” this will help you re-imagine what you would like to transform as we live through the process of culture-change in ourselves and the spheres we inhabit.    

After the live one-on-one portion (Part 2) of this course, you will receive a certification of completion. 

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Meet your instructor

Robin “Ronin” Quirke (they/them/elle)

Ronin has a research background in the field of social psychology, and although has worked on important topics like climate change mitigation and political reform, they have come to realize real change requires ditching the patterns of separation and hierarchy, and moving towards connection and humility. They feel the most alive while teaching– whether in a workshop capacity or teaching dance fitness at the University of Oregon, helping people connect with their bodies, true selves, and with each other is Ronin’s jam. You can connect with them directly at ronin@apok-ccrf.org

• Introduction: Preparation and self-care plan
  • We are going to look at some of the ways the colonizer and settler-colonizer cultures have impacted the way we think, what we value, and how we interact with others. For many people this brings up grief, anger, disorientation, and other feelings that need to be given time and space to process. You will be invited throughout the course to check in with yourself, to make sure you are taking good care of yourself.
    • If you end up having some big ah-has that leave you feel overwhelmed, remember we’re not aiming to change everything at once, just to slowing transition into a more conscious, chosen way of being.
• Module 1: Western European colonizer’s global impact on what’s deemed “normal” (and who is deemed logical)
  • Looking at maps of languages, religions, and pre-colonizer gender systems, we can see the footprint of the W. Euro colonizers. When a binary sex/gender system seems “normal” by looking at the majority of global norms, we have to take into consideration how colonization impacted so many cultures. The W. Euro colonizer culture still to this day controls what’s considered scientific, what gets funded, and whose perspectives are valued.
  • Disability justice, ancient Greeks, ableism — add to aspects of whiteness slide?
  • Aspects of whiteness document — take it in– any questions? Which do you value? Who benefits most from those values? [CREATE definitions list]
    • Some of the barriers to equity and justice are not so obvious. For example, if I focus on social justice in my work, but talk over people whom I subconsciously feel I am better than, or my programmed ideas of gender and clothing choices continually lead to incorrect assumptions about people I work. At the root of these old cultural patterns….
• Module 2: Categorization and hierarchy
  • Example of Rwanda, India, and what’s considered “white” in the U.S.
  • Our bodies – associating morphological characteristics with characteristics, abilities, and “goodness”
  • The way we have been programmed to think – opposites, wrestling with decisions right/wrong, cancel culture vs. discenment
• Module 3: Imaging a culture with fluidity, paradox, connection, and authentic expression

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Click on the titles below to jump around to other modules:

• Introduction to the course
• Module 1: Preparation and self-care plan
• Module 2: What surrounds us? How did this culture get here?
• Module 3: How have I been shaped by this culture? 
• Module 4: Who am I REALLY? What culture do I want to cultivate?
• Closing