last week's session with the wonderful people of Chesterfield's voluntary services

1. UNDERSTANDI NG EQUALI TY
Shared perspectives
Mole (Laura) Chapman

2. Welcome
• Powerful language.
• Professional purpose.
• Validating experience.
• Not a add-on.
Without certain groups represented in the room, we miss out
on the voices we need to hear in order to change.

3. Ground Rules
Agreed understandings or social
contract?
What do you need to participate?

4. Path
• Welcome
• Ground rules and shared outcomes
• Inequality
• Stereotypes and Behaviour
• Equality & Diversity
• Equity
• Inclusive practice
• Positive and Possible
• Commitment and compliance

5. Shared Outcomes:
• Hopes and fears:

6. From mindscapes to
landscapes
We would be foolish to assume that it’s easy to
achieve a fairer society.
If it was easy we would have cracked it, and we
would all live in an equitable world.
• It is not.
• We have not.
• We do not.

7. Perceived Inequality
“The first thing to recognise is that we are dealing with the effects of
relative rather than absolute deprivation or poverty” Fullan
High Inequality
Low social mobility
Low Inequality
High social mobility
Deprivation and poverty Deprivation and poverty
The wider the perceived inequality - the unhealthier the community

8. Stereotypes and Prejudice
Myths and assumptions Professional reaction

9. Behaviour and communication
Feeling Action

10. Equality:
• Equal treatment for all: The availability of the same
rights, position, and status to all people, regardless of
gender, sexual preference, age, race, ethnicity, ability or
religion.
• Agreement of equal value
• State of being equal: rights, treatment, quantity, or value
equal to all others in a specific group
• All individuals need to have equal choices and opportunities
regardless of their ability.

11. Diversity:
• Understanding that each individual is unique, and
recognizing our differences.
• Acceptance and respect.
• It is the exploration of these differences in a safe,
positive, and nurturing environment.
• It is about understanding each other and moving
beyond tolerance to embracing and celebrating the
dimensions of diversity contained within each
individual.

12. Equity
The principle of equality has to be reinforced and extended by the
practice of equity. On the basis of the discussion so far three broad
principles about the nature of social justice:
• Equality: every human being has an absolute and equal right
to common dignity and parity of esteem and entitlement to
access the benefits of society on equal terms.
• Equity: every human being has a right to benefit from the
outcomes of society on the basis of fairness and according to
need.
• Social justice: justice requires deliberate and specific
intervention to secure equality and equity.
(West-Burnham & Chapman 2009)

13. What’s fair?
Inequality is best explained as a powerful
social force that generates community
divisions and oppression.
Inequality weakens community life, reduces
trust and increases violence across
populations.

14. Culture Change
• Tackling inequality is best understood as a
practitioner’s ethical commitment to realise every
learner’s rights in full.
• Cultural change takes both time and innovation:
it is neither immediately available nor instantly
achievable.
(Adapted from Chapman, L. 2010)

15. Context of Professional Services
• Pressure from society and education.
• Worth of human contribution.
• Failure to secure employment.
• Negative attitudes towards marginalised groups.
• Need to value the individuals voice
• Appearance of engagement: A divided response.

16. Language & Dialogue
• A bridge between people.
• Words can hinder or empower.
• Links Professional, personal, and private.
• Avoid ‘them’ and ‘us’.
• Validates: active and engaged participants.

18. Challenging Ideas of Status
• Learning and Development.
• Trust and intimacy.
• Vulnerable: needs arise from critical stress.
• Those whose needs are repeatedly ignored
or whose concerns are trivialised.
• Oppression lack of full entitlement due to
wider social divisions and no control over
same adult priorities.

19. Dialogue as community intervention
• Personal: inner, reflective, analytical, synthesizing. The way
issues are internalized. A process that makes sense. [Private
voice]
• Social: family and friends, deep, open, direct, love and
unconditional acceptance. [Personal voice]
• Professional dialogue: a closed ‘expert’ language - ‘jargon’ to
the outsider. The writer, the journalist and the professional
communicator… the questioning of technique and practice.
[Public voice]
• Learning dialogue: process of mentoring, coaching, and
tutoring. Enquiry, discovery, questioning, affirming. [Expert
voice]
• Community dialogue: process of debate and shared decision
taking. Trust, convention, shared understanding and protocol.
[Shared voice]
West-Burnham, J. 2009, pg 122

20. A Tool in Practice:
• Between people,practitioners and
community?
• Trust: time and space.
• Growth and thinking.
• Respectful challenge.

21. G r o w t h a n d C a p a c it y
b u ild in g

22. Positive & Possible
We can:
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23. Meaningful relationships
Our judgements about almost all social
interactions, organisations and
communities depend upon our
perceptions of the relationships
involved.
Professor John West-Burnham

24. Implications for personal and
shared practice?
Personal meaning Shared understanding
• What do I understand by • How do we tackle hierarchy?
inequality? • How do we work together?
• How do I promote wellbeing • How do we value others?
and health and happiness? • How do we address common
• How do I connect to the language?
whole? • How do we enable our children?
• How do I strengthen my own • How do we involve parents and
understanding? other groups?
• How do I enable others to • How do we share leadership?
grow?
• What can I do to take more
responsibility?

25. Multi-Agency Teams
• Respect for equality and wellbeing though joined
up service and shared resources
• Personal meaning - acknowledge different models
• Shared understanding - develop shared language
• Leadership - identify management and personal
responsibility

26. Closing Circle
Good bye!
See you again
…on Facebook or
www.equalitytraining.co.uk