Nazmin Begum
Equality
Equality: a principle that entails treating individuals within a group with the same status, rights, and opportunities, ensuring that everyone shares a common ground. It goes beyond mere fair treatment, encompassing the acceptance of people’s positions regardless of their diverse backgrounds. Equality involves acknowledging and appreciating each person’s unique qualities, fostering fairness, and eradicating discrimination from our interactions and systems.
Equality, within the framework of Community Psychology, is a foundational principle that transcends mere fair treatment. It involves ensuring individuals within a community share the same status, rights, and opportunities, acknowledging and appreciating their unique qualities. This concept, deeply rooted in fairness, goes beyond treating everyone the same and aims to eradicate discrimination from interactions and systems (Jason et al., 2019).
The article by Alsup (2009) mentions how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s social creativity showcased a genuine path of love, making him one of the most influential leaders in history. His model of a community based on love aimed for a world where equality and truth triumph over hatred, oppression, and societal diseases like poverty, sexism, racism, and war. Through nonviolent social action, Dr. King believed in transforming both the oppressed and oppressor, fostering self-love and empathy. In his social creativity, he embodied virtues such as kindness, courage, and love, emphasizing the potential for a united global community based on solidarity, justice, and love.
On the other hand, the article by Rwezaura (2023), draws a parallel between Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for civil, economic, and racial equality in the United States and Julius K. Nyerere’s relentless liberation struggle aimed at freeing Southern Africa from colonial oppression. The author explicitly acknowledges King’s perspective that the common thread linking minority and colonial populations in America, Africa, and Asia was their joint struggle against the enduring effects of colonialism and racial injustice.
The central argument posits that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, as articulated in his pursuit of civil, economic, and racial equality, is a shared aspiration. The lens through which the author examines this shared dream is the prism of liberation theology. Liberation theology is an approach to theology that emerged in the context of Latin American struggles against poverty and oppression, emphasizing social justice and the liberation of marginalized communities.
In applying the prism of liberation theology, the author likely seeks to analyze King’s dream not only as a personal or national endeavor but as part of a broader global movement for liberation from various forms of oppression. Liberation theology often emphasizes the alignment of religious principles with social justice causes, and in this context, it could be used to interpret King’s dream as a manifestation of a broader struggle against colonialism and racial injustice.
By drawing a connection between Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision and Julius K. Nyerere’s efforts in Southern Africa, the article may aim to underscore the interconnectedness of liberation struggles on different continents. This approach suggests that the fight for civil rights in the United States and the liberation struggle in Southern Africa share a common root and purpose, the quest for justice, freedom, and equality against the backdrop of historical colonial injustices. (Rwezaura, 2023).
As a theologian and minister, King’s nonviolent pursuit of racial equality went beyond the Gospel, drawing on diverse fields such as systematic theology, philosophy, and scientific research to challenge white supremacists’ racial theories. Despite scientific evidence showing shared blood types across the human race, the cautionary message warns against reducing racial understanding solely to biological accounts, emphasizing the historical misuse of race as a “biological ideology” justifying slavery and highlighting the need for a broader approach to address racial inequality (Aslup, 2009)
The concept of equality within community psychology is not without its challenges. Debates and controversies often emerge, particularly regarding its interpretation. The central point of contention revolves around whether equality should be absolute or relative. Absolute equality advocates for a uniform distribution of resources and opportunities, treating everyone exactly the same. On the other hand, relative equality argues for a more nuanced approach, considering individual needs and circumstances for a more equitable distribution.
This ongoing debate on the nature of equality has a significant impact on the strategies and methodologies employed in community psychology interventions and research. It shapes the way practitioners and researchers address disparities within communities, influencing the effectiveness and inclusivity of their approaches. The tension between absolute and relative equality remains a dynamic force shaping the evolution of community psychology principles and practices.
The meaning of equality in community psychology has evolved to include not only the absence of discrimination but also active efforts to address historical and systemic injustices. The focus has shifted from a narrow, numerical representation to a broader consideration of social, economic, and political factors that contribute to disparities within communities.
While aiming for equality is commendable, misunderstanding or misusing it can lead to unintended problems. Relying solely on numerical targets may overlook the complex causes of inequality. Also, if external definitions of equality are imposed without community input, it can result in interventions that are patronizing and counterproductive, going against the principles of empowerment.
References:
Aslup, R. E. (2009). Liberation Psychology: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Beloved Community as a Model for Social Creativity. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 49(4), 388-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167809335361
Jason, L., Glantsman, O., & O’Brien, J. F. (2019). Introduction to community psychology \. Open Textbook Library.
Rwezaura, D. M. (2023). Martin Luther King Jr. and Julius K. Nyerere’s Shared Dreams for Racial Equality and Human Dignity. Theological Studies, 84(3), 435-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405639231189189
