Unpacking Giraffe Town
How structures based on values can become systems of oppression
We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.
- James Baldwin
Last week, I shared a fable about a giraffe and elephant and briefly described how our values (sometimes implicit) can become structures we build that turn into our “normal.”
Let’s unpack more of this by jumping back into the fable -
…[the giraffe’s] award-winning house was known for its expert design and craftsmanship. It had tall, lean windows that let in the soft natural light with stunning views. Its lofty ceilings with tall, elegant doorways gave way to sleek, vaulted hallways connecting various areas of the house.
The giraffe’s house is built around a giraffe’s needs - tall and narrow. There’s nothing initially wrong with this - of course the giraffe wants to be in a place where day-to-day living is accessible and relatively easy. In the same way, we create systems that meet our needs, aligning with our deep cultural values. If we value competition, we create systems that foster competitiveness. If we value individualism, we set up structures that reward autonomy and independence. The rub is that we are not carbon copies of one another with cookie cutter values. Even if we do share values with other people, the way that they rise to the surface (through shallow and surface elements of culture) can differ widely.
One day, an elephant moved into the neighborhood. Ever the friendly host, the giraffe invited the elephant over for lunch. “Come in, come in, Make yourself at home!” said the giraffe.
While well-intentioned and attempting to be welcoming, did the giraffe truly think that the elephant would be able to “be at home” in a house distinctly built to support only giraffes? It’s easier to be welcoming within your own systems/structures; it’s harder to notice and analyze the assumptions and values we’ve built into those systems and structures. Having to live inside another person’s/culture’s “normal” puts people at a disadvantage.
The elephant barely squeezed in the double-wide doors and bumbled down the narrow entry hallway, crashing into a lamp and denting a wall.
Another version of this fable has the elephant entering the giraffe’s woodshop. The woodshop’s door is expandable (to accommodate equipment), and the giraffe makes the adjustments to the door so the elephant has room to enter. The article continues to say, “However, similar to the elephant in this story who could get his head in the door but not enter totally because he’s built different, too often when they are invited into the organization, they often don’t fit because the door of opportunity is too small and they are made to feel they must not rock the boat if they want to blend in and then stumble trying to fit.” When we try to retrofit systems as our permanent solution, it may seem like there’s adequate access, however the reality is that the systems are still not built to meet the needs of everyone. Retrofitting is only designed to be a temporary solution; yet we often use it permanently (and wonder why it doesn’t work).
“Oh my,” gasped the giraffe, straining to remain polite. “I know you’re new here. Our town offers some excellent mindfulness courses and a variety of aerobic classes. Perhaps those would be helpful as you adapt to our town.”
This is where clinging to the structures and systems we’ve built around our values can become systems of oppression: when we expect others whose needs and values differ from our own to adapt to our way and leave theirs behind. In other words, to assimilate, often forcefully.
This portion also points to the ways that our systems can contribute to internalized oppression. Internalized oppression takes on two different forms - internalized superiority and internalized inferiority. Internalized superiority can happen when structures are designed to meet your needs and give you advantages. As a result, you begin to internalize, or believe, that these systems are the “right” ones and are better than any other alternative. This internalization affects your perspective and informs the way you treat those who are different from you. Alternatively, internalized inferiority can develop when the structures are not designed to meet your needs, putting you at disadvantage and creating barriers to access. As a result, it’s possible to internalize beliefs about your own inferiority - ways that you are less than, not enough, and/or something about you is inherently wrong. This can be reinforced through messages, direct and indirect, from those with internalized superiority, like the giraffe suggesting the elephant find aerobic classes, implying that the way the elephant exists is wrong and needs to be fixed.
The elephant was not convinced. “Perhaps elephants were never intended to belong in houses built for giraffes.”
The elephant does not succumb to the pressures of internalized oppression suggesting that the elephant is the problem. The elephant instead sees that the structure of the house, the systems that are set up, are what needs to be fixed in order to be inclusive.
Later this month, I’ll share a classroom example of how this can play out in reality with a classroom example.
What else would you add in unpacking this fable?
In case you missed it - related essays from Cultivating Justice:
