Intersectionality is a hypothetical background for understanding how aspects of an individual’s political and social identities can amalgamate to formulate different levels of discrimination that sometimes is subconscious. Kimberle Crenshaw’s view of intersectionality on societal issues in the United States (US) struck me as a clear understanding of what has been going on in the country. The form of discrimination on African Americans in the US society is not based on the notion of slavery and discrimination that existed after the formation of the States. It is a different problem that has inherently existed because people and politics have refused to have critical discussions in the categorization of the discriminations that occur in society. It resonated with me that society has subconsciously evolved into looking at discrimination without the definitive distinctions like gender, race, and color among other factors that people can be discriminated by. It becomes difficult to acknowledge the existence of intersectionality . Therefore, it becomes difficult to address such issues of intersectionality that has morphed into unique stallers of societal stability like the #Black Lives Matter protests predominantly ongoing in the US and the United Kingdom. Most stakeholders to the topic had hoped that the COVID-19 pandemic would remind the society that no matter their differences, they were all human and needed to come together to fight the pandemic. However, this was not the case. It heightened the factor of discrimination based on identity. For instance, if the US government was to offer a stimulus for African Americans with businesses hindered during the pandemic, it would be a great idea. But the help will be ill-fated because the majority of African Americans do not own businesses. This concept is important to social work as a public office that is meant to serve the community, especially those that are not capable of leading a standard life. If intersectionality riddles social welfare, then some people will be discriminated subconsciously by the system put there to help them. As a social worker of a gendered racial group, it becomes difficult to rely on a system that is riddled with intersectionality policies as well as being oneself already subconsciously affected by intersectionality thinking. The norm continues from one society to the other or one administration to others because the discussion does not exist. It is the same issue that is seen in the ongoing protests amidst the pandemic in the US. The administration decrees that it has addressed equality in society through the laws, and therefore, the position it takes is that intersectionality is already addressed. Coming from an institution that greatly has the power to reverse intersectionality matters, it chooses to rally society through the same path of indifference subconsciously.
Addiction and Trauma
The link between Garbor Mate’s and Johann Hari’s notion is that addict does not have any connection with people or their loved ones and therefore have no bond. Garbor believes that the so-called addict responds to addiction because of the pain they are going through. For normal people who have developed close bonds with others, such as friends, would have a support system to talk about the trauma. However, for people without the bonded connections, taking to addiction is their form of bonding with substance to numb the pain. The understanding of addiction was previously based on the belief that those undergoing it are perils to society for the life they have chosen. They have decided to dislodge from societal bonds to a life that suits them alone, no matter how disgusting it may be to the normal society. In that realm, they develop an addiction for a chemical that their bodies have become accustomed to, and for that, they have to be taken out of society into an environment that can aid them in unhooking themselves from substance use. The phenomenon acts as a form of punishment so that when the addict thinks of using again, they stop. However, in Garbor’s view, the moment the former addict goes through a traumatic happening, they tend to relapse. In Johann’s perspective, if the addict does not find a connection with someone or something apart from the drugs, then they would go back to drug addiction. Professionally, as a social worker, these ideas change the notion of addicts as being someone who needs help by isolation to a person who needs to reconnect with a different and positive bond in society.
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