Added: After sharing the linked stories below, I’ve come across discussions arguing there’s no such thing as “woke” and it’s all right-wing fear-mongering. That’s disingenuous in the extreme, so here’s my off-the-cuff definition:
“Woke” is a constellation of academic social justice theories put into practice, including the equity agenda of assigning outcomes based on identity group membership (DEI, or diversity, equity, inclusion); prioritizing climate change strategies in the management of business and retirement investments (ESG, or environment, social and governance issues); critical race theory (CRT) that characterizes U.S. and Western history as primarily driven by white racism; critical gender theory (CGT) that includes advocating medical transitioning for gender-nonconforming minors; and similar progressive nostrums embraced and promulgated by elite professionals and media.
Please don’t do this. Critical Social Justice (wokeness) must be able to be critiqued as an approach to addressing injustices/prejudices/imbalances in society in the same way that socialism and liberalism can. This is essential for several reasons. (cont) https://t.co/68f31OoxKD
— Helen Pluckrose (@HPluckrose) March 17, 2023
1) No political worldview or ethical framework for improving social equality is ever going to get everything right and most of them are going to get very many things wrong. Self-correction is impossible if all dissent is read as hatred of minorities.
— Helen Pluckrose (@HPluckrose) March 17, 2023
The evidence is now overwhelming that recent panics around climate, race, and sex — the mass desire to conform to a strict moral (Woke) code — stem from a) the acute need of liberal secular people for purpose, b) rising loneliness, and c) mass anxiety created by social media. pic.twitter.com/RnPEkVYHhH
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) March 27, 2023
3 Comments for “Thoughts on ‘Woke’”
posted by Jorge on
“No political worldview or ethical framework for improving social equality is ever going to get everything right and most of them are going to get very many things wrong. Self-correction is impossible if all dissent is read as hatred of minorities.”
The tone of this sounds like my dean of Social Work. That’s a compliment.
posted by Jorge on
so here’s my off-the-cuff definition:
“Woke” is a constellation of academic social justice theories put into practice
Constellation?
I actually agree that the constellation is an essential part of the definition–from a right-leaning point of view.
posted by Edward on
“Woke” means whatever anyone wants it to mean