UNDERSTANDING OPPRESSION 
AND PROMOTING EQUITY 
Z. RUBY WHITE STARR 

vision 21 - an OVC-funded project
National Resource Center for reaching victims of crime: helping those who help others
Caminar Latino: healing families, ending violence

Segment Learning Objectives 
As a result of this session, participants will 
be better able to: 
1. Develop a shared vocabulary of concepts 
related to culture and oppression. 
2. Examine their own identity and analyze how 
that impacts their relationships with others. 
3. Explore the relevance of culture in systems 
and organizing spaces. 
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What is 
Culture? 
“Historically and anthropologically 
thought to be a stable pattern of 
beliefs, values, thoughts, norms, etc… 
that are transmitted from generation 
to generation for successfully adapting 
to other group members and their 
environment.” (as cited by Warrier, 
2013) 
However, this definition is 
outdated 
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What is culture? (2) 
A critical definition of culture refers to shared experiences or 
commonalities that have developed and continue to evolve in 
relation to changing social and political contexts, based on: 
• Race 
• Ethnicity 
• National origin 
Gender 
Sexuality 
• Religion 
• Age 
• Class 
Language 
Disability status 
Immigration 
status 
• Education 
Geographic 
location (space) 
Rural, urban 
Time 
Other axis of 
identification 
• 
• • 
• • 
AND within a historical 
context of oppression 
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Page 4 Continued 
Warrier, S. (2013). “Death by Culture”: Engaging 
Cultural Differences in Creating Compassionate 
Communities [PowerPoint slides]. 
Adapted by Ruby White Starr 
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Dimensions of Diversity 
This illustration 
includes multiple 
characteristics that 
make up a person. 
We are influenced by 
the historical context 
of oppression, the 
degree of 
acculturation, and 
our origins and roots. 
© Z. Ruby White Starr Adapted by Ruby White 
from works of Marilyn Loden, as published in 
Loden, H. and Rosener, J.B. Workforce America, 
Homewood, IL Business One Irwin, 1991 6

Degree of 
Acculturation 
© Developed by Z. Ruby White Starr in Culture Matters 
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Culture in the Context of Intersectionality 
This illustration shows multiple 
identities, including: 
• Race, Ethnicity, Religion, 
Language, Heritage/History, 
Immigration status, Gender, 
Family status, income, 
aboriginality, ability, geographic 
location, age, sexuality, 
occupation, and education 
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Privilege & Access 
• In all cultures, contexts of privilege and access 
are created by certain norms against which all 
other sub groups are compared. 
• In the U.S., attributes of the dominant culture 
include English as a primary language, 
“whiteness,” Christianity, physical ability, male, 
middle class, cisgender, and heterosexual. 
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Cycle of Oppression 
Myth 
• Myths & Misinformation 
• Missing information 
• Stereotypes Socialization 
• Reinforced by 
institutions, 
culture, 
government, 
media, family, 
education, religion, 
Internalization peers, etc. 
• Myth + Lies = Truth 
• difference = deficit 
Behavior 
• prejudiced 
behavior 
• oppressive 
behavior 
© Z. Ruby White Starr 
Developed by Z. Ruby White Starr based on Joan 
Olsson, 1998, Cultural Bridges adaption of work 
by Bailey Jackson & Rita Harmon 10 

Cycle of Oppression (2) 
Behavior 
Scrutinized more 
closely; more 
frequent & severe 
sanctions/conviction rates; WOC more 
represented but 
underserved 
because “don’t 
want help”; 
children removed 
© Z. Ruby White Starr 
Developed by Z. Ruby White Starr based on Joan 
Olsson, 1998, Cultural Bridges adaption of work 
by Bailey Jackson & Rita Harmon. 11 
Myth 
Domestic violence is more 
prevalent in communities 
of color because those 
cultures condone violence. Socialization 
Taught by parents, 
norms; jails and child 
welfare filled with 
POC; POC the “bad 
guys” in movies; 
raised to avoid 
“certain” people 
Internalization 
Women from other cultures 
accept violence as the 
norm; Workforce afraid of 
MOC; not nurturing/use 
physical discipline; silence, 
anger=truth=inferior 

Individualism & Collectivism 

Individualism Collectivism 
The individual identifies primarily with One’s identity is in large part a function 
the self of one’s membership and role in a group. 
Taking care of oneself and being self- The survival and success of the group 
sufficient guarantees the wellbeing of ensures the wellbeing of the individual. 
the group. 
Independence and self-reliance are Harmony and the independence of the 
greatly stressed and valued. group members are stressed and valued. 
Tendencies are to distance themselves Group members are relatively close 
psychologically and emotionally from psychologically and emotionally, but 
each other. They may join groups, though distant toward non-group members. 
they may not be essential to their They are more likely to join groups that 
identity. are a large part of their identity. 
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U.S. Culture 
• No one American in the U.S. is quite like any 
other American, but a handful of core values 
and beliefs do underlie and permeate the 
national culture. 
• These values and beliefs don’t apply across the 
board in every situation, and we may, on 
occasion even act in ways that directly 
contradict or flaunt them, but they are still at 
the heart of our cultural ethos. 
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U. S. Culture 
• What values underlie American Culture? 
• How might these values manifest in our 
organizational cultures? 
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Meaning is assigned 

We interpret other people’s behavior 
through our own cultural filter, i. e., 
what our culture tells us is happening. 


What is Culture? 
The learned and shared 
knowledge, beliefs, rules, 
customs, values, 
languages, arts, and faith 
or religions of a particular 
people used to generate 
social behavior at a given 
point in time. 
• Culture makes us who we are 
• Everyone has culture 
• Organizations/Systems have 
distinct cultures 
• Communities have different 
cultures influenced by its 
members, the environment, 
and socioeconomic conditions 
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Cultural Competence Continuum 
Mandated by Tolerance Chosen for Transformation 
Harmful Views of culture Favorable views of culture 
Cultural 
Destruction 
Eliminates 
differences 
Cultural 
Incapacity 
Demeans 
differences 
Cultural 
Blindness 
Dismisses 
differences 
Cultural Preproficiency 
Acknowledges 
and responds 
to differences 
Cultural 
Proficiency 
Learns and 
grows 
because of 
differences 
Adapted from Terry L. Cross, et. al., 1989 17 

Violence is present in all cultures 
• Culture should never be used to deny or excuse 
violence. 
• Violence is not “normal” in certain groups. 
• People who use violence in every culture have 
ways of subjugating survivors. 
• Cultural differences must be considered to 
address disparities in practice, increase access to 
relevant services, and improve outcomes related 
to race, gender and other variables. 
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Culture and Domestic Violence 
People of non-dominant cultures may have: 
• Fewer options and less access to services and to 
the justice system 
• Bad experiences with “helping” systems 
• Different perceptions of what options they have 
available to them 
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Culture and Domestic Violence (2) 

Culture is central to how survivors organize their 
experiences. I t influences: 
• How they seek assistance 
• What they v alue in raising and parenting their c hildren 
• What they d efine as a problem a nd their p erceptions onthe relevance and quality of “help” 
• Their attitude about sharing emotional problems, and 
with whom 
• The number of stressors to which they are exposed 


Culture and Domestic Violence (3) 
Culture is central to how survivors organize their 
experiences. It influences: 
• Their expectations for treatment and what they believe 
is the best method of addressing the difficulties they 
encounter due to abuse 
• What they understand as the causes of psychological 
difficulties and the unique subjective experience of 
being a survivor 
• How they view violence and the extent to which they 
associate hopefulness or pessimism with intervention 
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Concerns in Underserved Communities 
• Institutional racism and systemic bias in the delivery of 
services by the criminal justice system 
• Mistrust of mainstream formal systems 
• The under-representation of people of color, LGBTQ+, and 
other non-dominant groups among service providers and in 
positions of leadership 
• Formal systems that do not include relevant or alternative 
resources 
• Balance between disproving the stereotypical beliefs that 
only poor and minority survivors are battered and pushing 
them aside 
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Concerns in Underserved Communities (2)

Personal and cultural barriers to living free f rom 
violence such as: 
• Risks of system intervention 
• Intense loyalty t o the extended family 
• Deference to individual needs for family unity and 
strength 
• Religious beliefs or spirituality 
• Social unacceptability of separation or divorce, 
stigmatization 
• Fear of coming out/being outed 


Concerns in Underserved Communities (3) 
Personal and cultural barriers to living free from 
violence such as: 
• Concentrations in low paying jobs 
• Language barriers and immigration issues 
• Privacy and self-blame seen as virtuous to maintain 
family honor 
• Unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings (in helpseeking) 
• Within-group diversity 
• Other 
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Increasing Cultural Capacity 
Does not mean knowing everything about a culture. 
Instead: 
• Be aware of your own biases, prejudices and knowledge 
• Recognize professional power and avoid the imposition of those 
values 
• Gather information provided by individuals within the context at 
hand 
• Listen and ask questions Validate individual strengths 
• Develop cross-issue linkages/collaborate with culturally-specific 
groups 
© Z. Ruby White Starr 
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Questions for Reflection 
• Why might communities mistrust formal systems? 
• What are some elements of bias in your system? 
• What are ways that personal and cultural barriers 
may be reflected as deficiencies? 
• What alternate and culturally-relevant resources 
exist in your community? 
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What practices and approaches can you change to promote 
equity? 
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Learning Points 
• Discomfort is a prerequisite for learning. 
• Increasing awareness of your own culture, biases, 
privilege, and 
identity will help you to understand how they impact 
your relationships with others. 
• Meaning is assigned by the observer, based on their 
own cultural lens. 
• Effective interventions must work from inside the 
worldview and culture 
of those being helped. 
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Contact Information: Z. RUBY WHITE STARR
Email: rwhitestarr@caminarlatino.org
Contact Information: 
Z. RUBY WHITE STARR 
Email: rwhitestarr@caminarlatino.org