Читать книгу The Interpersonal Communication Playbook - Teri Kwal Gamble - Страница 116

Our experiences as members of particular groups shape how we perceive situations, people, and ourselves, at least in part, because of our standpoint. According to standpoint theory, people in positions of power have an overriding interest in preserving their place in the social hierarchy. Therefore, they develop views of social life that are likely to be more distorted than those of people who stand to gain little, if anything, from their positions in the social hierarchy.¹⁶ For example, a recent survey of 1,302 adults found that 82 percent of women believe sexism currently is a problem. Men, in contrast, significantly underestimate the sexism felt by women.¹⁷ It is easier for the powerless to feel inequities than for the empowered. People who occupy less powerful or marginalized positions develop keener insights into how society works, if only because they need to develop these understandings to survive.¹⁸

By becoming aware of diverse perspectives and interacting with people whose standpoints differ significantly from our own, we can develop better-balanced perception.¹⁹