Really important context to understand in systems of oppression is trauma. There is an article on intergenerational trauma in this series that actually really unpacks this concept well of how, in fact, genetically we hold on to and pass down trauma. So it it has an intergenerational transmission, which you'll also see in Bowens theory, later on in psychology and social justice. So trauma is something that we come already embedded within us as people who deal with oppression as coming from families that are oppressed. It's also something that we experience on a day to day, for instance, through microaggressions, which you have learned about earlier in this course. And one of the things that I think isn't really understood is that people of the dominant culture also have trauma.

Having a system That is inherently oppressed, indivisible, is harmful to all members of that system. So the trauma predominant groups also needs to be mined. That's something that also needs to be healed. It's something that we need to be aware of, for instance, when we learned about white fragility, and this context of guilt and this context of just being sheltered from the from the experience of being aware how negative it is. It lends to this protective mechanism that's defensive that stops any forward movement and collective engagement on countering oppression. So it's important to understand trauma, it's important to understand ways that we can tend the trauma, I have other courses that are that will go on just as extensively as this one that helps you to deal with trauma.

But in this one, there's just a little snippet of a few exercises, the articles that I find to be important to come into an understanding of how trauma and trauma stewardship are really powerful contacts of countering oppression. So for instance, if someone is perhaps less privileged than you, and you know that like we vocalize trauma to release it, then maybe practice listening, always practice listening, if you have more privilege in the conversation, if you are the non target identity, you listen the most and do that listening in often through not tone policing and de escalating and conversation. You can help the person who has a target identity to feel like they're safe enough to release some of the trauma and that might not come out in a way that that lands well if you have the non target identity but as resources in previous courses mentioned, doing some kind of like re evaluation co counseling with another white person, for instance, when you're feeling like racialized conversations create a lot of fragility for you can help you to be at the right energetic state so that when a person of color comes and talks to you and is upset, that you can allow them to speak, but you can listen because the listening is that holding space and a lot.

In a lot of cases, what that tends to lead to is deepening into what where does that anger? What is that anger really covering, which is the trauma of fear or grief, which is really deep and intergenerational, and the release is a form of countering oppression of stewarding the trauma being a trauma steward listening and helping for the release is a form of countering oppression. So I think it's really important point There's a lot of great content. But I think that if you carry that into your conversations, you'll see that they do start to shift. And by listening, which can be difficult for some of us, we can take in a greater awareness of the differing experiences of oppression. They mentioned in the beginning, no one can speak for everyone.

And just because my such and such friends said and they're also that that that diminishes the fact that somebody is hurting in a particular way. And it's based, at least in part on their marginalized status. No, it's not you can't speak for a whole group. So we so we need to listen to narratives so that we can expand our our context of understanding. So enjoy this lectures on trauma. And, of course, as always, if you need me for anything for greater understanding, I'm here I'm contactable and I wish you well on your learning journey.