In this journal submission, you will reflect on the identities you shared in this module’s discussion and how implicit or unconscious bias may show up in your dominant identities. You will also explore the core principles of social justice.
Specifically, you must address the following:
1. Describe your most dominant social identities.
2. Describe implicit bias represented within your most dominant identities.
A. How does implicit bias show up in your most dominant identities?
3. Identify the core principles of social justice.
4. Describe how implicit bias impacts your understanding of the core principles of social justice.
A. How might implicit bias impact your understanding of social justice in personal settings?
B. How might implicit bias impact your understanding of social justice in professional settings?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Implicit Bias and Social Justice: Reflection on Dominant Identities
Introduction: This journal submission aims to reflect on my dominant social identities and explore how implicit bias may manifest within them. Additionally, I will examine the core principles of social justice and discuss how implicit bias can impact my understanding of these principles in both personal and professional settings.
Describe your most dominant social identities: My most dominant social identities include being a heterosexual, cisgender male of a middle-class background.
Describe implicit bias represented within your most dominant identities: A. How does implicit bias show up in your most dominant identities? Implicit bias within my dominant identities can manifest in various ways. As a heterosexual male, I might harbor subconscious biases towards individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ due to societal norms and expectations. Similarly, as a cisgender individual, I might have implicit biases towards those who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming, as their experiences may be unfamiliar to me.
Identify the core principles of social justice: The core principles of social justice encompass equality, fairness, inclusivity, and the dismantling of systemic oppression. It involves recognizing and challenging power imbalances, advocating for marginalized communities, and striving for equitable opportunities and outcomes for all individuals.
Describe how implicit bias impacts your understanding of the core principles of social justice: A. How might implicit bias impact your understanding of social justice in personal settings? Implicit bias can influence my understanding of social justice in personal settings by blinding me to the full extent of various forms of oppression that marginalized communities face. It may lead to the perpetuation of stereotypes, discrimination, and unequal treatment without conscious awareness. Recognizing and addressing these biases is crucial to promoting fairness and inclusivity.
B. How might implicit bias impact your understanding of social justice in professional settings? In professional settings, implicit bias can impact my understanding of social justice by influencing decision-making processes, hiring practices, and the allocation of resources. Biases may unintentionally favor individuals who share my dominant identities while disadvantaging others. This undermines the principles of equity and inclusivity that are fundamental to social justice.
Conclusion: Reflecting on our dominant identities and acknowledging the presence of implicit biases within them is essential for fostering a deeper understanding of social justice. By recognizing the ways in which our biases can impact personal and professional settings, we can actively work towards challenging those biases and promoting fairness, inclusivity, and equality for all individuals. It is through this ongoing self-reflection and commitment to addressing implicit biases that we can contribute to a more just and equitable society.
