Your second point about unhealthy expectations in helping professions is so important! I taught high school for 4 years before becoming disabled and having to leave the profession, and now that I’m working in a different field, it’s wild to me what’s normalized in teaching (which I’m sure is similar to other helping professions). I think a lot too about how when individuals in the helping professions show up and continue to push themselves to meet these unhealthy expectations, it actually perpetuates the systems that they are most desperate to change because it keeps those systems functioning (but at their expense). The part I wrestle with is that there is a human cost to pushing back on the unhealthy expectations - in the case of teaching, it’s the students who often pay the price. But it’s so necessary to set those healthy boundaries to be able to continue for the long term in a helping profession.
I agree, it can feel incredibly unfair to the people being served when you have to fight for better conditions. It's helpful for me to be reminded that *I'm* not the one putting them in that position though. It reminds me of when teachers strike, everyone shouts "what about the children???" when the teachers are the ones advocating for thee children every day. It's a nasty tactic used to prevent change and make the advocates seem like the villains, and of course we can't help ourselves but feel guilty. (Because we're the ones who actually care.)
Great review. I was stoked for this book when I first saw it coming out -- for the broad attention for the issue(s), and personally now that I live in Boston and continue to serve the unhoused community. But I pretty quickly grew concerned about the narrative and framings it seemed like Kidder selected. You confirmed that to be the case.
There’s this way of relating to society, which your description of the world Kidder paints made me think of, as everything just being that way, just “how it is,” as though history and power and choice aren’t things and everything is settled into its natural permanent immutable state. And within that world as it is we have dragons and heroes, and we all say, wow, gosh, isn’t that something! It’s amazing how good of a storyteller or journalist or “liberal” you can be and still function inside of that paradigm...
One more thought, sorry this is so long! Kidder’s Paul Farmer book also made a huge impact on me around 2011. Farmer was one of my many gateway personalities I clung to as I was grasping for something solid while tumbling into the world of the poor without any theoretical framework through which to make sense of it all. Mama Theresa and Shane Claiborne were others. Another at the same time was Greg Mortenson, the Three Cups of Tea guy. I went to an event with him and got a book signed and everything. And just like you said, when he got canceled I was pretty upended by it. Psychologically it does seem like there’s something to individual examples that materializes the theoretical and makes it easier for the uninitiated to approach and possibly even enter into an issue. But as soon as we tell the story of those individuals as Great (White) Man stories who rise above the rest of us, placing them at the center instead of those bearing the violence of an injustice--and exposing the historical-structural forces behind it--we ultimately undermine everything that truly matters.
Thanks Kathryn! And yes, exactly--I'm not really in the habit of reviewing books, but I thought it brought up so many important things that are applicable outside the book. Thanks for reading!
Great review. I wish we didn't have such a hero complex. It really doesn't help anyone--especially the so-called "heroes."
Your second point about unhealthy expectations in helping professions is so important! I taught high school for 4 years before becoming disabled and having to leave the profession, and now that I’m working in a different field, it’s wild to me what’s normalized in teaching (which I’m sure is similar to other helping professions). I think a lot too about how when individuals in the helping professions show up and continue to push themselves to meet these unhealthy expectations, it actually perpetuates the systems that they are most desperate to change because it keeps those systems functioning (but at their expense). The part I wrestle with is that there is a human cost to pushing back on the unhealthy expectations - in the case of teaching, it’s the students who often pay the price. But it’s so necessary to set those healthy boundaries to be able to continue for the long term in a helping profession.
I agree, it can feel incredibly unfair to the people being served when you have to fight for better conditions. It's helpful for me to be reminded that *I'm* not the one putting them in that position though. It reminds me of when teachers strike, everyone shouts "what about the children???" when the teachers are the ones advocating for thee children every day. It's a nasty tactic used to prevent change and make the advocates seem like the villains, and of course we can't help ourselves but feel guilty. (Because we're the ones who actually care.)
Great review. I was stoked for this book when I first saw it coming out -- for the broad attention for the issue(s), and personally now that I live in Boston and continue to serve the unhoused community. But I pretty quickly grew concerned about the narrative and framings it seemed like Kidder selected. You confirmed that to be the case.
There’s this way of relating to society, which your description of the world Kidder paints made me think of, as everything just being that way, just “how it is,” as though history and power and choice aren’t things and everything is settled into its natural permanent immutable state. And within that world as it is we have dragons and heroes, and we all say, wow, gosh, isn’t that something! It’s amazing how good of a storyteller or journalist or “liberal” you can be and still function inside of that paradigm...
One more thought, sorry this is so long! Kidder’s Paul Farmer book also made a huge impact on me around 2011. Farmer was one of my many gateway personalities I clung to as I was grasping for something solid while tumbling into the world of the poor without any theoretical framework through which to make sense of it all. Mama Theresa and Shane Claiborne were others. Another at the same time was Greg Mortenson, the Three Cups of Tea guy. I went to an event with him and got a book signed and everything. And just like you said, when he got canceled I was pretty upended by it. Psychologically it does seem like there’s something to individual examples that materializes the theoretical and makes it easier for the uninitiated to approach and possibly even enter into an issue. But as soon as we tell the story of those individuals as Great (White) Man stories who rise above the rest of us, placing them at the center instead of those bearing the violence of an injustice--and exposing the historical-structural forces behind it--we ultimately undermine everything that truly matters.
I haven’t read that book, but you explained your perspective really well. Those criticisms could be applied to how so many issues are addressed.
Thanks Kathryn! And yes, exactly--I'm not really in the habit of reviewing books, but I thought it brought up so many important things that are applicable outside the book. Thanks for reading!