SJC Circle - Beyond Privilege: Understanding Hegemony in Power Dynamics

The SJC Circle series provides a regular space for those committed to anti-oppression, social justice and EDI to come together to learn, heal, grow, share wisdom and take action.

We bring to you the leading minds in the field to share their knowledge and experience, and to support you to apply it to your own organisation or practice.

About the speaker

Chaka is a cultural change consultant, grassroots activist, and social justice researcher, who has worked with over 90 organisations. With a background in large-scale national research and transformative DEI programming, Chaka works passionately at the intersections of identity, power, and community building. Through founding Impact Culture, Chaka support organisations in imagining and building the workplace cultures and wider communities we want to exist in. Chaka’s approach challenges organisations to rethink DEI practices and commit to cultural change that transcends performative gestures.

About the keynote

This talk looks at hegemony as a helpful addition to privilege for understanding how power works in society. Privilege shows us who benefits from social structures, while hegemony points out that, even within these privileged groups, there’s often an inner struggle to reach an impossible “ideal.” This pushes people to compete and fit in, even though no one truly reaches this ideal.

Through this perspective, power isn’t just about who holds advantages; it’s also about the subtle, often hidden values and norms that keep those advantages in place. By using both privilege and hegemony together, we can uncover deep-rooted biases that privilege alone might miss, offering new ways to create systems that truly challenge and break down inequality.

NB: This talk will NOT be recorded but a detailed handout to support your learning will be shared afterwards.

The session will also offer space for participants to bring their own current EDI or anti-oppression challenges in order to receive the support and collective wisdom of the SJC Circle.

FAQs

What is the format of the SJC Circle?

The session is divided into two parts: a keynote and a breakout space.

The Keynote will be delivered by leading minds in the field to share their knowledge and experience, and to support you in applying it to your own organisation or practice.

This is then followed by a breakout space where participants can bring their own current EDI or anti-oppression challenges in order to receive the support and collective wisdom of the SJC Circle.

Will the SJC Circle be recorded?

Where we have consent from the speaker, the Keynote is recorded and is distributed to ticket-holders only after the event. We kindly ask that these recordings are not shared further.

Any activities / interactive elements during the keynote are always edited out for the sake of confidentiality.

Where we do not have consent to record the Keynote, we will be sure to share other resources related to the topic.

We do our best to make it clear in the comms where the sessions are / are not being recorded, but if you are unsure if a topic is being recorded please email sjccircle@socialjusticecollective.co.uk and can let you know.

We do not record the breakout spaces as these are confidential spaces to share issues and concerns.

Who is the SJC Circle for?

The SJC Circle is for those folks passionate and committed to anti-oppression, social justice and EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Open to folks from all backgrounds, the session is designed for those ‘doing this work’ in their organisations and contexts to give them the knowledge and tools to apply this to these concepts to their work.

Tell me more about the breakout spaces.

The breakout spaces are where participants are arranged into smaller groups and have the opportunity to ask for advice or resources, share a challenge or simply to vent a little about anything they find challenging in their work towards anti-oppression / EDI. The idea is that each participant can benefit from the collective wisdom of others in the group and to remember that they are no alone in this work.

Do I have to say something in the breakout spaces?

No, there is no pressure to share in the breakout space at all. If you wish to observe and listen that is absolutely fine. We just ask that whether you are in sharing-mode or listening-mode, that compassion and respect is upheld at all times.