HARM-HEAL

A Power Consciousness Model for Bodies of Privilege

Abstract

Why do white, brahmin, and other dominant-raced and/or -casted bodies that have historically harmed Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (DMA-BIPOC) continue to perpetrate harm? This article advances what we call the HARM-HEAL model to elucidate how power is conditioned in individual and collective bodies of privilege, and how power can be deconditioned and reconditioned to facilitate systemic change. Even as we may resist power supremacy within our spheres of influence, reconditioning at somatic, personal, and communal levels is essential before any sustainable justice can occur at the institutional level. The HARM dimension of our model identifies the similar mind-body foundations of white and brahmin power supremacy as a moral disease. The HEAL dimension posits rehabilitation from this moral disease progression through accountability, correction, and reparation, which set the stage for justice and equity. We intend for this model to serve as a framework for critical individual and collective reflection on power within academic societies, universities, human rights organizations, and other institutional settings.