Oppressive double binds are those situations where, due to oppressive forces, no matter what choice the oppressed person makes, they contribute to their own oppression. Present and historical patterns of discrimination often give rise to dilemmas around distrust which I argue can best be described as distrust-based oppressive double binds.
On one hand, for members of oppressed groups, it often seems that distrusting others is justified, because unjustified trust can be harmful. On the other hand, however, persistent distrust of others is also burdensome for the person who is distrusting. This means that, whether the distrusting person acts on their distrust or chooses to rely on the distrusted person anyway, they open themselves up to unjust burdens or harms and contribute in some small way to their own oppression.
After establishing this concept, I argue that viewing certain common patterns of distrust among oppressed groups through this lens allows members of oppressed groups to better understand and resist their oppression, illustrates one of the mechanisms through which justified distrust can lead to unjustified distrust, and helps us understand how we can reduce some forms of distrust and when we should focus on others becoming more trustworthy instead.
Tuesday July 7, 2026 12:00pm - 12:55pm AEST Steele-206
