Powerarchy

Understanding the Psychology of Oppression for Social Transformation

Melanie Joy, PhD

Have you ever wondered why people who are opposed to one or more forms of oppression—such as
racism, sexism or speciesism—often stay mired in others? Why people who are working toward social
justice sometimes engage in interpersonal dynamics that are unjust? Or why those who value freedom
and democracy nevertheless vote against those values? Psychologist Melanie Joy asked those questions
and has answered them in Powerarchy: Understanding the Psychology of Oppression for Social
Transformation, illuminating the psychology underlying and driving all oppressive systems.

Powerarchy, says Joy, is a widespread, invisible belief system based on a hierarchy of moral worth –
that some individuals or groups are more worthy of moral consideration than others – and is structured
to maintain unjust power imbalances among social groups and between individuals. Powerarchy is a
“non-relational” system—in that it disconnects us from one another and from ourselves—conditioning
us to act against our values of compassion and justice. Joy examines the key psychological and social
structures that maintain this system, and also proposes ways to work toward its transformation.

Powerarchy isn’t a primer for readers who are new to the concept of systemic oppression. Rather, it
presents a new framework for understanding that concept, examining oppression from a relational
perspective. In that sense, the book can be considered a new tool for those working to create social
transformation. Understanding powerarchy can reduce the likelihood that social change agents will
engage in the very dynamics they’re seeking to transform, and it can thereby help them more
effectively work toward creating a more compassionate and just world.

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Melanie Joy, PhD, EdM, is a Harvard-educated psychologist and international speaker. She is the
author of three previous books, including the award-winning Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear
Cows: An Introduction to Carnism. Joy is the eighth recipient of the Ahimsa Award, previously given
to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, for her work on global nonviolence. Her fifth book, Getting
Relationships Right, will be published in January 2020. She lives in Berlin, Germany.