Inequalitree

The Inequalitree is a teaching tool created by Ayendri Perera-Riddell. The Inequalitree illustrates the daily impacts, structures/institutions, and root cause ideologies of a social issue. In building an Inequalitree, participants must assess sources of information, synthesize different perspectives, and understand causes and implications of issues in society. The Inequalitree framework is used here with permission and appreciation.


 

 
 

What does the Inequalitree show?


 

Leaves: Daily impacts of a social issue, tangible and visible

Trunk: Structures and institutions that enable daily impacts to occur

Roots: Root cause ideologies behind structures and institutions


 
 

 
 

To become familiar with root cause analysis and the Inequalitree framework, participants created an example Inequalitree about the issue of the Site C dam. Participants created in Inequalitree using data from the following sources: (1) the BC Utilities Commission’s Inquiry Respecting Site C: Executive Summary of the Final Report to the Government of Canada, (2) Amnesty International’s Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Executive Summary, and (3) Amnesty International’s The Point of No Return.

After reading these reports, participants worked in groups to identify daily impacts, structures/institutions, and root cause ideologies behind the Site C dam. Participants then discussed the importance of root cause analysis for understanding racialized climate issues.

For more examples of Inequalitrees, please see the case studies created by participants for the final project of Conversations.


 

 
 

Creating the Inequaliforest


After doing a root cause analysis for their own case studies, participants noticed similarities at each level of their Inequalitrees. The group suggested we put together the content of all their Inequalitrees into an Inequaliforest to show the interconnectedness of racialized climate issues across the globe.