october 9th | journal 6
I believe institutions can and should be held ethically and legally responsible for wrongdoing. Institutions, whether public or private, shape behaviour through the policies they enforce, the cultures they nurture, and the histories they carry, and it is their responsibility to serve communities. Harm rarely comes from a single person acting alone. Institutions create the conditions people move through every day. The Frandsen reading reminded me that responsibility within organizations isn't just about personal choices. It emerges from shared norms, collective sensemaking, and the invisible logics that guide how people work. I previously worked for a corporation with a toxic environment that harmed employees and patrons. This culture was felt at different levels and departments in the company, and I ended up meeting some of my best friends. We always joke that we trauma-bonded. This reminds me a lot of how shared experiences build collective identities. Despite this, I strongly feel that institutions must answer for what they do directly and for what they enable. Only then can they evolve into organizations capable of building futures that are more equitable, humane, and aligned with the communities they claim to serve.