Anti-Oppression Flashcards
(142 cards)
Oppression
Cambridge dictionary
“A situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities in freedom”
Examples of systems of oppressions:
racism, ableism, ageism, Homophobia, sexism, ageism, ect
Oppression is:
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• Coercion
• Dictatorship
• Maltreatment
• Hierarchy
• Power
• Injustice
Four levels of oppression
• Ideological
•Institutional
• Interpersonal
• Internalized
Oppressor
An oppressor is a person or group of people that is treating another person or group of people cruelly or unfairly
Oppressive Behaviours
Oppressive behaviours can range from Cruel/Hurtful comments, Insults, threats and violence.
4 l’s of Oppression
• Ideological
•Institutional
•Interpersonal
• Internalized
Ideological Oppression
That one group is somehow better than another and in some measure has the right to control the other group. The dominant group believes that they are superior i.e( more deserving, more capable) and the opposite qualities are attributed to the other group i.e (inferior, lazy)
Institutional Oppression
The idea that one group gets to control the other group which then gets embedded into our legal system, education sector, laws, hiring policies, power etc.
• For example, when a woman makes less than a man doing the same job.
Interpersonal Oppression
The idea that one group is better than another and has the right to control the other, which gets structured into institutions,gives permission and reinforcement for individual members of the dominant group to personally disrespect or mistreat individuals in the oppressed group.
• For example, jokes that are racist/sexist etc.
Most people in the dominant group are not consciously oppressive, they have internalized information as normal
Internalized Oppression
Oppressed people internalize and reflect on their experience of disrespect from members of the dominant group, and they eventually come to internalize the negative messages about themselves. If we have been told we are worthless, abnormal, and have been treated as if we were all our lives, then we believe it.
5 Faces of Oppression:
- Exploitation
- Marginalization
- Powerlessness
- Cultural Imperialism
- Violence
Exploitation
The act of using people’s labours for profit while not paying a fair wage. This creates classes of people: wealthy and poor
Examples: Child labour, sweet shop, Sex trafficing
Marginalization
Treating a person or a group as insignificant, by confining them to a lower social standing.
This is a process of exclusion.
Example: older people not being employed because of their age,
Powerlessness
The powerless are dominated by the ruling class and are expected to take orders. They lack decision making process.
Example:
not voting because they believe their participation doesn’t matter anyway.
Cultural Imperialism
Is taking the culture of the ruling class and establishing it.
• Example: the spread of American culture during Globalization
Violence
Is an act that does not necessarily need a motive but likely to damage, humiliate, or destroy the person.
Example: older student hurting a younger student to establish power and dominance over them.
What do children need…
• They need to know that love and respect are universal concepts regardless of the language or where they were born from.
Characteristics of Oppression
Systemic
power imbalance
Denial
Systemic:
It is systemic and societal. It is not just individuals with prejudiced beliefs and actions, but rather is embedded within the structure of society.
Denial:
The powerful group often denies that oppression exists or accepts it as being normal or right.
Power Imbalance
It involves a dominant or more powerful group exploiting a less powerful group based on perceived differences between the groups.
There is always a power imbalance at play.
Overt forms of oppression are
open and observable, not secret or hidden. The target is very aware of the intention and action of the oppressive act, and of the oppressive person or group.
Covert forms of oppression
may be secret, hidden, and not openly practiced, or so subtle that they are not obvious, even to the intended target.
The person targeted may not even realize that an oppressive act has occurred until after the fact, nor be aware of who committed it.
Often, targets of covert forms of oppression may second guess themselves and their reactions to covert oppression.