Throughout this semester, you will often see the words privilege and oppression. Today we will explore what those terms really mean. Let’s start with oppression Oppression: Prejudice and discrimination directed toward a group.
Oppression is created by and continues on because of our social institutions (systems like education, law, the family, religion, the media, etc.) This is how we keep oppressing groups generation after generation! It’s baked into our systems and institutions. Examples of oppression: Sexism Racism Classism (oppression of poor people) Homophobia (oppression of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.) Ableism (oppression of people with disabilities) What other examples of oppression can you think of? TITLE: The 4 I's of Oppression and Liberation. The 4 I's of Oppression are a framework used to show how oppression lives in various parts of our life and society. We have adapted this framework to also explain how liberation could take up that same kind of space. The 4 I's are: IDEOLOGICAL: Widely, and often silently, held beliefs. INTERPERSONAL: Everyday interactions between individuals and groups. INSTITUTIONAL: Systemic structures, policies, and practices that govern spaces. INTERNALIZED: Ways individuals integrate beliefs into their own mindsets and thinking.
What about privilege? Privilege: benefits, advantages, and power given to members of a dominant (powerful) group as a result of the oppression of the marginalized (oppressed) group
People/groups can be privileged without realizing, recognizing, or even wanting it For example, one of my privileges is that I am a white person. On an average day, I do not think about my whiteness. I still face difficulties in my life, but those difficulties are not based on my whiteness. Oppressions always have corresponding privileges Sexism + male privilege For example: a woman being asked, “Are you in a bad mood because you’re PMSing?” versus a man being asked, “Is everything ok? It seems like you’re having a hard day.” Racism + white privilege Fearing being the target of violence when you see a police officer versus feeling safe when you see a police officer Classism + middle-class or upper-class privilege Worrying about where you will sleep tonight versus not having to worry about how you will pay rent/mortgage Homophobia + heterosexual privilege Fearing you could face hateful comments or violence for holding your partner’s hand in public versus holding your partner’s hand in public without thinking about it Ableism + able-bodied privilege Not being able to enter, navigate, and exit a space easily versus not needing to think about how you will enter, navigate, and exit a space