Oppression: An Ethical Analysis

A story is most powerful when it inspires the reader to believe that reading the story is “necessary”. In our textbook, there are three stories that hold true to this idea and follow the “Between Worlds” theme. These stories are, “A Cab Drivers Daughter” by Waheeda Samady, “Three Ways of Meeting Oppression” by Martin Luther King Jr., and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. In “A Cab Drivers Daughter” a Pediatrician examines her life and the life of her father; she notes all the stereotypes and negativity that surrounds an immigrant driving a cab. This story shines light on the generation gap and cultural beliefs. Secondly, “Three Ways of Meeting Oppression” is the explanation behind the ideology of the

Privilege and oppression are concepts that provides clarification on people’s experience. They both contribute to intersectionality which explain notion that people’s perspectives and experiences differ in term of the categories of identity. Each person may experience privilege and/ or oppression from institutional structures depending on their situations. It mean that systems of privilege and oppression can intersect and a person could experience privilege and oppression simultaneously. These systems are influence by the micro level and micro level of people’s lives and experiences. Privilege, oppression, and intersectionality affect people’s experiences of key social issues, such as rape culture and beauty norms and appearance standards. These issue will be discussed in this essay.

Andrea Ayvazian, author if “Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression: The Role of Allies as Agents of Change” defines ally with much detail. Ayvazian says an ally is “a member of a dominant group in our society who works to dismantle any form of oppression from which she or he receives the benefit” (Ayvazian, p. 629). Additionally, she uses the term oppression to describe the prejudice who have access to social, political, and economic power (Ayvazian, p. 629). Allied behavior is defined as taking responsibility from the changes we know are needed to make society better and the ones we tend to ignore (Ayvazian, p. 629). Also, allied behavior is intentional, overt, makes privileges that are so often invisible visible, and facilitates the empowerment of the people targeted by oppression (Ayvazian, p. 629). Moreover, allied behavior is consistent activity that challenges prevailing patterns of oppression (Ayvazian, p. 629).

As a point of comparison of this scenario and the America today, we could cite the implementation of laws which are only thinking about in the interests of a particular group of society, as it was the recent Ordinance of not smoking in public areas, that helps a group of non-smokers, but restricting law through legal action of another group that are smokers, removing the right to do freely what they want.

Due to various socio-cultural factors that impede First Nations/Native Americans’ usage of mental health programs and services, their particular needs and characteristics will influence the way assessments, goal setting, and interventions will be utilized when working with a First Nations client. For example, Grayshield, et al., (2015), discuss the historical trauma that Native Americans/First Nations populations have experienced here in the United States. This includes prohibiting Native Americans/First Nation individuals from speaking their language and practicing their spiritual and cultural traditions. Historical trauma also includes the impact of Native Americans/First Nations children being sent to boarding schools and away from their families and cultural traditions. By forcing Native Americans/First Nations communities to assimilate, this caused trauma their mental health and that can also be seen in present time.

“ No matter your social status or how powerful you feel you are, we are all equal…”- Anonymous. The very first principle of the Declaration of Independence is all people are created equal. In the United States, there was no such thing as class systems; as a result, everybody felt equal, it didn’t matter how much money someone possessed or who their family was. The government's job is to designate people to work in their cabinet not by who they are or for how much money they retain but by their knowledge. Everyone has the right to be chosen to work in a dictated area not because of what they have but for their intelligence. Moreover, since our 1 principle expresses that everybody is equal, I believe that banning certain

Laws such as the Ten Commandments and the Code of Hammurabi were created to keep people in line or to instruct people to do what is right. “Law is known to everyone as being intended to tell members of society what they can or cannot do; Law is a formal social force, meaning that laws come from the state and usually written down and accessible so those who need to understand and obey them can” (Reed, Pagnattaro, Cahoy, Shedd, and Morehead, 2013, p.6-7). I haven’t had any experiences with the law, but I have watched the news and read news articles regarding the laws that may or may not have been equally applied to fellow members of the society. I have watched several news reports that reported laws are equally and unequally applied. The law should apply to everyone regardless of their position.

This research paper will outline the causes and traits of oppression in America. Dynamics such as the social, historical, and psychological systems that serve as vessels of oppression will be addressed. Using academic research, the goal for this essay will be to discuss the characteristics of oppression and how those characteristics are connected to its origin. The research will develop major themes that will serve to define agents, including classism, discrimination, and the intersectionality of different types of oppression. Discussions on strategies for addressing and ending the current oppression in America and recommendations for the future will be highlighted as well.

A Social Worker’s reflection on Power, Privilege and Oppression, this is the title of Michael Spence’s article, but what really does that mean? Spence talks about his personal experiences in life that dealt with all three of these aspects, power, privilege and oppression. In this paper this writer will also talk about power, privilege and oppression in regard to Spence’s outlook on the topic. What is power? How does it relate to Social Workers and social situations? Is privilege really something that can be given to you just based on race and where you grew up, or how you were raised? Lastly Oppression, what causes one type of social group to be oppressed?

When a law is made at the Federal level, is it made with the intent of bettering the living standards of a society and protecting citizens within that society. These laws are made after extensive research is done to deliberate the effect of the law in real life situations. Since we live in such a large and diverse country, when one makes a federal law concerning a very controversial topic, they will be faced with the problem of oppressing almost as many people as they are supporting. Thus, federal laws do not always encompass the traits to make a law that is equal for all, and/or accepted throughout an entire country. This is why our founders created our American democracy, to allow states to make and enforce their own independent laws that

When discussed what, it means to be a discriminated or oppressed as an individual, especially a person with an intellectual disability, we must first look at the terminology and how it will be relatable for their circumstances. For discrimination, it is described as people or groups of people, which include race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, who are and continued to be defined as “other,” when they are perceived through “dominant” group values. These groups are treated in exclusionary ways, and subjected to all kinds of social injustice and economic inequality, (Anderson & Collins, 2013). In other words, persons with intellectual disabilities tend to be treated less favorable, or not given

Oppression suppresses individuals or groups using power to maintain what can be seen as social place within a society. Keeping groups or individuals at a level where their rights are restricted below those of the suppressor due to things such as race or sex. Enforcing inequalities upon those who have none or limited means to fight for equality. Oppression keeps people within a restricted existence where they are unable to improve their situation due to restrictions imposed by the oppressor.

Oppression signifies an authority over another group, disengaging that particular group from the rest of society. “The term oppression encapsulates the fusion of institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry, and social prejudice in a complex web of relationships and structures that shade most aspects of life in our society” (Bell, 1997). In one way or another every individual experiences some form of oppression, whether it be through race, sex, gender, religion, age, wealth and/or sexual orientation. These cultural minorities experience inequality where a dominant culture casts its authority and power through exercises of unjust and cruel methods; these methods have been experienced through the Women’s Movement, the

It takes away an individual’s right of living their own life with their own desires, to give away the precious parts of their lives to live another life they would have never thought of living. It is discriminatory in the sense that one culture and society is undesirable about another and takes and action legally to do something that is humanly illegal. If one gives away their true self-identity, they give away much more than that. These individuals suffered mentally and physically due to these laws. The ethical question comes into this because one must consider whether for one person’s values and beliefs and superior or important over the other? Many questions come to one’s mind and the answers lays inside one person-an individual must place their selves in the shoe of the other to get the answers through their experiences.

I am stating the Five Faces of Oppression based on my understand after reading Shaw & Lee. The first face is Exploitation. Exploitation is, “A process that transfer the results of labor of one social group to benefit another.” (Shaw&Lee, p.53.) An example of exploitation is sweat shops. Children in many parts of the world are making clothing items such as Nike for pennies a day. While these children are underpaid people who aren’t sweat shop workers’ pay multiple dollars for the items made. Marginalization is the next face, Margination is described as, “The expulsion of an entire group from useful participation in social life.” (Shaw&Lee, p.53.) A group that fits this category are the homeless. Homeless people were unable to pay their bills therefore, they’re without a home. Powerlessness comes next and is described as, “lack of respectability.” (Shaw&Lee, p.53.) An example of this would be minority groups. In the media you see many videos of white people disrespecting minorities for being “different.” Cultural Imperialism is the fourth face. Cultural Imperialism is, “Recognizing the dominant group experience and culture as the norm.” (Shaw&Lee, p.53.) An example of this is white culture in America. In America it’s the norm for mothers to be stay at home moms while the husband is the sole bread winner for the family. The last face of oppression is violence. Violence is described as, “Members of a subordinate group who live with the threat of violence.” (Shaw&Lee, p.53.) Transgender individuals live with a lot of fear and violence. Many people don’t understand or support the trans community and tend to thing in order to solve the “problem” they must hurt and kill trans individuals. Iris Young said described the acts as “Using people’s labors to produce profit while not compensating them fairly.”