Throughout the history of our world, a concept of oppression present within different types of society emerged through the realization of intelligent thinkers of the ancient and the early contemporary times. Within the United States, various types of oppression were conceptualized, including the oppression by color, race, and gender. Color, racial, and sexual oppression is one of the most highlighted forms of oppression through which people could track people’s understanding and concept of oppression. Although there are known acts of oppression, the possibility of biases cannot be disregarded.
In an article written by Patricia Hill Collins (2003), she stated that the concept of oppression “is full of such contradiction” (p. 332). In addition, there are various errors in political judgment that different people make such as the errors in terms of how an individuals are trained academically, the values that are taught to the children, and how the theoretical analysis about the ideology of oppression is synthesized. Upon realizing these errors, we can conclude that only a few are affected by true oppression.
We can also come to understand that people receive privileges as well as penalties due to the various ideologies of oppression present in the society. Through this realization, we grasp the need to devise ways to prevent more people from experiencing oppression (Collins, 2003). In her article, Collins (2003) also expressed that in order to attain such kind of renewal of perspective of what is the true meaning of oppression there should be a new realization and application of systems of oppression within the current society.
Due to the changing times and circumstances, the types of oppression and approaches to its varied forms have changed as well. The past approaches to racism, classicism, and gender inequality could be given a different point of view through relating it to the current situation and learning of this genre. Also, the comparison of who is the most oppressed became one of the main concerns because a person who belongs to a particular group of people could be given more sympathy, support, resources, attention, and theoretical supremacy.
Collins (2003) suggests that examination is needed in order for the accurate determination of the groups of people that are truly oppressed because there are those that only present themselves as oppressed and also in order to prevent the wrong type of support for those that only want unnecessary sympathy and attention. It is best that the domination and subordination should be given attention in order for the society to see the structure that we currently have and develop a clearer understanding of the situation as well as the people involved with it.
In addition, we directly need to change our personality as a whole because the improper meaning of oppression has already been imposed to the society. Given this, the society must learn how to counter such kind of approach to oppression and mirror our activities to fully realize our tendencies and reaction against our personal stereotypes. In the typical society of in the United States, it is immediately assumed that the white community is given more privileges in comparison to the African American community.
Meanwhile, the female white Americans also have a piece of story to share about their hardship due to their gender and status in life. However, most of them do not think about the side of the African American women who are less fortunate than they are. History would tell us that the time when Christopher Columbus discovered the United States was the start of slavery in the U. S. , as experienced by the Native Americans. However, it was stated by Bell Hooks (2003) that slavery and class exploitation were not wholly interested in highlighting the issue and bringing it up to the public.
It was said that even if there was a focus on the journeys made by the white and working class people—who are those people that are privileged—the problem was that there was no highlight with regard to the other set of white community who were not as privileged as the other one. In fact, the privileged would be able to count themselves because the majority of the people in the era were underprivileged, be it white, black, or working class.
However, more often than not, it was the black Americans who are pertained and was the focus of the racial discrimination. (Hooks, 2003) Throughout the advocacy and observations that Allen Berube (2003) made, he noticed that there is another stereotypical uplifting of a certain number of people who are again turning out to be more privileged than the others. As what he discussed to his class, he was asked them what would they immediately think if they are provided with the word “gay man.
” The response of his students was, “a white and well to do man. ” With such answer provided by his students, it could be inferred the group of people pertained to be gay are those that are white and rich men. Therefore, they are perceived to be the ones who are given the most privilege with regard to the rights that are provided to these set of people. Nevertheless, it must be considered that there are also other gay persons who are not white but also African-American, Hispanic, or Asian.
With all the concept and practices which are maintained by various groups as well as the policies which are highly regarded by the gay community and the policy makers who have amended it, it appears that the power and rights are well regarded as those chosen privileged individuals who are generally heard due to their advocacy therefore—power and rights are bestowed upon them but are few in number (Berube, 2003). In conclusion, the authors of the various texts are in agreement with the concept of people being oppressed by the society due to the differences that are present.
However, the author’s views that were utilized in this paper also suggest that there are a number of people who are mainly oppressed, and some of those deemed as oppressed are simply exposing themselves for the society to provide them sympathy and attention. It is disappointing that people are using the concept of oppression in order for them to have a higher statuesque among other people. In one way or another, people who are not truly oppressed and who are able to attain the attention and sympathy of the society are not practicing what they preach.
Moreover, they only act for their own selves and for their own vested interests.
References
Collins, P. T. , Toward a New Vision: Race, Class, and Gender as Categories of Analysis and Connection,. In M. Kimmel (Ed. ), Privilege: A Reader, (pp. 174-183). United States of America: Basic Books. Hook, B. , Class and Race: The New Black Elite. , In M. Kimmel (Ed. ), Privilege: A Reader, (pp. 184-189). United States of America: Basic Books.