Anti-oppressive Theory: A Critical Analysis - Article Example

The anti-oppressive theory Social work theory in social set-ups is achievable for purposes of equality. Advocated for through several approaches, it has several of them including structural, feminist, post-structuralism, and indigenous, anti racist, and anti-oppression. Human rights advocate for individual protection from oppression, freedom of expression, movement, education, and worship. However, not many of the communities and social set-ups practice keeping to the regulation (Dominelli, 2010:350). This article will discuss the emergence of the anti-oppression theory in the 21st century and some of the factors in the society that prompted its surfacing. The theory exploits different working conditions and its role in enhancing the welfare of all individuals. Due to the increasing discriminations and exploitations in the society based on social status, cultural bases, colour, race, activists have rise against such actions. Oppression based on differences gives some people in the society privileges in the job market and acquisition of assets (Payne, 1997: 263). The oppressed do not get representation in the society and hence the supreme take complete advantage of the political positions and other priorities. Some devalue the position of women and the girl child and hence misuse them for personal gains with irregularities on one’s feeling and opinion (Burke and Harrison, 2002:354). Activist actions are necessary to push for individual needs and ensure that people get equal treatment. In the 21st century blacks were discriminated by the whites and given hard labour with extraordinarily little earning. There were no job opportunities for blacks, and any available would be hard labour that the white’s could not perform. The anti-oppressive theory ensures that people in jail, in domestic set-ups, and in working areas get justice and are not violated of their rights for equality in the society. Some of the social organizations do not play equality for its members and hence some end up with more authority over the others and even exploiting their juniors or those who are not of equal status. In some families, some of the members practice superiority and use the other members for their advantage. Males believe to be superior to women and therefore men make decisions on behalf of the women depriving them of their freedom of expression and equality. Women even go unrecognized in the society and considered as commodities (Cameron, 2001:56). Emergence of inequality prompts tension and underdevelopments in the society. Discriminated women usually get unproductive and they dwell on getting orders rather than making decisions on their own. They do not get chances of accessing some of their rights like education and movement (Payne, 1997: 264). They are under strict regulations by their families and therefore do not even socialize with friends, neighbors, and age mates. Some of the males practice order by violent means and distracts the peace that should exist within the social set-up. In other social set-ups, men are not only violent but they also are over authoritative, they do not give women freedom of giving their opinion, and they even misuse them sexually and through hard labour. To do away with that, all the people in the society have equal opportunities and despite physical disabilities and appearances (Healy, 2005:235). The anti-oppression theory protects people from the social evils like rape, and worker oppression through unfair wages and over working them. Women who oppressed through rape do not receive justice in the law systems (Dominelli, 2010: 350). The need for equality before the law has prompted the protection of women from social evils and getting what they deserve. The practice of equality in a society prompts development and gives conducive environment for development activities. Employers who misuse their workers for their own gain and pay them remarkably little that are not enough to sustain them. It is necessary for people to be able to sustain for their basic needs. The anti- oppression act prevents employees from exploitation through poor working conditions and poor salaries. The superiority of one's status on bases of education standards, wealth status, skin colour, and gender makes others superior and they take the opportunity by exploiting the weaker ones. It can be through denial of one’s rights, poor payments, and sexual exploitations. Political oppression by our leaders prompts public to choose a better leader. Some of the exploitative leaders misuse public resources, and they do not prompt their main purpose of maintaining development. Leaders who use public funds for their own use have prompted underdevelopment in their areas and affecting the living conditions. Women exploited at family levels and are unable to earn incomes on their own suffer most since they survive on begging. There is a need for washing away male chauvinism from the societies to enhance development activities and reduce the dependency levels (Payne, 1997: 264). The advocacy against oppression fights for the rights of the disadvantaged in the society including those tied to mistreatments in social set-ups, and male chauvinism that presents men in the society to be superior to females. This significantly affects how the two genders relate and hence no effective communication is attainable. There is a need for women to come together and combine efforts for togetherness in demanding equality and against oppression. They basics of oppression may be religious beliefs, culture, economic trends, or even politics that advocate for the superiority of one gender (Burke and Harrison, 2002:352). These oppressions that prompt inequality do not always get support from different groups in the society including churches, women themselves and even though massages by political leaders. There is the need to understand the bases of any forms of oppression before any actions are taken on the culture and religion causes. Some of the effective means of fighting against oppression include the use of modern social media to ensure that passed messages reach many individuals over a large geographical area. The use of internet mediums also passes information on the need for equality practices and this best favors communication hence prompting development (Healy, 2005:235). In the modern times, the approach to oppression has not diversely left out the post-modern view and therefore this makes the view stronger compared to that developed in the past. The modern approach has concentrated on how differences in tribes, races, skin colour and class affects the social justice in a society (Burke and Harrison, 2002:355). A society should be determined to do away with issues that diversify its inhabitants and hence ensure that people in the society get to equal terms, sustaining their differences without discriminations. This theory has continued to shape with social forces that raise questions and rethinking on how the relations between different individuals in the society should relate. The pressures in the society determine how effective the public opinion will prosper compared to the opinion of the few in the society. The more energetic the oppressed push for their rights and positions in the society then the more effective is the outcome expected to be. The modern approach is more effective through the development in technologies and better learning equipping the people with the necessary knowledge and giving them the right perspective of equality in the society (Dominelli, 2010:351). Families should allow each individual to enjoy their right of expression and give them love. This theory has enhanced the role of women in the society and enhanced their leadership roles. The anti-oppression theory has been of immense impact to the society by ensuring that the previously oppressed girl child will be able to attain education and equal opportunities in the society just like boys. No gender is superior to another and hence they get equal chances in jobs available. The presence of dividing laws to members of the society encourages wars between the natives, which is not favorable for any development activity. Conducive and secure environment triggers development activities. Exploitation of employees is not practiced and therefore this makes it possible for more investments to crop up (Payne, 2005:345). This theory has also enhanced the emergence of women into leadership roles and therefore ensuring that all individuals in the society get equal chances. The anti-oppression laws have pushed for the position of women in leadership. Research has confirmed that women too can take leadership roles and do it just as better as men can (Howe 1994:513). Women claim to be better leaders than men are, and this is enabled by their motherly roles in the family. They are excellent listeners and passionate about their duties and roles and therefore this makes them better leaders. The appreciation of women’s role in leadership ensures that domestic violence and molestation of women is not practiced anymore. Women are no longer termed as the weaker gender in the current society (Pease, 1999:342). The immoral, cultural, humiliating, and uneducated practices that most of the people practice in the society on individuals who are unprivileged, no longer practiced due to the enlightenment by activist groups. The action taken by religious leaders and other leaders in the society play quite a role in enhancing the mentality of people in the society. The anti-oppression theory helps the society transform and serve its natives in a friendly manner by ensuring proper relations and conducive environment for personal activities. The appreciation of the differences that the society sustains ensures equality for all individuals (Howe 1994:532). Though this theory has improved the women position in the family and society, it has several factors that it has not achieved. Lack of finances by such activist groups prevents their penetration to the grassroots levels to ensure that information mobilization gets to these depths. It is necessary for financial resources in ensuring that the information is effectively passed. This can be done trough social media like television, radios, and internet pages that give concrete information about the need to embrace women leadership and embrace equality for all in the society (Burke and Harrison, 2002:354). The finances also cater for employee salary expenses and hence without finances the institution cannot afford to employ individuals to pass the message. It is necessary for the information to be passed to grassroots levels to ensure that not only the urban areas enjoy the privileges. The main role of anti-oppression role to ensure equality can be implemented through better policies to the society. Some of the rules include supervision of the working conditions in several institutions to ensure that individuals work on environment friendly conditions (Payne, 2005:345). The social protection agencies can also set a limit on the standard salary that individuals should earn on the various tasks that they perform. The set salaries are purposely to guide oppressive employers and to ensure that personal health and the living conditions of the state are not lowered. These institutions should also ask for support from the government in passing the information and punishing individuals who do not keep up to the standard salaries. No society should condone such mistakes (Cameron, 2001:57). On the issue of women domestic violence, the anti-oppression activist group should lobby for proper court systems that will be favorable for reporting such actions. Anti- oppression policies do not put into consideration cultures of some communities. It is necessary to learn other people’s cultures to as to strategize on the best approach method to use when passing information on equality of all individuals in the society. Any message passed should respect each individual’s culture but should only advocate for the rich policies that are not oppressive and respect the basic human rights. Some communities do hold the belief that women are inferior compared to males and hence advocating for equality to such communities need a different approach (Healy, 2005:235). The stereotypes affect the adoption of some of the policies. Such communities should be discouraged on the misuse of women. Otherwise, they can be encouraged to give the women in the society opportunity to pass their views and opinions on different issues. To conclude, social work theory has advocated for different factors in the society that hinder development. This theory developed due to t6he discriminations experienced during the early 221st century, advocates for women’s position in the society and equality, and for the rights of prisoners too. It is encouraged in social setups like those that families were women discrimination is common. It ensures that women get the opportunity to lead in the society and pass their opinions freely on different issues in society. Though it has limitations, the theory has facilitated for equality of members of the society, ensuring that male chauvinism gets to an end. Women have the potential to get to a leadership position and do away with withholding cultures. The anti-oppression activists have ensured that all individuals get the truth on the ability of women and their capabilities unlike what most beliefs hold. Bibliography Burke. B and Harrison. P. 2002. Anti-Oppressive Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, New York. Cameron. M .2001. ‘Women Prisoners and Correctional Program: Australian Institute of Criminology. February 2001 Edition, Vol. 194, Pp 56, 58 Dominelli. L. 2010. Social work in a globalizing world. Cambridge, UK, Polity. Healy. K. 2005. Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Hounds mill. Howe. D. 1994. ‘Modernity, post modernity and social work’, British Journal of Social Work, vol.24, pp.513-532. Payne. M. 1997. Modern Social Work Theory, 2nd Edition, Basingstoke MacMillan, UK. Payne. M. 2005. Modern Social Work Theory, 3rd edn, Palgrave Macmillan, Hounds mill. Pease. B. and Fook. J 1999. Transforming social work practice: postmodern critical perspectives, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. Read More