Consequences of Reproduction of Oppression - Essay Example

Critical Analysis Name Institution Date Introduction Social setup in the current society has led to the development of dominant and the subordinate group. The dominant group holds power and is also responsible for setting standards. The subordinate group has different categories and receives differential treatment (Predelli & Halsaa, 2012). This has further led to the concept of privilege and oppression. According to Curry-Stevens and Nissen (2011), oppression is considered as institutionalized power which is formed historically and perpetuated over time in order to allow a group of people to assume dominant positions over other groups with the domination maintained and continued at an institutionalized level. Privilege on the other hand is considered as unearned benefits that are conferred upon the members of the dominant or mainstream groups at the expense of others. Personally, I am self-built but I have enjoyed the unearned advantage in life and continue to enjoy some of the benefits. The paper is therefore, a critical reflection of unearned advantage and the consequences of those advantages for reproduction of oppression. Discussion Theoretical concept of privilege and oppression Oppression is built on systems and institutions such as government and educational systems. This gives power to the groups which are dominant over the other groups. The dominant group is usually granted privilege which leads to the internationalization of the supremacy (Ramsay, 2014). The dominant group ends up oppressing the other groups as a result of the internalized supremacy and privilege. The target group usually faces oppression from the dominant group. Ramsay (2014) points out that the institutionalization of oppression usually leads to constructed oppression in the society. The constructed oppression mainly affects the target group and this may include the blacks or women in the society. As a result of the constructed oppression, the target group usually ends up with a situation where oppression is internalized. Theoretical frameworks stir social practices that encourage people to challenge dominant power relations that result in privileges whose distribution is not even in the society. The present social systems are applicable in guiding the world’s opinion about social ranking that classify the oppressed and privileged in the population. The dynamics of privilege and oppression is dependent on four conditions. The constructed targeted oppression involves the historic and systematic construct that penetrates all the aspects of our daily lives (Curry-Stevens & Nissen, 2011). This leads to the feeling among the people that some of them belong to target group. The aspects of constructed targeted oppression include discrimination, prejudice, fear, hate, attitudes and feelings. As a result of constructed targeted oppression, people of certain colour or races may end up being oppressed in the society (Mindrup, 2011). Internalized oppression involves sending the wrong message about the target group. This is aimed at humiliating them and ensuring that they feel there is something wrong with them. This usually leads to shame, low self-esteem and self-hatred among the members of the target group. The members of own group is also held to higher standards as opposed to the target group (Fisher, et al, 2014). I have personally witnessed this in the society where the black people are treated as criminals while the whites are highly regarded. Sholock (2012), points out that dominant group privileges involve the provision of abundant choices and possibilities. On the other hand, the dominant group is able to avoid the impacts of oppression without any penalties. The dominant group is also considered righteous and their actions are never questioned. Internalized dominant group supremacy involves the perception about the dominant group that their views are the only valid views and should be the world views. The dominant group feels that they are not to blame for the privileges that they are enjoying. The dominant group in most cases feels that they should not be equated with the members of the target group as they do not believe in equality (Allen, 2008). Unearned advantages that I have earned Personally I have enjoyed some unearned advantages and I still continue to benefit from the advantages. I am white, educated and in the middle class which has led to enjoyment of some privileges. White people in the society continue to enjoy unearned advantage as they are from the dominant group (Weinberg, 2015). I own a home and have been able to purchase several investment properties which are nowadays considered to be paying for themselves. When I was growing up, my parents owned their own businesses in a small village. As a result of this, they were able to go to a private school. The private schools are usually expensive as compared to public schools. The children who attend private schools are considered privileged. This is because of quality education in the private schools is higher compared to the public schools. The children who go to the private schools are from families that are well off (Hurd, 2012). The number of children in the private schools is mainly comprised of the whites. According to the concept of privileges and oppression, the dominant group usually has better opportunities as compared to the targeted groups (Case, 2012). I was able to enjoy advantages that most of the black children could not enjoy. The privileges gained while attending private school are wide, not only did I acquire excellent academic but in general, benefited from the system that offers quality learning. Research suggests that students who exercise greater influence are those from superior groups that include gender, race. Fisher et al. (2014) argue that the social status influences their intelligence and the social classes while the oppressed students are minorities with little say about their future. According to Allen (2008), privileges exist everywhere and there are cases where people ranked according to their race. A person with darker skin is seen as less privileged while those with lighter skin are considered advantaged and given preferential treatment. It is true that race privileges are real and present in our society. In a number of occasions the dominant and highly privileged groups tend to get automatic qualifications and considerations while the less privileged are sidelined and neglected. According to Case (2012), the sequence of denying certain people benefits is real and has led in hatred because the less privileged in society constantly are reminded of their second-class status. Despite enjoying the unearned advantages, I still believe that I am a master of my own destiny. I can shape my future. I have the potential of positively creating an impact on my environment and improve my lifestyle without the privileges. The people who are financially stable or are from well-off families enjoy unearned benefits as a result of the perceptions and attitudes in the society (Mindrup, Spray & Lamberghini-West, 2011). Currently I still earn respect from the members of the society due to the unearned privileges. I treat those around with utmost respect without any discrimination. This is not the same for most of the whites in the society as they are the dominant group. I have however never looked down upon the members of the other groups or races as a white person. Privileges gained As a tertiary educated professional welfare worker, I have gained some privileges which contribute to the ongoing oppression of others. I have the potential of purchasing investment properties as a professional. Investors have faith on the professionals and the working class because they are believed to be capable to paying back. This contributes to the ongoing oppression of the others as they cannot carry out such investments. The investors in most cases believe that the people who are not professionals are bound to fail and have little knowledge of the investment issues. As a tertiary educated professional welfare worker, I am usually provided with an opportunity to advise the other people and also to address the members of the public. This is unlike the other people who do not have the same qualifications as mine. It is difficult for them to be given opportunities to address the members of the public. According to Weinberg (2015), critical consciousness assists personal and collective discovery of workers to appreciate influences on a socio-political system that either support or undermine the less fortunate in the society. Assumption of the white seen as superior facilitates failure to the dominant population. Lack of equal opportunities usually contributes to the oppression of the less privileges or the minority groups (Sholock, 2012). As a tertiary educated professional and welfare worker, I can easily access the financial resources. The banks can easily offer me loans as they are sure that I will be able to repay the loan. This is however not the case for the people who are not professionals and do not have tertiary education. They cannot get any loans as the banks do not think that they can pay the loans. This is therefore contributes to the oppression of the other people. According to Predelli and Halsaa (2012), oppression of the people can take place in various ways including the inequalities in terms of economic issues (Hurd, 2012). I also have the opportunity to meet the top government and private sector officials and raise issues that affect my work and at times, my own personal issues. This is however, not the case for the other people as they have to struggle with appointments and being stopped by security details. The daily privileges that the professions enjoy on a daily basis contribute to oppression (Case, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the dominant group enjoys the unearned advantage while the target group faces oppression. The oppression that the target group faces is in various forms but it has the potential of lowering the self esteem of the individuals. It is evident that the white people in the society have always enjoyed the unearned privileges while the blacks have continued facing oppression. The oppression of the target group takes place in various forms including the financial and economic aspects. It is evident that the professionals and the educated enjoy more privileges as compared to the other groups. I believe that though the primary focus of privilege theory in on inequality that exists between individuals, it cannot push people into a fight that is against the entire system. However, it is likely to hamper efforts aimed at reducing the levels prejudice and discrimination which take place in the current society. To reduce the gap and the notions that exist between the dominant groups and the minority groups, a combined effort between the two groups is necessary. References Allen, A. (2008). Power and the politics of difference: Oppression, empowerment, and transnational justice. Hypatia, 23(3), 156-172. Case, K. A. (2012). Discovering the privilege of whiteness: White women's reflections on anti‐racist identity and ally behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 68(1), 78-96. Curry-Stevens, A., & Nissen, L. B. (2011). Reclaiming Futures considers an anti-oppressive frame to decrease disparities. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, S54-S59. Fisher, S. et al. (2014). Not just black and white: peer victimization and the intersectionality of school diversity and race. Journal of youth and adolescence, 44(6), 1241-1250. Hurd, E. (2012). The Reflexivitiy of Pain and Privilege. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 4(1). Mindrup, R. M., Spray, B. J., & Lamberghini-West, A. (2011). White privilege and multicultural counseling competence: The influence of field of study, sex, and racial/ethnic exposure. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 20(1), 20-38. Predelli, L. N., & Halsaa, B. (2012). Majority-minority relations in contemporary women's movements: strategic sisterhood. Palgrave Macmillan. Ramsay, N. J. (2014). Intersectionality: A model for addressing the complexity of oppression and privilege. Pastoral Psychology, 63(4), 453-469. Sholock, A. (2012). Methodology of the Privileged: White Anti‐racist Feminism, Systematic Ignorance, and Epistemic Uncertainty. Hypatia, 27(4), 701-714. Weinberg, M. (2015). Professional Privilege, Ethics and Pedagogy. Ethics and Social Welfare, (ahead-of-print), 1-15. Read More