Personal and Cultural Beliefs and Values of Privilege and Oppression - Essay Example

Personal and Cultural Beliefs and Values of Privilege and Oppression Name Institution Date Abstract Mostly, we believe that we earn our achievement through our effort and personal advantage. It is harder to accept the fact that our success also hang around the general society’s system of privilege and power that typically favours some group of people over others. This article is all about my experience and understanding of the authority of privilege and oppression (Beatson & Beatson, 2000). Am going to figure out unearned advantages that I received. Among other aspects of privilege and oppression that am going to discuss is how the benefits of privilege on a certain group result in an abuse of the other group. Introduction Admitting the unearned advantages of gender, racial among other aspect, forces people to accept that they did not attain everything on their own. Privilege is an aspect where the society grants favour to some people due to certain features of their identity. Some of these aspects include sexual orientation, gender, class, race, geographical locations, language, religion, ability and more others (Beatson & Beatson, 2000). The extension of this privilege to particular people results in an oppression of the other subordinated groups. As seen, mostly, these oppressions occur in the government institutions and the education systems. The following is my unearned advantages that I received and how am still benefiting from them (Shakespeare, 2013). Personal and Cultural Beliefs and Values of Privilege and Oppression Every individual experiences privilege and oppression in different ways. Usually, the concept of social theory of disability can best be established by the using the idea of oppression. The stress is placed on the reputation of social origins of diminished in an analysis ('Erratum', 2010). Usually, the dominant group places constraints on oppressed individuals that make them less competitive than the others. The privileged sees the subordinate; hence, they discriminate them from the association. The subordinate group are played out at the individual level, institutional and symbolic level (Sidanius, 2011). I have mostly argued from the equivalence and through criticism of existing theoretical viewpoints on disability ('Erratum', 2010). The discrimination basing on skin colour, race, individual’s class level has fuelled the need of increased oppression. The white see himself or herself as always correct until proven wrong while they do discriminate on colour counterpart as ignorant. Unearned advantage acquired In a lifetime, each is given an advantageous privilege (Gorter, 1993). Unearned benefits are those privileges you do not need to make an effort to acquire them. Being born a black, it was not by choice. At first, when I arrived in Australia with my family, it was hard to find a sense of belonging. Typically, black were considered as being ignorant with no sound to make profound decisions. Even just making friendship was a challenge. Everybody in the university saw me as the outcast just by the look of the skin colour. The fact that I was a black, brought up in a poor background, I had a sense of no belonging in the eyes of my fellow students in University. To the contrary, cultural values do believe that individual with a disability, black people, does not have the capability of accomplishing the task like those with abilities, the white people (Gorter, 1993). This disables people face the consequences of oppression due to their disability. I have personally suffered oppression basing to the fact that I am of black origin. I have been discriminated even in an account of social-cultural events. Most of my colleagues do believe that when associating with me, (a black), they will be ignorant. In my personal opinion, I view people with a disability equal to each other individual. Being in the University, I have met black friends who are dazzling. Due to their disability, they do manage to fit in the society by the fact that they do better in schoolwork than most of the able people (white). I do have a personal value and belief that everybody should be viewed equally in the society (McCrea, 2005). A crude and obtrusive imitation of a standard body are held to be preferable to an elegant and efficient tool that makes no pretence of being anything other than what it is. (Sutherland, 1981 page 75). I have a strong believe in supporting Sutherland. Every individual is equal whether black or white. The difference strikes during the decision-making. Some black can have better decision making than white or vice versa. On the other hand, being a black, I have profound unearned advantages (McCrea, 2005). Nonetheless, the fact that I was born in a poor family background affected this unearned privilege to a considerable extent. At my tender age, I had to make an extra commitment to raising cash for schooling. I had to struggle from scratch to help my parents to stabilise our family to cater for our younger brothers and sisters. Privileges gained as educated and professional worker Furthermore, having been brought up in a poor family background, I have less access to every kind of resources I need. Since I am in university, I have met people of different origin. The class being diverse, it accommodates students of varying status without basing on who we are, where we are from or our native language. I see this as a socioeconomic privilege as I have full access to university resources. Having come from a foreign country, I have been able to obtain an education as in our state they value education as a secondary need. Being among the best students in the classroom, I was given the privilege of being a student leader. I consider this as earned privilege because it is due to hard work and effort that I was offered the position. Having full access to University funds, I was sometimes disadvantaged in many occasions. The strong friendship bond I had with my later friends diminished, as I had no time to cater for every individual. Though the resource I have full access to them, I do oppress most of my closest friends by discriminating them from interaction (Watermeyer, 2012). Having improved, I have improved my socioeconomic status in advanced perspective. As I mentioned earlier, having worked as a student leader in the university, I have supported my family in financial condition. The fact that I was brought up in poor family condition, I have made a step ahead in enlightening my brothers and sisters through education. This has given me a sense of belonging as I have done a proven to the society that each have the equal right no matter what race or the origin is he or she from. Taking the case of black people, oppression stereotypically and systematically distorts the identities and of the subjects, constraining their occupied civilisation by constituting them in their problematic aspects (Mitton, 1984). The more stylish but equally intolerable liberal response to this view is to deny all unacceptable liberal retort to the opinions of denying modifications. The fact that I am black, I have been oppressed based on race and skin colour, but the fact that of gender, I have been disadvantaged as an individual. Through going to school, I have come to learn that both individuals have a sense of belonging to the community no matter of their skin colour or racial background. As with sexism and racism, a philosophy of oppression and infirmity must at some perspective face the demand of who faces the aids of oppression (Watermeyer, 2012). Having enjoyed most privilege and received some oppression, I have come to conclude that both privilege and oppression interact to bring inequality in the society. According to P. Abberley, some of the general effects of abuse to the disable people can be diverse. Taking into an account, it discourages the disable individuals from making an effort to take up the privilege and make good use of them (Mitton, 1984). Because of stereotypes and material disadvantages revolving around the disabled, it makes the disabled to be stigmatised, as they feel, discriminated in the society (SCHWARTZMAN, 2009). More so, the disability creates parts of passive sub-classes of welfare receivers that serves as a powerful cautionary against success in the disabled. Having the knowledge of my privilege as a black, it then follows that I have the possibility of ending the chain of using the gained or unearned privilege to oppress others. There are diverse levels of oppression each level associated with an interlocking system of dominance ('New Disability Studies MA', 2013). Basing on a dominant position, individual might be privileged in one or more way and oppressed in the other ways. The tool of dominance at far then is vital in shading light of the understanding the ways in which social relations relate to each and work hand in hand to privileges and oppression. Furthermore, I have been thought not to see racial aspect, a white privilege that affords me a unique opportunity. The issue of racism have been in the context of providing me an unearned advantage, and it has often been a demerit for individuals experiencing it. In the instance, it has made me easy to imagine how groups and individuals are oppressed and disadvantaged than focusing on the way we possess privilege and thus exercise the oppression over the other ('New Disability Studies MA', 2013). Conclusion According to my understanding, the workforce has been based uniformly basing on a particular category of individual in the society. The majority have been oppressed in the society basing on their skin colour, racial background and gender. Women have been viewed as the menservants since they are oppressed basing on their gender experience. More so, the black men have been oppressed by occupying least admirable job in workstations. The society’s values and beliefs according to my personal acknowledgement channels for oppression. Basing on gender, the society gives a boy child an upper hand of acquisition to education as compared to a female child. Furthermore, the disabled individuals are viewed as a liability in the society hence discriminating them from others. To helpfully relate the notion of oppression to the compound of impairment, handicapped and disability, it involves both the development theory that connects the features of the standard in the economic, psychological and social disadvantage of understanding. We all experience privilege and oppression, each in unique ways. The intersectionality model acknowledges the fact that each person inhabits both social nonconformity and social privilege. It also acknowledges privilege and oppression as resulting from mechanisms and forces that exceed past the individual psychological level. I believe this is imperative because it delivers with a platform from which I can understand what it would sense like to be a privileged and oppressed at the similar time. In simple words, each individual should be treated equally to the either one. The perspective of white are superior to black or black are superior to whites should be stroked off. The difference does come in basing on the decision made by particular individuals. Reference Beatson, P., & Beatson, P. (2000). The disability revolution in New Zealand. [Palmerston North, N.Z.]: Sociology Programme, Massey University. Erratum. (2010). Personality And Social Psychology Review, 14(2), 258-258. doi:10.1177/1088868310364151 Gorter, K. (1993). Survey methods for the assessment of physical disability among children. Disability And Rehabilitation, 15(1), 47-51. doi:10.3109/09638289309165871 McCrea, N. (2005). Systemic Racism: A Theory of Oppression. Community Development Journal, 42(1), 134-136. doi:10.1093/cdj/bsl047 Mitton, M. (1984). Rheumatism & arthritis. London: Foulsham. New Disability Studies MA. (2013). Journal Of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies, 7(2), 244-244. doi:10.3828/jlcds.2013.21 SCHWARTZMAN, L. (2009). Non-Ideal Theorizing, Social Groups, and Knowledge of Oppression: A Response. Hypatia, 24(4), 177-188. doi:10.1111/j.1527-2001.2009.01065.x Shakespeare, T. (2013). Disability in eighteenth-century England: imagining physical impairment. Disability & Society, 28(7), 1038-1040. doi:10.1080/09687599.2013.801694 Sidanius, J. (2011). She hui zhi pei lun = Social dominance : an intergroup theory of social hierarchy and oppression. Beijing: Zhongguo ren min da xue chu ban she. Watermeyer, B. (2012). Disability and Countertransference in Group Psychotherapy: Connecting Social Oppression with the Clinical Frame. International Journal Of Group Psychotherapy, 62(3), 392-417. doi:10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.3.392. Read More

Everybody in the university saw me as an outcast just by the look of the skin color. The fact that I was black, brought up in a poor background, I had a sense of no belonging in the eyes of my fellow students in University.

To the contrary, cultural values do believe that individual with a disability, black people, does not have the capability of accomplishing the task like those with abilities, the white people (Gorter, 1993). This disables people face the consequences of oppression due to their disability. I have personally suffered oppression basing on the fact that I am of black origin. I have been discriminated against even in an account of social-cultural events. Most of my colleagues do believe that when associating with me, (a black), they will be ignorant. In my personal opinion, I view people with a disability as equal to each other individual. Being in the University, I have met black friends who are dazzling. Due to their disability, they do manage to fit in the society by the fact that they do better in schoolwork than most of the able people (white). I do have a personal value and belief that everybody should be viewed equally in society (McCrea, 2005).

A crude and obtrusive imitation of a standard body is held to be preferable to an elegant and efficient tool that makes no pretense of being anything other than what it is. (Sutherland, 1981 page 75). I have a strong belief in supporting Sutherland. Every individual is equal whether black or white. The difference strikes during the decision-making. Some black can have better decision-making than whites or vice versa.

On the other hand, being black, I have profound unearned advantages (McCrea, 2005). Nonetheless, the fact that I was born in a poor family background affected this unearned privilege to a considerable extent. At my tender age, I had to make an extra commitment to raising cash for schooling. I had to struggle from scratch to help my parents to stabilize our family to cater to our younger brothers and sisters.

Privileges gained as an educated and professional worker

Furthermore, having been brought up in a poor family background, I have less access to every kind of resource I need. Since I am in university, I have met people of different origins. The class being diverse, it accommodates students of varying status without basing on who we are, where we are from, or our native language. I see this as a socioeconomic privilege as I have full access to university resources. Having come from a foreign country, I have been able to obtain an education as in our state they value education as a secondary need.

Being among the best students in the classroom, I was given the privilege of being a student leader. I consider this as earned privilege because it is due to hard work and effort that I was offered the position. Having full access to University funds, I was sometimes disadvantaged on many occasions. The strong friendship bond I had with my later friends diminished, as I had no time to cater to every individual. Though the resource I have full access to them, I do oppress most of my closest friends by discriminating them from interaction (Watermeyer, 2012).

Having improved, I have improved my socioeconomic status from an advanced perspective. As I mentioned earlier, having worked as a student leader in the university, I have supported my family in financial condition. The fact that I was brought up in poor family conditions, I have made a step ahead in enlightening my brothers and sisters through education. This has given me a sense of belonging as I have done a proven to the society that each have the equal right no matter what race or the origin is he or she from.       

Taking the case of black people, oppression stereotypically and systematically distorts the identities and of the subjects, constraining their occupied civilization by constituting them in their problematic aspects (Mitton, 1984). The more stylish but equally intolerable liberal response to this view is to deny all unacceptable liberal retort to the opinions of denying modifications.

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