Race
Reading of Ann Bishops article has brought me to grips with my own stereotypes and idiosyncrasies that put me on the path of oppression. True to her sentiments, I have faced several incidences of oppression and continue to experience discriminatory treatment in society but I hardly notice how this history of oppression influences my conduct towards others in society. There are areas where I enjoy privilege but many times I fail to realize that my enjoyment of certain rights may be the source of oppression for others. A self assessment of individual circumstances is critical to understanding how the past leads to the oppression of others in society (Davis, 2005). Through this paper, I will reflect on how certain dimensions influence my perceptions of self and others in society.
My racial identity as white enables me to enjoy certain rights in my country where the majority share my race. In this regard, I am often unconcerned about the challenges that colored people in my country face just because of the historical facts about racism. Although I do not hold discriminatory sentiments about people of different races and always strive to treat them with dignity, I am aware of the fairer treatment I receive in my country because I belong to the racial majority. Racial identity is a critical determinant of privilege in the Western world (McIntosh, 2015). Consequently, I do not think much about the challenges of the colored population on a continuous basis apart from incidences in the press when such individuals complain about denial of privileges. Many times I have shared in opinions that such persons are lazy and corrupt based on isolated incidences in society. Ann Bishop observes that it is the structural and historical factors that inform people’s oppressor attitude and proposes a collective effort for change. Bishop proposes a social justice system hinged on clear thought and analysis, pleasure, affirmation and pleasure among other intellectual processes in order to reverse the process of oppression (Bishop, 2002). . In this regard, I believe the oppressive tendencies I hold against people of different racial identity like mine are formed by the collective views of the majority race. I am hopeful that such tendencies can be corrected through deliberate collective initiatives for change.
Age determines the privileges that one receives from society and the duties that he is able to undertake. As I grow older, I realize that the perception of society towards me keeps changing. I also notice that I keep on assuming new responsibilities in life. Generally, younger people are treated as inferior and denied opportunities for self expression. In many societies, there is an age limit for marriage, sexual consent, voting among other societal duties. In my own culture, I have grown through systems that were prohibitive as I grew up and seen the oppressive hand of guardians and other authority systems. As a consequence, I often hold oppressive thoughts about younger people whose presence I sometimes fail to acknowledge. I realize that it is part of my oppressive past where I was expected to obey instruction instead of expressing my opinion. Children can have brilliant ideas but they are often ignored on the basis of age (Sidanius, Cotterill, Sheehy-Skeffington, Kteily and Carvacho, 2016). I often encounter situations where I accord seriousness of communication based on the age of the communication. I have thus realized that my denial of self-expression rights as a child has produced the same sentiments in my mind and transformed me into an oppressor.
Age
Language is a form of cultural identity and determines the enjoyment of several rights in society. Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated with the finesse of English language and associated people who speak it with cultural finesse. Language is a key identifier of the cultural identity of individuals (Lane, 2017). Consequently I considered people that are unable to express their ideas in English as backward and primitive. Although I do not hold those views anymore, I sometimes lose patience with people with difficulties in speaking in English and I fail to appreciate the value of their communication. I once developed an attitude about a visiting lecturer who spoke English with a heavy accent. The result was that I performed poorly in the unit he was facilitating despite the general consensus by my colleagues that he was an accomplished expert in the subject.
Sexual orientation is a major reference point for oppressive tendencies. As a straight person, I am often faced with questions regarding the sexuality of the LGBT group. Oppression based on sexual orientation in hinged on the belief that the gay and lesbians are unnatural and are thus susceptible to violence (Kleiman, Spanierman and Smith, 2015). Sexual orientation also informs the choice of marriage partners. In a recent incident, an openly gay person was subjected to violence around school by unknown attackers and I realized that I had no remorse for the injuries of the person; I felt that he deserved the treatment because of his “un-natural sexual orientation. Modernity constrains society against discrimination based on sexual orientation among other qualities. However, individuals continue to oppress people with unconventional sexual tendencies through overt means.
Religion is an avenue for spiritual expression. Rosenthal (2016) propose that people embrace particular religions because they believe they represent their beliefs about the ultimate questions in life. People who embrace other religions are therefore considered to be in deception. I inherited my religion from my parents and through spiritual teachings; I have a thorough appreciation of the values of this religion. I strive to exercise tolerance towards people of different faiths but I am more open to people who belong to my faith. I engaged a fellow student who holds different religious views from mine on the treatment of the poor in society but I could not be openly sincere in my discussion because of the perception that his religious ideas were lopsided. I believe I can exercise honest tolerance by learning about the basis for other religious beliefs.
Language
National origin invokes feelings of stability of government, the dominant national culture and impressions about the values of people. People characterize others on the basis of the perceptions created in the press and daily conversations about their countries of origin (Whitley Jr. and Kite, 2016). In this regard, certain nationalities can be regarded as progressive while other may be regarded as lazy. As an Australian, I believe the prosperity the country enjoys is as a result of a culture of hard work. In this regard, I have often judged people based on the economic and political status of a country. In my first year of college, I shared a class with a student from one of the poor African countries and immediately formed the attitude that he was lazy; I held the view that his country was poor because of a lazy population. By the close of the year however, I realized that he was one of the most hardworking students who performed highly in the class assignments. I then noticed my oppressive tendencies that informed my high opinion about myself in relation to other nationalities. Such programs as student exchange can give people an experience of different cultures and cause them to appreciate diversity without the bias that promotes oppression.
The difference between those who are married and the single inform the perception of responsibility based on relationship status. In the Australian society, married persons enjoy a high cultural status and are considered more rational. I have seen married people enjoying certain privileges including selection to positions of responsibility while single persons are relegated to lower status. Personally, I accord more respect to people who are married because of the societal respect for marriage. On the other hand, I am casual with single people because of the perception that they have fewer responsibilities in life. Baca and Smith (2018). Propose that perception of honor and respect have a cultural origin and determine how individuals at different stages in life are treated. Marriage is traditionally considered as a step in life and those who are single, despite their age, are seen as immature (Von Rueden and Jaeggi, 2016). An understanding of the circumstances surrounding both single and married people can change society’s attitude towards these individuals and thus alter the culture of oppression.
Ideologies are formed either by religious, cultural or political forces among other perspectives. People’s ideologies define their attitudes and perceptions in society. My ideologies have mainly been informed by moral values around helping others and finding meaning in life and are largely influenced by my religious beliefs. I interact with people of different opinions in life but I often associate members of particular pressure groups and religions with ideologies. In most cases, I presume knowledge of their ideological stand and fail to confirm these through conversation. I believe open dialogue is the cure for ideology-based oppression in society.
Sexual Orientation
Work defines individuals and gives them status in society. People who are working can afford certain lifestyles based on their salaries. Society generally considers people who are working as diligent and categorizes such individuals based on the positions they hold at work (Autin, Douglass, Duffy, England and Allan, 2017). As an unemployed person, I am often hindered in my social life because some people presume that I cannot fit in a certain social class. In my mind I also extend the oppression to people who are unemployed on the premise that they do not enjoy a meaningful life. I belief an assessment of highly disciplined individuals who are not able to obtain jobs will help remove such biases in society.
The educational status is one of the most important determinants of social class. According to Mirowsky (2017) people are offered jobs based on their levels of education and are thus able to enjoy better livelihoods. Highly educated people therefore enjoy high status in society and attract higher respect as compared to the less educated (Smith, 2015). However, there are many individuals with high intelligence quotient (IQ) who haven’t accessed higher education because of poverty. Cultural ideas help individuals accord lower status to people with little education and thus propagate the culture of oppression.
Dimensions of education and occupation often work to create the dominant status of entitlement among individuals in society. When individuals feel that they deserve certain treatment because they are educated and that they hold highly competitive status in society, they develop an attitude of oppression towards others in society. However, in line with the concept of multiplicity, these individuals may behave differently in non-formal situations. According to Rita Carter, individuals display multiplicity when they are taken over by spirit that constrains them to manifest multiple personality styles. I often see people who are impersonal at work change their persona when they get into social gatherings. I feel that the change of personality from a work environment to social situations is an indication that the oppressive dynamics change with change of a psychological environment. Whereas people derive their importance at work based on their academic prowess and skill levels, the social environment is obtained by the ability of an individual to form interpersonal relationships. Although sometimes social status is attributed to an individual based on their professional status, the individual has to work harder to maintain a positive image through the formation of quality relationships in society. Education and occupation interact to determine the social status of an individual which may be the cause of his oppressive tendencies.
Religion
In my career in the field of SSW/CYC, I feel my sexual orientation and religion will have the most impact on my clients. My work entails working with people of multiple religions, sexual orientation and other diversities without bias. However, my religious persuasion will become obvious at the time of introduction to my clients. Through my names and the examples I provide during our interactions, my clients will identify my religion and probably develop a mental bias towards me and they may feel that I perceive them negatively if they hold different religious opinions. My sexual orientation as a straight person may create an impression among the LGBT clients that I hold prejudicial attitudes towards them. In line with the dominant views about alternative sexuality, these clients may express doubts at my capacity to appreciate the challenges they face in a society that mainly propagates heterosexuality. In this regard, I will need to work harder to convince my clients that despite my religion and sexual orientation, my engagement with them is professional and that I do not let my personal attributes come in the way of my duties towards society. Through deliberate efforts, I will minimize client bias towards me based on these two attributes.
Conclusion
Personal experiences can adversely affect how an individual treat others in society. Unknowingly, individuals pass oppression to others based on how they have been treated by various individuals and institutions. A self awareness exercise is critical to identifying possible oppressive tendencies among individuals for the purpose of ensuring proper treatment of others in society.
References
Autin, K. L., Douglass, R. P., Duffy, R. D., England, J. W., & Allan, B. A. (2017). Subjective social status, work volition, and career adaptability: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 99, 1-10.
Baca, L., & Smith, S. R. (2018). The Role of Self-Re?ection and Self-Assessment in the Psychological Assessment Process. In Diversity-Sensitive Personality Assessment (pp. 21-42). Routledge.
Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression in people. London: Zed Books.
Carter, R. (2008). Multiplicity: The new science of personality, identity, and the self. Little, Brown & Company.
Davis, S. (2005). Transforming the Field: Critical Antiracist and Anti?Oppressive Perspectives For The Human Services Practicum. Australian Social Work, 58(1), 117-118.
Kleiman, S., Spanierman, L. B., & Smith, N. G. (2015). Translating oppression: Understanding how sexual minority status is associated with White men’s racial attitudes. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 16(4), 404.
Lane, H. (2017). A chronology of the oppression of sign language in France and the United States. In Recent perspectives on American Sign Language (pp. 119-161). Psychology Press.
McIntosh, P. (2015). Extending the knapsack: Using the White privilege analysis to examine conferred advantage and disadvantage. Women & Therapy, 38(3-4), 232-245.
Mirowsky, J. (2017). Education, social status, and health. Routledge.
Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71(6), 474.
Sidanius, J., Cotterill, S., Sheehy-Skeffington, J., Kteily, N., & Carvacho, H. (2016). Social dominance theory: Explorations in the psychology of oppression. In Cambridge handbook of the psychology of prejudice (pp. 149-187). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Smith, K. (2015). Transforming my white identity from an agent of oppression to an agent of change through education in contemporary Australian society. The Australian Community Psychologist, 27(2), 45-58.
Von Rueden, C. R., & Jaeggi, A. V. (2016). Men’s status and reproductive success in 33 nonindustrial societies: Effects of subsistence, marriage system, and reproductive strategy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(39), 10824-10829.
Whitley Jr, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (2016). Psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Routledge.
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