Oppression, Power, and Privilege

I want to share my answer to a discussion board question that was posed for my current class, multicultural issues in human services.  In this answer, I included everyday forms of oppression, power, and privilege that we often do not think about:

  I chose question number one for this week’s discussion board.  Question one reads, “The authors describe oppression as consisting of two modalities and three types.  Identify and define the two modalities and types.  How do these relate to power and privilege?” 

            According to Hays and Erford (2014), oppression is a power struggle in which one group dominates and restricts the other group.  The two modalities of oppression are oppression by force and oppression by deprivation (Hays & Erford, 2014).  Oppression by force is the imposition of anything from a title, label, or experience to an object or living condition; any of which may cause physical or psychological pain upon a person or group of persons being oppressed (Hays & Erford, 2014).  Oppression by deprivation is the withholding of these things and experiences to the point that the withholding causes physical or psychological pain (Hays & Erford, 2014). 

            The authors (2014) describe oppression as being often inflicted upon people who are considered a minority.  This consideration can be based upon race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex, and age (Hays & Erford, 2014).  I agree with all of these.  I believe these forms of oppression are wrong and that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities. 

            However, I do not believe these are the only forms of oppression.  I found three types of oppression listed in our textbook. They are primary oppression, which is the intentional infliction of oppression by force or oppression by deprivation; secondary oppression, which involves benefiting from primary oppression or a secondary person not reporting primary oppression because of the benefits he or she receives; and tertiary or internalized oppression, which refers to the dominant member of a minority group seeking approval from the dominant group, resulting in passive oppression (Hays & Erford, 2014). 

            Based upon these definitions, I believe oppression can and does happen to more people than we imagine.  Any of us can be in a minority position, based upon the dominant group.  I think of my experiences in churches.  In one church, I experienced oppression by deprivation (Hays & Erford, 2014) because I did not fall into their guidelines of being female.  I did not dress the way the other women did.  I do not cook and am not a hostess-type of person, so I did not have a place in the church.  After experiencing rejection for over a year, I did, in fact, begin to question myself and was affected greatly psychologically.

            I think of oppression in the work place.  I have, personally, witnessed both primary and secondary oppression (Hays & Erford, 2014).  I have seen promotions based upon who people know in the company.  I have seen these same people break important rules that are based upon state or federal laws and nothing be done, because of who the individuals in question know. 

            These examples tie in directly to the ideas of power and privilege.  Power is having an unfair advantage within a group (Hays & Erford, 2014).  Privilege is having that power and advantage due to a majority status within the group (Hays & Erford, 2014).  Both the church example and the workplace examples express how power and privilege lead directly to oppression.  In the church example, I was rejected because I did not fit in with those with the dominant, majority status.  Privileges were withheld.  I was not allowed to truly use my gifts, because I was different.  In the workplace, the individuals that fit in with those in management (the majority group) received promotions for which other, equally qualified people were not even considered. 

            As a final note, I believe oppression is also based upon stereotypes and discrimination (Erford & Hays, 2014).  It is somewhat ironic that a generation of people who were read “A person’s a person no matter how small” (Geisel, 1996, p. 163), often forget that when someone comes into our assembly wearing a gold ring (James 2:1-13) or having a specific title or fitting in with the dominant group, this does not indicate a better or more intelligent person.  If we ask anyone who has a title of “cashier” or “maintenance” or “city worker” or “server” the discrimination and even oppression they encounter and compare that with those who have the title “manager” or “doctor” or “CEO,” we would come to an understanding that may surprise us.  I believe that we have dug ourselves a hole that leads to oppression on many levels and in many ways.  We have come to worship power and prestige and education and high-paying jobs.  As Paul prophesied in II Timothy 3:1-9, in the last days, people will place money above all else.   They will choose to love themselves and not consider the well-being of others.  These are the ones who lead others astray.  I believe our ideas of success and failure, of power and prestige are represented in this Passage – even those of us who have “a form of godliness,” but “deny its power” (II Timothy 3:5, NKJV).  We are giving power and privilege to people that we feel deserve it based upon power and privilege.   

References

Hays, D. & Erford, B. (2014). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems approach.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 

Geisel, T. “Horton hears a who.” A hatful of Seuss: Five favorite Dr. Seuss stories.  Ed. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.  New York, NY: Random House, 1996.  114-176. Print.