Essay On Oppression In America

Depending on the individual who is pondering around the complexity of “Intersectionality” may cause a dispute of what they believe is the definition. Victoria L. Bromley, the author of Feminisms Matter: Debates, Theories, Activism illustrates a feminist view of how intersectionality is the root of oppression, which is all interconnected to our identity. Bromley, refers to this as “identity markers” this is how we categorize or describe individuals in a society. That being said, identity markers are bias, and not factual, they are used and believed to maintain the status quo. For example, with minimum knowledge, you see a white man on the street who is dressed

each other for us. Intersectionality means the interlocking a person with race, class, age, sexuality and so on. For example, people of same race will experience different treatment depending on their social location in the class structure as a working class, professional managerial class, or unemployed class; in the gender structure as female or male; and in the structure of sexuality as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. In particular, for example, an unemployed black lesbian would be treated extraordinarily and be despised or be marginalized from the center in a society because of her minority group as black, female, and a possibly problematic sexuality. There is a myth that whites and heterosexuals are normal because they are dominant. Also, many people do not know how to interact with a person who they do not believe are ‘normal’ because of differences of sexuality or gender such as homosexual, bisexual, and transgender.

In this section he describes how privilege is attached to race, gender and social class. Saying that being a white male, heterosexual, and non-disabled put you ahead of others. My question, though still in the developmentery stages of a sociologist, asks why should I be assumed to have a perfect life? And judged because of my advantages? My question merely deals with a micro situation though if I wanted it to pertain to a macro situation as well I would have to revise it to, Is it fair for oppressed groups to assume that a white, heterosexual, non-disabled male is better off then they are? I ask this question simply because I feel that I have overcome circumstances even people in oppressed groups do not have to face, and judging before knowing leads to stereotyping.

The film reminds us that “slavery and its aftermath involved the emasculation-physical as well as psychological - of black men, the drive for black power was usually taken to mean a call for black male power, despite the needs of (and often with the complicity of) black women. That continues to result in the devaluing of black female contributions to the liberation struggle and in the subordination of black women in general.”4

Regardless of race or ethnicity, it is my belief that people in general, will stand up for their rights no matter what they have to do in order to get their rights recognized, they will do it. In this case, African Americans had to fight to mold the country and freedom that they desired. When a group of people become oppressed they will learn to band together to mold their future and the future of their children. I would like to look into this from the point of view that even though we are referring to people of African American descent, other races would have done the same. I hope to touch on topics and keywords that will reflect that in a literary sense.

Although he does possess quite a bit of bigotry that boarders on the line of prejudice when it comes to African Americans he recognizes that they are suffering from racism and he sympathizes with them. With his sympathy comes an attitude of superiority, he looks down on the people in poverty because he was once there and knows with hard work, like he has done, you can "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" and make something better with your life.

The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination… the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (qtd. in W.T.L. 235).

I liked one definition of intersectionality which I would like to put here. “Intersectionality seeks to provide a tool for analyzing the ways in which gender, race, class and all other forms of identity and distinction, in different contexts, produce situations in which women and men become vulnerable to abuse and discrimination.”(1). When we try to study how the intersection of race, gender, social class, effects humans and how are they connected then it means we are using intersectionality theory. For example what are the problems of white, young, female and what are the problems of black, young female. What will happen if we remove young from the equation and replace it with old? Inequality of gender is clearly defined but inequality of same sex is complicated. If we want to know the problems of women and man then we might just find some sex related issues. But when we talk about just men or women then it’s a different story. I heard that all men are created equal but people use different lens to see it. For example, some time man is called black man or white man, Muslim man or Christian man. They are all men but their gender intersects with other identities and makes them different from one another. When somebody is discriminated on the basis of color, we know this exist. Intersectionality tells us about other kind of discrimination. For example black man with different religion. It means same gender, same color, same language but different religion.

The perspective of intersectionality it mean to define a person as a gender, race, ethnicity, economic status and how everything interact with the identity of a person .Sometimes the concept of Race is misunderstood because people is trying to ignore the fact that racism does not exist. First off all, People is being classify as a Race of different colors. Secondly, race can provide an unfair advantage to a minority group and fair advantage to others. However, from the perspective of other who daily experience the consequences of ongoing discrimination. Especially, when people is consider to be color they are deprive of many privileges in compare to others. Also, there is the assumption that the United States system of education is unequal.

In our Society, we deal with many form of oppression in our daily lives. Unfortunately, different groups of people are more oppressed than others. Oppression is the unjust treatment of a group of people. I believe, our government is a major culprit as they are responsible for oppressing most of society. This involves many groups, such as single mothers, the working class, African Americans, gays and lesbians. In my paper, my personal views will be addressed incorporating ideas from several readings pertaining to different forms of oppression. A summarization of each article will be provided as well.

Intersectionality according to Patricia Hill Collins is the “theory of the relationship between race, gender and class” (1990), also known as the “matrix of domination” (2000). This matrix shows that there is no one way to understand the complex nature of how gender, race and class inequalities within women’s lives can be separated; for they are intertwined within each other.

Today, a serious problem exists all over the world. Racial oppression takes place in the poorest and the richest countries, including America. Racial oppression is characterized by the majority, or the ruling race, imposing its beliefs, values, and laws on the minority, or the ruled race. In most areas, the ruling race is upper class whites that run the “system”, and have a disproportionate amount of power. In other areas, it may not be the white race, but it is still the race that is comprised of the majority, makes the laws, or has the most money. These are the keys to domination over the weaker minorities that don’t have the power to thrive under the majority’s system according to their own cultural beliefs,

Intersectionality is the study of intersections between different disenfranchised groups or groups of minorities. The theory of intersectionality stems from various socially and culturally constructed categorical groups, who are discriminated against based on their race, class, gender or other social inequalities. Historically, these groups have interacted on multiple levels and are simultaneously oppressed, stigmatized, marginalized through many means, such as indentured servitude, mass incarceration, collateral consequences, etc. Additionally, the issues racism and sexism are intertwined on many levels, and cannot be abolished individually. Therefore, in order to eliminate these different types of oppressions, the system (body of government, society) should be made more

Intersectionality is described as the integration and connection of a person’s race, class, gender, and socioeconomic status all combined into one. With all of these things taken place in one’s life, they can cause an extreme strain on a person’s livelihood. This concept has been consistently brought up in majority of my classes. Creating a dynamic where the person will or can be judged and harmed because of all the things that have been ascribed to them. Using this concept as I go forth in my educational journey will be necessary because it will allow me to better understand someone’s perspective. This will allow me to be more effective when I need to assist them in any services.

As of 2015, women in the United States made seventy five cents to the dollar compared to men. African American women made sixty three cents to the dollar, the number decreases even more within the Hispanic and Latina communities at fifty four cents to the dollar compared to white men(Miller). Reasons such as the wage gap, there isn't equal pay for equal work, the way women are often treated as objects, and the fact that rape is still being excused. Elizabeth Enochs, author of the article “5 Reasons We Still Need Feminism”, said it best when she said, “Until women are no longer held even partially responsible for the actions of violent men, we still need feminism”(Enochs). In today's society, it is very important that feminism still exists.