five faces of oppression by Sarah Betschart

definition from young's article

sarahbetschart — 2023-10-09 05:05:44 UTC

According to Marion Young, exploitation is the "process of the transfer of the results of the labor of one social group to benefit another" (Young, 37). "The injustice of exploitation consists in social processes that bring about a transfer of energies from one group to another to produce unequal distributions" (Young, 38)

with which social categories does exploitation work?

sarahbetschart — 2023-10-09 05:12:17 UTC

Class-
In Capitalism, the laborers are exploited in order for the higher-ups to make money. The laborers commodify their labor power but receive an insufficient wage in return.
Race-
Different races are viewed differently in Capitalist society- often times White employers will seek out disadvantaged people, for example immigrants of color who cannot find work elsewhere, and pay them very little.
Gender/Sexuality-
Feminine-presenting people are often exploited when caring for children at home- they are expected to do a lot of unpaid care work, the majority of the care of children, etc.

how is this face relevant to you and your community?

sarahbetschart — 2023-10-09 05:15:49 UTC

personally, as a feminine presenting person, often times i am expected to put extra work into taking care of another person at the expense of myself. in a broader sense, feminine presenting people like myself are often taken advantage of and exploited; not only in terms of jobs, but in many aspects of life. we are seen as "lesser" than male-presenting people and are given less for the same (if not more) work we do.

what is one example of a method to challenge this face of oppression?

sarahbetschart — 2023-10-09 05:17:57 UTC

i feel as if being aware of this face is the first step in challenging it. it is important to listen to the voices of affected groups and stand with them. an example is to amplify their voices by showing up to peaceful protests and sharing their stories. the next step in the process of challenging this face of oppression is to take action through strike. without the labor power of the workers, the capitalist system and higher-ups cannot make money. it is vital for the laborers to utilize the power they hold in this system to fight for fair treatment.

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sarahbetschart — 2023-10-09 05:18:55 UTC

definition

sarahbetschart — 2023-10-28 17:32:30 UTC

Marion Young defines marginalization as society expelling "people who's labor capitalism does not or will not use". Marginalization is the act of excluding people from social participation. In capitalism, marginalization supports the idea that there are "productive" and "unproductive" workers.

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sarahbetschart — 2023-11-13 17:15:43 UTC

with which category does marginalization work? explain each

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-13 17:16:08 UTC

Ability-

Marginalization is used to support capitalism. Disabled people are marginalized and pushed out, because capitalists do not see them as "productive" or "useful" workers. They do this for many reasons. They do not want to pay for the extra accommodations that disabled people need, and they want to create fear and stigma around becoming disabled. Disabled people are then forced to depend almost solely on the government for economic support, leaving them at the government's will. This is considered to be very dangerous.

Gender-

Marginalization is also used to support the patriarchy. Feminine-presenting people are marginalized and excluded from many aspects of social participation, leaving them more likely to fill "traditional" feminine-presenting jobs- cleaning, cooking, taking care of the male-presenting people/children, etc.

Race-

People of color are often criminalized, especially those with disabilities. They are more likely to be brutalized, and there is a disproportionate rate of incarcerated people of color. This excludes them from many aspects of social participation and forces them to also be at will of the government and its criminal justice system (which is extremely classist and disadvantaging). It is harder for them to get jobs and they have many more obligations and payments.

what is one effective method of challenging marginalization? explain with a concrete example. please include at least one real-life example with a source

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-13 17:17:36 UTC

An effective method of challenging marginalization is community efforts. One example is mutual aid. According to Dean Spade, mutual aid is defined as "the radical act of caring for each other while working to change the world". This allows people affected by marginalization to not depend solely on support and money from the government, which more often than not is never enough to cover their needs. One example of a program that restricts funding for families in need is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which limits the amount of support received from the government. Charity programs/mutual aid are used to combat this. One real-life example is the Black Panther party. They called it a "survival program"- one of the things they were able to accomplish was serving breakfast to 20,000 people in one year. They were able to provide support for marginalized people that the government did not provide.

how does marginalization connect to exploitation?

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-13 17:17:57 UTC

Marginalization forces people (for example, people with disabilities) to rely solely on the government. It is difficult for them to find jobs that can support them and their needs, so they have no choice but to get support from the government. This leaves them in a compromising situation, as the government is then able to exploit them and treat them poorly. This also connects to the working class- because disabled people are pushed out and stigma is created around them, this allows capitalists to exploit working class able-bodied people further.

definition

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-30 06:18:22 UTC

The definition of powerlessness is the lack of power due to how people are perceived, how they present themselves. Certain traits are seen as less respectable or professional, and certain traits are seen as the norm. Usually the norm follows the upper middle class white people. This can be the dialect that they speak, the way they dress and wear their hair, and their mannerisms.

how does powerlessness relate to exploitation/marginalization?

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-30 06:18:47 UTC

Exploitation and marginalization happen in economic areas, but powerless relates more to the individual/cultural aspect. However, powerlessness in professionalism and in the workplace relates to exploitation and marginalization. Because of how people are perceived, they experience powerlessness which puts them into a box. They are then marginalized and then exploited.

in which social categories does powerlessness work?

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-30 06:19:06 UTC

Powerlessness works in a lot of social categories.

Race-

Certain traits of a specific race or ethnicity are viewed as "incorrect". Certain groups express themselves in a way that is not deemed as "respectable". For example, people of color have faced discrimination in the workplace due to how they wear their hair, which can be an important part of their identity. They are then seen as lesser, and disempowered. They are then not respected as much as their coworkers with 1A type hair. AAVE is also seen as not professional and an "incorrect" form of english. White middle class english is the one that is most accepted.

Social Class-

There is a set definition of what is professional and what is not. If you are in the upper middle class, you automatically gain respect and power. If you are in the lower class, you are seen as less trustworthy, less respectable, and less professional. Also, speaking "white" is seen as speaking "rich".

Gender-

There are certain rules that women have to follow to be respected. They have to wear a certain amount of clothing, have long hair, be presentable, etc. If they do not present a certain way, of if they are not cisgender or cis-passing, they are seen as less professional or worthy/respectable.

we discussed code-switching as a potential way to challenge (linguistic) powerlessness. share your reflection on code-switching if it is an effective way.

sarahbetschart — 2023-11-30 06:20:23 UTC

Code-switching is a defense mechanism that people use in order to be seen as respectable, as the norm in society. Often times people do it for their own safety, to keep a job, etc. However, in a perfect world I do not think that code switching is a good way to challenge powerlessness. It can be extremely hurtful to the person themselves, and it can foster a hatred for the other part that the person is trying to hide. It is important to note though that code-switching in this day can sometimes be the only option. We need to work on creating a society that will not base your professionalism on how you present yourself.

definition in own words

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:38:11 UTC

cultural imperialism is when the dominant group pushes their experiences as the "norm". there are four main mechanisms.

the first is when the dominant group designates another social group as the dominated group (the ones who are being looked at). the second mechanism is when the dominated group becomes stereotyped. the third is when the dominant group then becomes invisible, and the way they look at the dominated group becomes the norm. the fourth mechanism is when the dominated group develops double-consciousness, and begins to look inward at themselves and trey to change based on how the oppressors view them.

what is double-consciousness? define based on your own life experience

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:38:46 UTC

double-consciousness is the act of looking inward on yourself based on how the dominant group views you, and wanting to change yourself based on what the dominant group wants. for me, i feel double-consciousness when i look at how women are portrayed in the media. in many ads and movies and shows, they are portrayed as fragile, dainty, small, and slim. i don't feel like i am any of those things, and i often look inward at myself and try to change based on what the dominant group wants. this usually makes me dislike my body and feel like i need to lose weight, which is not healthy.

in which social categories does cultural imperialism work? list two prominent categories with examples

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:39:33 UTC

gender-

cultural imperialism is very prominent in the category of gender. the "norm" is cisgender straight men, the dominant group. they look towards the dominated group, which consists of cis women and trans people. the dominant group controls the "gaze", how society views these people. the dominant group views women and trans people as commodities, people that are there to serve the dominant group. they sexualize them. the dominant group then becomes invisible, and the societal norm becomes what the male gaze is. women and trans people then feel like they need to become what the dominant group wants (double consciousness).

sexuality-

cultural imperialism is also prominent in the category of sexuality. the dominant group is heterosexual people, and they look at the dominated group, the people who don't identify as straight. the dominant group views the dominated group as "promiscuous", and fetishizes their relationships (lesbian porn). the dominant group (heterosexuality) becomes the norm, and all relationships are assumed to be straight ("who's the guy of the relationship").

what are some ways to get rid of cultural imperialism (you can focus on how to get rid of double-consciousness)?

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:40:46 UTC

to get rid of double-consciousness, it is important to recognize that each person is unique and special. trying to fit into one category that is chosen and defined by the oppressors is not good (which of course is easier said than done). we need to recognize that the oppressors should not be invisible, and they should not be allowed to determine what each person should be. they should not be allowed to define the norms of society, and harmful/misogynistic/homophobic/transphobic gazes should not become normalized. it is important to speak up (when safe to do so) and make sure that the oppressors know that what they are doing is harmful. it is important to uplift people and groups that are shadowed in the eyes of oppressors.

what does it mean that violence is a social practice, beyond being individual victimization?

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:42:04 UTC

violence as a social practice is the problem that violence is justified in society. for example, violence against women and feminine-presenting people can be justified based on what they were wearing. "she was asking for it"

in which social categories does violence work? give an example to illustrate

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:42:43 UTC

one social category in which violence works is gender. transphobia/transmisia is very rampant and violence towards them is justified because of the way they present themselves. they face hate crimes based on the fact that they do not present in alignment to the gender they were assigned at birth. women and feminine-presenting people also face violence simply because they present in a feminine way, and they are also more likely to face domestic abuse.

how would cultural imperialism promote violence as a social practice?

sarahbetschart — 2023-12-08 04:43:17 UTC

cultural imperialism promotes violence as a social practice because people who don't fall into the "norm" face violence and it is justified because they aren't in the norm. one example that comes to mind relates to the social class of ability. because disabled people don't fall into the "norm", violence against them is justified because they are seen as "lesser" in the eyes of the dominant group (able-bodied people).