As with all experiences in life, oppression lands on a continuum. In the world today, there are people who are greatly oppressed--people who do not have access to life's basic needs as well as personal safety. These are the most oppressed amongst us, and then there are people who belong to oppressive situations for many reasons, and these oppressive situations vary from light oppression to deep oppression. No matter the level of oppression, oppression greatly interrupts the good living possible and we must work against oppression in our lives and our world.
What is Oppression?
Identifying oppression in your life and society
Often oppression is not identified. This happens for many reasons. First, oppression is hard to face so people deny it. Also, people living in oppressed situations may not even realize they are facing oppression since it has always been apart of their lives.
I remember when I was young, I worked in an environment where oppression against women was rampant. I was young, and sadly quite used to derogatory statements and treatment towards women so I didn't register the oppression, but just lived with it instead. Later in life when I came to understand that mental pressure and distress, I was able to see the effect the oppressive statements and treatment had on my life. That realization helped me to work for better in other situations.
In the news today, we see the recognition of many oppressive actions, groups and individuals in our culture, and then the resulting actions to turn the tide of this oppression. We all see the persistent efforts of oppressors to maintain the status quo of oppression--acts, investments, and decisions that keep other individuals and groups oppressed for the financial and power gains of others.
Before we can counter oppression, we have to identify it.
Working against oppression
How can we work against the oppression we experience, oppression in our communities, and oppression we may perpetrate too?
Sadly, we may unknowingly perpetrate oppression with long-held, hidden prejudices, myths, and ignorance we own. That's why it is important to educate ourselves and each other in an effort to rid our lives of prejudice. In the recent past, a lifestyle choice made by a family member made my entire big family recognize the prejudice and oppression connected to that lifestyle choice. This personal experience has helped all of us to update our language, perspectives, and support for those who make similar lifestyle choices. Before that, we were mostly unaware of the oppression inherent in this choice and may have perpetrated oppression in that arena. We have to make sure that we're not oppressing others with our choices, words and actions.
We also have to look for oppression that exists in our communities? Are the people in our communities able to access their basic needs of nutritious food, good homes, safe communities as well as quality education, good healthcare, and needed social services? If not, how can we help? Also are people in our community able to live their good lives without prejudice, hate, or mistreatment. If not ,how can we change the tide in that respect?
And, we have to consider if we face oppression in our own lives. If we do, we have to counter that oppression in strategic, and if possible, collaborative ways. For example, I was facing some light oppression related to a way a loved one was speaking to me. I learned how to educate my loved one to change the way he spoke to me, and that has lifted some oppression I faced. In the workplace, I met with oppression, yet looking back, I wasn't as strategic or collaborative as I could have been with regard to identifying the oppression with detail and countering the oppression with strategic, positive action. Instead I spoke out about it, but didn't really know how to deal with it in effective ways. Systematic oppression requires outside support and collaboration to conquer in most cases.
Oppression is a wall that hinders the best of who we can be
In every way possible, we need to identify and take down the walls of oppression that exist in our own lives and lives of others in society. Oppression truly hinders the good people and communities we can be. Onward.