I really enjoyed reading Marilyn Frye’s Oppression. I thought it was insightful, and very topical, as well. The word “oppression” is used often, too often without any acknowledgement of its true meaning. I think that everyone should read it, since it’s important to know the true definition of the word, and why it’s so significant.

Oppression is purposeful, it’s systematic, an unfortunate man-made societal force that continues to live on today. There are many socioeconomic barriers that prevent certain groups of people from thriving, and the way in which our society functions largely benefits white people, especially straight, cisgender white men.

There is a big difference between just facing obstacles, and facing obstacles because you belong to a specific group of people.

I thought it was very interesting how Frye brought up the ways in which men “help” women – ways that turn out to be not very helpful or necessary at all, while denying to assist women in areas where help is truly needed. I had never thought of it like that before – most of the time, I tend to appreciate when men do these sorts of things, so I guess that’s because of societal conditioning that’s convinced me to feel that way. I do think that men should actually be more helpful, especially when it comes to family dynamics, like taking care of children and doing household chores.

I also really enjoyed reading White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. I agree that white privilege and its effects are barely ever covered in academic settings, and I think there should be a bigger emphasis on it. I also think that white people should tune into what McIntosh lists as examples that she’s noted of her own white privilege, to really see just how much of an impact it has. She lists 26 examples, and I’m sure that there could be many more. Whiteness is protection, and the sooner people come to terms with this, we can take bigger steps towards amplifying non-white voices and centering non-white struggles.