I experience the privileges’ of being able to thrive in a place with a roof over my head running water. The privilege to cook what i want , voice my opinion about who and whatever i choose. Also prey to which ever higher power of my choice. I don’t feel its so much oppression ( i hate that word being used so freely, see my other discussions) as it is institutionalized racism. That is one thing that i have experienced in my life time quite a bit. As far as white privilege, wouldn’t that just fall under the umbrella of institutionalized racism ? I don’t think you have extra privilege because your white i think that the mind of people in places of power who happen to be your similar skin color has enabled you to progress faster then other would. I am also positive my grandmother could give you an example or two on what oppression feels like. When i think of the word oppression, i think of “these people eat off of a table and you eat the scraps off the floor” i am lucky enough where i never experienced anything as cruel as that . Watching the video basically was a gauge for how some people are more “oppressed” then others even ones you wouldn’t even consider. The Marilyn Frye gave me a view of “oppression” through the perspective of the oppressed .One such paragraph that stuck out to me was where she discussed acceptable behavior restraint from both parties. This intrigued me and lured me in because I am thinking she is about to unveil this masterful solution of how it could be done……NOPE!!! the men get thrown under the train. She states “the woman’s restraint is a part of a structure oppressive to woman, the mans restraint is a part of a structure oppressive to woman”. I was actually with her the first half until it became more of a finger pointing rally. It reminded me of the banter that went on between AL and Peg Bundy on married with children ( i am showing my age). Men do this!!, and then they do that, but then when you do this , they go and do that .For the video one thing that i found odd , I didn’t get why they said ” if you got time off from your religious holidays take one step forward’? in the context of privilege where did it fit?
5 thoughts on “Antione Malave, Discussion 4”
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Lol at Married With Children, yes they stayed going at it and that was a very good example. I wouldn’t say finger pointing, more like from what I got is men can be oppressed as well and sometimes women do forget that men have feelings. As far as the video and the holidays alot of people don’t get off for religious holidays.
The holidays off part is what i didn’t get because there are various religions that require different things from people . Having a day off because of your religion isn’t a bonus or a setback.
Oppression does exist the word tends to make people uncomfortable. I would say oppression is an umbrella that breaks into many different types of ways someone can be oppressed.
Maybe others find it hard to accept. The religious holidays many people do not get holidays off.
Institutionalized Racism IS oppression. White privilege can fall under the umbrella of institutionalized racism. We need all these words because, while they are related, they are not the same thing. White people don’t have special privileges in a vacuum. It’s precisely because of what you point out about those in power being/looking like you that whiteness is a privilege. But racial privilege/oppression isn’t the only kind. Sexism is real; ableism is real. In your writing both in the post and others, you seem to frequently agree with the same things you condemn. I am wondering where the disconnect is. I think perhaps embracing the multi-faceted nature and possibility in the concepts, rather than trying to see them as fixed and discrete, might be helpful for you.
RE: getting holidays off is another way that the systems of privilege and oppression reveal themselves. In most places in this country, Jewish holidays aren’t recognized and people must go to school and work. The same goes for other non-Christian religions. We don’t hear Eid music over the speakers while shopping, for example. While you are not individually experiencing oppression because of this, it shows the structures of power at work. Because “Power can be defined as the ability to make a particular perspective seem universal,” we primarily observe Christian holidays in the US. Do some people observe other holidays? Of course, but they don’t enjoy the same privilege to celebrate.
In regards to the holidays off thank you for making that clear for me.