Essay Example on Social Justice Advocate: 32yo Lady Fights Oppression With Passion

Introduction

I have known the interviewee for three years after she was introduced to me by my elder sister. The interviewee is a young lady aged 32 who has always been enthusiastic about issues of social justice and equality. This passion is in line with his academic credentials because he holds a bachelor's of law degree. The respondent is also an activist on the matters of social justice and equality and she is always ready to represent the oppressed in the society. She hates oppression with a passion because he believes that all people are equal before god. The interviewee has is a prayerful person driven by Christian values and faith. She loves traveling, writing poetry and watching movies during her free time.

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Oppression

The society is always structured in a way that people do not have equal endowments at the same time. People can be rich, poor, disabled, educated, illiterate, black, white, healthy or sick. These are some of the numerous categories of people that exist in most societies. In some cases. These existing differences tend to affect social relations among people through grouping and separation. Individuals with similar qualities tend to socialize together and avoiding people with different traits. For instance, the rich would prefer to hang out with the rich while the poor are left to socialize on the streets. However, this is not always the case because some people are human enough to overlook the diversity issues whenever interacting.

On the other extreme end, a category of people in society takes advantage of their socially constructed advantage to undermine and impose their perceived authorities on the less endowed. Therefore, oppression occurs when people in an advantaged position misuse their power and authority to make the less fortunate to suffer. A rich person can use his power to blind the justice system and prevent a poor person from enjoying fundamental rights that are meant to be protected by law. Oppression exists in many dimensions because most societies have diversity within and between groups (Asumah & Nagel, 2014). Institutionalized oppression is a condition where the law is silent or exposes a minority group to suffering. During the years of the slave trade, the blacks faced oppression because the vice had been institutionalized by whites who were in authority. In some societies, cultural institutions can play a vital role in oppressing women or the disabled because of specific norms. Another form of oppression is deprivation of fundamental rights even in situations where a minority is legally entitled to enjoy. Basic education is a fundamental right to every child yet minorities can be denied opportunities because they are poor, have a different skin color, or disabled among other traits that the society perceives as undesirable. Age oppression is another unique form where people are made to suffer because of their age. In religious oppression, a specific group affiliated to a particular religion are subjected to ill-treatment because of existing misconception in society.

Description of Response

According to the respondent, oppression is an unfortunate social behavior where a minority is subjected to poor treatment that includes deprivation of the fundamental rights that they deserve. Oppression is a form of social injustice where people construct their own forms of segregation and authority which rank groups and individuals differently. These differences are utilized to ensure that those believed to be advantaged enjoy life more than the disadvantaged.

The response provided various categories under which oppression manifests culture, religion, economic, race, age, gender, and politics. A group can be oppressed because it is politically incorrect as compared to the faction in authority. She argues that some individuals are oppressed because they belong to a particular religion, economic class, race or have certain cultural practices. The respondent added that any form of oppression is an extension of existing myths, misconception and social constructs in society. She has encountered a freeze and search situation where a lady wearing the hijab was stopped and searched by male police officers which manifested like sexual violence against women. The response has also advocated for justice against the oppression of a lady who lost her job because she was expectant and unable to maintain high productivity at work.

According to the interviewee, oppression stems from social triggers which include myths and misconceptions. People tend to construct their social behavior by constructing norms from these beliefs and misconceptions. As the behavior grows, the minority subjects to the demands of the majority because of deprivation and vulnerability. The silence and submission encourage the oppressors to be more aggressive in their practice. Therefore, failing to stop the first oppressor encourages the second potential candidate to adopt the vice trend can continue to grow unless it is stopped. The growth can reach a point where it becomes institutionalized.

The respondent believes that oppression cannot stop unless the authority of the perpetrators is checked. The modern society is always stabilized by laws and legislations that can also be functional for the sake of oppression. Some oppressors take advantage of the fact that the law is silent on some issues while others utilize political and economic influence to influence the coercive nature of the judicial system. Enforcement of existing laws is also another important obligation for those in authority. Some oppressive conduct persists because the people tasked to enforce a specific law are sleeping on the job. Therefore, the establishment of laws, public education and sensitization, and advocacy for change are vital approaches that can bring change. Once people know their rights and obligations, they can actively participate in advocating for change or correct application of the law.

Application of Relevant Theories

The Theory of Exploitation

Marx's theory of exploitation suggests that class structure can occur even if the legal and the normative sanctioned distinctions are absent (Asumah & Nagel, 2014). The theory further elaborates that the political machine plays a vital role in the art of domination in precapitalistic states. The capitalistic societies eliminate the juridically enforced distinctions of class and enhance individual liberty. This implies that oppression sizes to be institutionalized and the practice is only perpetrated by the free will of a person. Despite that Marx's argument is disputed in Asumah and Nagel (2014), exploitation of in the capitalist state is similar to the response provided by the respondent in this survey.

According to the interviewee, oppression starts with one person and the trend keeps growing unless it is stoped. The same can be applied to a capitalist state where exploitation at work can start from the practice of one entrepreneur who might end up getting more profit. In case the behavior is not brought to light and stopped, other people in a capitalist state will imitate the exploitation strategy to grow their business. As indicated in Marx's theory of exploitation, capitalist state eliminates the aspect of class in the process of exploitation. A similar example can be constructed from the response of the interviewee and the example of an oppressive entrepreneur. A business person can rise from the ruins by exploiting and oppressing people whom they share a social and economic class. Politicians can oppress their equals in the political class and a husband can do the same to a wife. It is evident that Marx's theory of exploitation partially provides a clue about the trends of modern oppression.

The Theory of Marginalization

According to Asumah and Nagel (2014), some of the forms of oppression such as racial can be related more to marginalization than exploitation. Marginalization is considered the worst form of oppression because a considerable number of people in society are marked and condemned by the majority. Marginalization proceeds to deprive vital resources, rights, and privileges to the marked group. the example of the woman wearing a hijab, who was stopped and searched by male officers resembles a form of marginalization against people affiliated to the Islamic religion.

The laws of many countries condemn marginalization because the affected groups often have significant representation. For instance, the black arts movement gained fame to a point where racial segregation was prevented through a constitutional amendment. The likelihood of religious marginalization was predicted and protected by the constitution of the US and many other countries around the world. The same argument can be applied in the case of the marginalization of women, the disabled and the elderly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, oppression is an unfortunate practice that exposes an individual or a group to the mercies of other people who are believed to have power and authority. Differences and diversity is a factor that can never change in any society but it is a point of weakness that fuels oppression. According to the respondent, culture, religion, economic, race, age, gender, and political differences are also important in understanding the dimensions of oppression. The application of Marx's theory of exploitation reveals the difference in capitalistic and precapitalistic states where the former approach is fueled by the individual will to oppress. The interviewee recommends the establishment of laws, public education and sensitization, and advocacy for change to reduce and eliminate oppression in society.

References

Asumah, S. N., & Nagel, M. (2014). Diversity, social justice, and inclusive excellence: Transdisciplinary and global perspectives. New York Press: State University of New York Press.