...Knowledge is Power The first step to gaining freedom from oppression is to recognize that freedom is being restricted. Some contend that because Freire’s work, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed was written over forty years ago, in a different country with a heightened sense of activism that it does not apply to today’s public education system in America. I disagree. His analysis applies as much today as it did forty years ago, but the reason most do not recognize it is because it works so well. The educational system uses a concept that Freire details in his work, namely the banking concept of education. This method of teaching is “dehumanizing” in that it reduces students to “receptacles” whose only purpose in life is to be filled with information which is chosen by oppressors to be significant (Freire par. 4). Freire paints a picture of lifeless, mechanical, students, filing information into their brains without question or analysis; the very thing that he claims makes us human (par. 4,5). He asserts that this concept of education is oppressive by design. Indeed, it serves the oppressors’ goals in that “the more the oppressed can be led to adapt to (an environment where they question nothing), the more easily they can be dominated” (Freire par. 9). The control over educational subject matter plays a key role in oppression. Loewen's work Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong details this role. Although I agree with the ideas of Freire...
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..."Once the Bleeding Begins, the Healing Can Begin"-Tori Amos www.welcometobarboados.com Oppression is defined as the use of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel and unjust manner. When someone is physically and/or mentally oppressed for having a belief or belonging to an individual group, it can be individually demoralizing and degenerizing. Unfortunatly, The human race has been known to enforce their ability to oppress people through many avenues such as an individual belief in religion, a physical handicap or the way an individual may dress. However, for this essay, I have looked closely at specific females that were oppressed through unequality in specific to their individual race, social heirarchy of power, and sexuality. Unequality between male and female has been seen all over the United States. For example, American females finally were given the right to vote in 1920. In a racial sense, whether male or female, black and white people were segregated in public up until the 1950s. Financial status determined your ranking on the social hierarchy of power granting an individual the ability to have a great influence or to f. dFinancial status was signifigant; higher amounts of incomes meant one had a strong influence in society and respect was demanded. All of which were based on the norms of the time. Currently The United States of America does enforce laws that restrict physical harm onto others and enacted an equal opportunity act, thus enabling all Americans regardless...
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...Knowledge is the Enlightenment, Necessary for Evolution: In Plato’s, “The Allegory of the Cave,” he is explaining in dialogue with question-and- answer form with Glaucon a student questioning the nature of human beings. The analogy of the cave and the prisoners within used to explain his belief. He discusses moral and philosophical problems; the prisoner must overcome to see the light after long periods of imprisonment. The light he refers to as a fire blazing at a distance, is the light the prisoners see while a low wall is along the way. The prisoner look over the wall to find strange images that he has never seen before is compelled immediately to look toward the light. The question then is would the prisoner suffer pain from the glare brought forth by the light, Plato then explains he will require to grow accustom to the light in order to clearly see the new images. Once the prisoner becomes accustom to the sight of the upper world, he will then see the reflection of others and of himself. Plato then explains the reaction the prisoner makes and his thoughts of himself to realize the reason about his own place. The prisoner, as Plato explains, realized that this exposure of new images in the upper world are not of what he was taught to be true in his old place in the den, and the wisdom brought forth by the den along with his fellow- prisoners; merely false notions. The truth the prisoner has seen in the upper world will then become a desire to continue to seek further the...
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...oppressed by religion as they are given more roles and responsibilities for example The Church of England has allowed women to be become priest since 1992. But in everyday life female followers of world religious leaders are often significantly more limited than males with regards to where they can go with whom they may associate. In this essay I am going to examine both views and examine whether women are no longer oppressed by religion. Everybody focuses to Muslim women worldwide as oppressed, more specifically the Muslim women in Afghanistan. People often fail to distinguish between culture and religion, two things that are completely different, In fact, Islam condemns oppression of any kind where it is towards a women or in general. Sometimes, people see covered Muslim women and they think oppression. This is wrong. Muslim woman are not oppressed, but they are liberated. This is because they are no longer valued for something material such as their good looks or she shape of her body. They compel others to judge her for her intelligence, kindness, honesty and personality. Therefore, people judge her for who she actually is. Women cover their hair to be modest. When they wear loose clothes, they are trying to be modest. In fact, nuns cover their hair out of modesty. Also, when we see the frequent pictures of the Virgin Mary, she is covering her hair out of modesty as well. Therefore, Muslim women are doing the exact same thing as righteous Christian Women. The two great...
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...Burning of Paper Instead of Children,” Rich’s thought-provoking use of words and language relates to the cycle of oppression. Rich believes that through verbal exchanges, individuals are passing down oppressed ideas to one another, furthering the colonization of the mind. In the verse “…knowledge of the oppressor/ this is the oppressor’s language/ yet I need it to talk to you,” Rich depicts the paradoxical nature of society’s colonization of the mind and her conscious effort to be free of such mindset. Rich is fully aware of the knowledge that she is citing and the language that she is speaking is tainted with the oppressor’s – society’s – ideals. Yet she also believes that these two elements are needed in today’s everyday communication. It is dangerous when an act as natural as interacting with others can be oppressive, because language is an extremely powerful tool. All forms of languages, such as verbal exchange, body language and sign languages to name a few, are capable of changing perspectives of others. When used appropriately, people can use languages to end the outcomes of mind colonizing, such as racial stereotypes and racial superiority. However, most people abuse their ability to connect with others and use communication as means of perpetuating judgment of “others” and marginalizing certain groups, which ultimately results in a nonstop cycle of oppression. In the verses “…and they take the book away/ love and fear in a house/ knowledge of the oppressor,” Rich describes...
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...no longer oppressed by religion (18 marks) Feminism is a conflict theory similar to Marxism, except instead of the working class being oppressed by the bourgeoisie, feminists (such as Simone De Beauvoir) believe that society is patriarchal and that women are oppressed by men. Religion is often viewed as something which preserves this and ensures that women remain subordinate to men by believing that their suffering is meaningful and they’ll be rewarded in heaven after death. There are many examples of patriarchy in religion, both historic and current. However, there is also sociological evidence that challenges the idea that women are subordinate to men. As Item A states, the feminist view that religion is a force for ‘patriarchal oppression’ is ‘supported by evidence such as the differential treatment of women in religious congregations.’ Evidence of patriarchy in places of worship is apparent in the way that men and women are required to worship separately in many faiths, such as orthodox synagogues where the men and women cannot sit together, and in the Islam faith women must pray behind the men, implying that the men are more important. However, this is not consistent in every religion, as in Reform Judaism and Christianity both men and women may worship together. Similarly, women can be oppressed through patriarchy in religious organisations. Karen Armstrong (1993) said that women being excluded from religious leadership in many faiths are evidence of the marginalisation...
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...Male privilege…In black and white Dorrell Anthony Alexander Western Washington University What is “Privilege”? When we speak of privilege, what exactly are we speaking of? Many find it easy to get the basic fundamentals of a “right” and a “privilege” confused, so for foundational purposes, I would like to lay out how they differ. First, let’s talk about two of the different kinds of rights; “natural” and “legal”. According to Merriam-Webster (2013) Natural rights are “rights which are "natural" in the sense of "not artificial, not man-made”; “as in rights deriving from logic, from human nature, or from the edicts of a god”. They are ”universal”, (they apply to all people, and do not derive from the laws of any specific society),”They exist necessarily, inhere in every individual, and can't be taken away” ( Merriam-Webster, 2013). For example, it has been argued that humans have a natural right to life. They're sometimes called inalienable rights. Legal rights, in contrast, are “rights based on a society's customs, laws, statutes or actions by legislatures” (Merriam-Webster, 2013). An example of a legal right is the right to vote of citizens. “Citizenship, itself, is often considered as the basis for having legal rights, and has been defined as the "right to have rights"(Broidy and Agnew, 1997), Legal rights are sometimes called civil rights or statutory rights which Broidy and Agnew (1997) believe are “culturally and politically relative”, since they depend on a specific...
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...English in 1970 . The first part is a brilliant critique on the mainstream movement that focus on how students are taught through oppression. The second part is an attack on said “ Banking Concept” and introducing an alternate teaching style call the “ Problem Posing Concept”. The second text “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” written by Amy Chua was first introduce from her book: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” in 2011. The text shows how a strict mother by oppressing her two daughter in certain aspects of their lives will set them up for success and survival . The third text Hanna Rosin’s “Mother Inferior” was introduced from the publication the “Atlantic” to argue against Amy Chua’s diagnosis against western parents, saying kids don’t need more drills and rules. They need to lighten up and roam free. The purpose for this response is to facilitate a dialogue that is both effective and understandable. I cannot say that I have read even a small percentage of these works from these authors, but from what I have read, I noticed some recurring similarities. During the semester in class, we have learned how these authors utilize various elements of writing to make their point more prominent. Along with this, I believe that the theme of oppression and success appears in these three, I took it upon myself to try and find out why the writers used oppression and success as one of their themes. To demonstrate this recurring theme, I will give a brief synopsis of the three stories....
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...the right and wrong ways of dealing with this. “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, does not necessarily have to do with the racial oppression King describes, as Bambara tells a short story expressing how a group of children living in poverty view the richer lifestyle, but some of King‟s categories of dealing with oppression can be seen in how Bambara‟s characters react to what they are observing. At the start of Bambara‟s “The Lesson,” Sylvia expresses her dislike and almost hatred for Miss Moore. This is made obvious by many of the statements she makes when introducing the characters and story: “I‟m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree,” and “though I never talk to her . . . I wouldn‟t give the bitch that satisfaction.” Hatred is often the first step in acting violently, one of King‟s ways of meeting oppression. While Sylvia, or anyone else at any time during the story, does not actually act violently, their thoughts and feelings show signs of possible violence in the future. Not only do Sylvia and the children show a tendency of hatred towards Miss Moore, but to each other as well—especially aimed at Mercedes. The reader can gather that Mercedes‟s family has a little more money than the rest of them and Mercedes has no problem rubbing that fact in. When standing outside the store, Mercedes brags that her father would buy her the expensive toy boat if she wanted it, and Rosie responds by showing her some hostility: “Your father, my ass.” While the...
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...the Irish Community Sociology of Developing Countries The Successes and Failures of the Irish Community Throughout history many communities were formed for many different reasons. Some communities were able to become successful cultures while others did not. The reasons why communities are successful stem from many different reasons. “Some theories conclude that communities thrive and others do not because of social capital, or network connections among residents and community groups,”… “In addition some researchers have determined social capital to be related to various aspects of community life, from crime rates to the local economy,” (Whitham, M. M. (2012 pg 442). The Irish community today is one that faced many obstacles. Their oppression in Europe and early America is reminiscent of the hatred that certain third world nationalist or minorities endure in America today. The cycle for which these oppressed communities have endured has caused their communities to either flourish or decline. In either way the community has reformed its customs and believes to adjust to the social ladder in which they attempt to overcome. “Community building commonly refers to building the social networks within the community, and developing group and individual problem solving and leadership skills,” (Paul Mattessich, 1997). In most cases communities are built around people of the same class, and ethnical back ground. This is often reasons why communities prosper or decline. Groups of people...
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...Cultures 3(1), 2015, pp. 24–44 ISSN (printed): 2327-5731 • e-ISSN 2375-6527 PHENOMENOLOGY OF RACIAL OPPRESSION LAUREN FREEMAN Lauren.Freeman@Louisville.edu University of Louisville ABSTRACT. This paper attempts to further understand the lived experiences of racial oppression by bringing together personal testimonies, resources from phenomenology, and empirical work on stereotype threat. Integrating these three areas provides a psychological, existential, physiological, and embodied understanding of the fundamental harm of racial oppression. My aim is to show that the harm of existing as racially oppressed is not just psychological or physiological. That is, racial oppression is not only harmful with regards to the immediate and lasting effects of the compiled stresses that result from continually being made aware of one’s bodily existence as “other” in a predominantly and normatively white world. In addition, racially oppressed people also often lose a sense of themselves, become alienated from themselves, and come to understand themselves vis-à-vis the oppressor. Combining contextualized analyses of the psychological, existential, physiological, and embodied dimensions of oppression, I argue that existing as racially oppressed in a white supremacist society also changes the ontological structure of one’s being-in-the-world. Keywords: phenomenology; oppression; stereotype threat; Martin Heidegger “Only when we come to be very clear about how race is lived, in...
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...“The Banking Concept of Education” “The Banking Concept of Education,” from Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. New York: Continuum, 1993. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos [This is the citation information you will need to construct a Works Cited entry; for in-text citation, use Paulo Freire’s last name and the paragraph number (since this is a reprint and not the original, book-length source). Consult your Easy Writer for information about citing a book with a translator]. A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character. This relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient, listening objects (the students). The contents, whether values or empirical dimensions of reality, tend in the process of being narrated to become lifeless and petrified. Education is suffering from narration sickness. The teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. Or else he expounds on a topic completely alien to the existential experience of the students. His task is to "fill" the students with the contents of his narration—contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them and could give them significance. Words are emptied of their concreteness and become a hollow, alienated, and alienating verbosity. The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the...
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...but to be fearless and brave. They must always look hard, and if anytime a man puts his guard down he will be downgraded and will be looked as less than what he is. They will loose respect and will be picked on and/or putdown by others even women. Men in society have a strict way to be and act. Not following this idea that men are stones and must be powerful and strong is shaping and controlling the youth that is growing up and gives them a false sense that they must act a certain way to be considered a man. That they must abandon the way they think and feeling and hide it all to become even noticeable by others and not be disrespected. This is a big problem because to every man, being considered any less is their worst fear. This oppression does not only come from males but it also comes from females. Men who don’t fulfill these requirements to be considered a man are also looked down upon and also ignored by women. Women also have this idea that they need a bad boy who is fearless, who is big, strong, and powerful. Women demand this...
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...The self-fulfilling prophecy is a process that has the tendency for people’s expectations to influence their attitudes and behavior. Prejudice can serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy by influencing how the prejudiced person acts towards the target, which may, in turn, influence the target to act in a way that confirms the first person’s prejudices (Taylor, Peplau, & Sears, 2006). A self-fulfilling prophecy includes three steps. First, one person must hold a false belief about another person. Second, the person holding the false belief must treat the other person in a manner that is consistent with it. A teacher who overestimates a student’s ability would have to treat the student as if she or he is highly capable. The teacher may often call on that student, spend extra time with that student, teach that student especially difficult material, and provide that student with feedback contingent on performance. For example, on the first day of Jane Elliott’s experiment, she told her students that possessing blue eyes indicated superiority in intelligence and conferred extra classroom privileges and having brown eyes indicated inferiority. Third, the person about whom the false belief is held must, in response to the treatment she or he receives, confirm the originally false belief. For example, quickly, the students with the “superior” color began to oppress those with the “inferior” color and those with the “inferior” color exhibited negative self-worth and fear. The...
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...Child’s Power and Authority Children and the Natural World Story Books and Telling Contrast: Childhood and Social Class Compare and Contrast: Matilda to the Prisoner of Azkaban Roald Dahl’s novel, “Matilda” tells the story of a young girl in oppression by her parents who show no interest in their daughter and is mean for sport. It is a story of triumph in which her intelligence and magical abilities taught her the ins-and-outs of life. But more importantly, it taught Matilda how to take care of herself. Similarly, J.K. Rowling’s novel, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” also addresses the oppression of the magical Harry Potter by his aunt and uncle and the various death threats on his life. I argue that if Harry and Matilda had not been oppressed, they would not have become the characters at the end of the novels. Matilda’s oppression started at birth. Upon her birth, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood showed no interest in her. She was viewed as a “scab” because it’s something you have to wait for until it can be snatched off and thrown away (Dahl 1). Based on their actions and attitude towards their daughter, her parents could wait to remove this scab. The narrator describes Matilda’s parents “half-witted” because they were unaware of the extraordinary ability their daughter. They were also unaware that at a very young age, Matilda knew how her parents felt about her (Dahl 1). Strangely, even with their dislike, the Wormwoods assumed their daughter was normal. Harry is a...
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