Nepean, Rideau and Osgoode Resource Centre Lies on Video The social service should help the citizens and provide them a support and care when abused or mistreated. That wasn’t the case in the following story about a molested elderly woman that occurred in Ottawa, Canada. Mrs. Dezrin was craving for help and she literally wrote to note “Dad abuses me” to her son. The son took this seriously and contacted The Nepean, Rideau & Osgoode Community Resource Centre in order to help his mother with her violent husband.…
In “Making Privilege and Oppression Happen” in the book Privilege, Power, and Difference, by Allan G. Johnson, he writes how privilege is maintained by discriminating people of different categories and treating them unequally, acting act discriminatory behavior and justifying it. Outright discrimination is not always seen to those acting out discriminatory behavior, but evident to the victims of these unfair treatments. This can be seen in implicit bias, defined by Johnson to be unconscious discrimination. Johnson mentions an Australian study that shows white people are more likely to get a free bus ride, if in need, then people of color, even if dressed “appropriately.” To the bus driver, not giving people of color free rides, is doing the…
In today’s society, what is actually considered systemic oppression? The actual definition of systemic oppression is something harsh, the way many people are mistreated in a systematic way depending on their social identity group. In today's world we have seen many situations involving systemic oppression. Simply looking at the case of Trayvon Martin, he was a seventeen year old who was shot and killed in Sanford Florida, simply by his appearance. ”Zimmerman shot Martin dead the night of Feb. 26 after following him for several minutes.…
Oppression can be defined in many ways. The merriam-webster dictionary defines oppression as unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power. A deeper definition of oppression was provided by Marilyn Frye in the reading “Oppression.” Frye defines oppression as the experience of being caged in; all avenues, in every direction, are blocked or booby trapped (Frye, 1983). Race, class, gender, and sexuality systems are all systems of oppression that will be identified in this paper.…
So one of the reasons I decided to start writing up this social justice 101 series is because of the word racism. In the dictionary, racism is defined as “Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief.” However within social justice and sociological circles it is understood that that is not really how racism works, and that racism is a much more insidious and deep-rooted thing than that. What many people term “racism” (or reverse-racism) is extremely different from the sociological concept of racism, or what minorities experience as racism. Calling them by the same name is demeaning to the experience that minorities have of real racism.…
Discrimination and oppression of vulnerable populations leave members unable to use the resources around them and basic human rights they are granted. Social workers have a duty to empower members of vulnerable populations and bring awareness to communities of the oppression that may be happening. Since most vulnerable populations are unable to advocate for themselves, social workers are required to use their own professionalism to guide members to the rights that they deserve. It is also required of social workers to establish the essentials needed for their client’s surrounding community and decided where responsibility was needed to achieve those needs. Social workers are used as advocates allowing clients to realize their worth in their community and that they deserve fair human rights to advance in their life.…
After reading each article, oppression, privileged, and mens overall contributions to both oppression and privilege, are all themes and topics commonly discussed. McIntosh's article focused on white and male privileged and the unwavering fact that men and those of white complexion are, in most instances, completely oblivious to the privilege handed to them from birth. She also reflects on her experiences and recognizes the instances where her privilege has put her in front of her fellow co-workers, peers, and acquaintances. Frye on the other hand, not only does a terrific job of defining oppression, but speaks of womens oppression in particular. She confronts the issues of men and the common courtesies that may be undermining the female population, for example, the common practice of opening a door for a woman.…
Life-History Interview Social workers use a collection of tools to assist in conducting a meaningful social assessment of elders by providing guided interviews with older adults. When planning for an interview a social worker would understand the time spent together, the reflection of their lives from a sociohistorical context, and social justice experiences by the elder over their lifetime. One of the positive aspects of reviewing and elder’s life come from weaving together the individual’s life. Social workers help them understand their lives in a more positive manner together, solve struggles, and make older adulthood more meaningful (Garthwait, 2007, p. 19).…
Sandra Lee Bartky published “On Psychological Oppression,” in which she describes virtually any and all aspects of psychological oppression. She most poignantly described female psychological oppression in the passage "consider now a second example...ritual of subjugation" (Bartky 29). This passage highlights sexual objectification and the idea that women “must be made to know,” that they “must be made to see [themselves] as [others] see [them]” (29). This is incredibly important because when one is made to know, they are forced into altered perceptions of themselves; they can no longer see themselves the way they want to, but rather the way the perpetrators do. By doing so, Bartky illustrates how society’s fragmentation and sexual objectification…
Social disparities exist in every socio-economics status, the one that is most prevalent at this time in our nation is the lack of healthcare, which, is something that affects countless individuals. The Affordable Care Act, which, is also known as ACA or more commonly known as Obama Care was supposed to be the answer for individuals healthcare needs. Needless to say, there are still several issues, the most prominent issue exists with the negative shadow that is cast upon the Medicaid program. Medicaid is the healthcare system that individual receives when their income falls below the new standard of 133% of the federal poverty level (CMS.gov, 2013).…
research concluded that with more education, higher income, better employment and greater social support, depression amongst African Americans would be less likely be prevalent within the community. Oppression’s Impact This issue of oppression among African Americans has been a very controversial topic since the era of slavery. Whether most agree on its negative impact throughout generations or not, it is very relevant to the contributing factors of mental health and depression within the black community.…
Overrepresentation of Indigenous Children in Child Welfare Oppression is the use of power to ostracize, silence or otherwise degrade one social group or category, often in order to further empower the oppressor. Then what is anti-oppression? Anti-oppression (AOP) is a network that seeks to recognize the oppressions that exist in our society and make gains to minimize and eliminate its affects, moving towards equalizing the power imbalance in our communities. Healy (2014) states “anti-oppressive practice is a critical social work approach that draws on critical social science theories and is informed by humanistic and social justice values, taking account of the experiences and views of oppressed people” (pg. 192).…
The first time I felt like I was othered was just after I moved to Brooklyn from my native home of Trinidad. My neighborhood was culturally diverse but divided. For example, you knew when you were in a “Jewish” area because it was much cleaner and more affluent. The transition was immediate as you stepped onto the sidewalk in a Jewish community. Buildings would look newer, more pristine and even the sidewalk were free from gum, garbage and drug accoutrements.…
It is insulting to be considered incapable of being as good as someone else without an illness. This happens particularly in the workplace, where jobs are not given due to the “unreliability” of mentally ill people. Most employers do not take the time to comprehend a possible candidate for a job with a mental illness, so they end up missing out on opportunities. This leads to ill persons rejecting the thought of being officially diagnosed. Stigma and discrimination can trap people in a cycle of illness.…
Oppression In our world we experience, observe, challenge and even commit forms of oppression. Some may ask what oppression is, but when given an example the term is defined quickly. Others, know the definition as soon as the word is given. We see oppression and if comfortable, sometimes challenge it, but do we ever stop to truly think about why oppression is an issue in our society and how we can fix it?…