1. Implications of Race, Class, and Oppression
Social Work 840
Implications of Race, Class, and Oppression
Intro Part 2

2. Define social group
A group of people who share a range of physical, cultural, or social characteristics within one of the categories of social identity.

3. Categories of social identity
Gender
Class
Sexual Orientation
PhysicaI/Developmental/PsychologicaI
Disability
Race
Religion
Age

4. Group memberships Gender: Female, Male, Transgendered people Race:
Black, White, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander,
Native American, Biracial

5. Sexual Orientation:
Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Heterosexual
Religion:
Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu
Ethnicity:
African American, Cuban, English, Chinese, Sioux

6. Class:
Poor, Working Class, Middle Class, Upper Class
Age:
Young People, Young Adults, Middle-Aged Adults, Old People

7. Activities
Identity sheet
Social Group membership activity

8. Complete individual profile. Please choose a partner and discuss
Which of your social group memberships were easiest to identify?
Which of your social group memberships were most difficult to identify?
What questions are raised for you in trying to identify your social group memberships?

9. Racism Racism is a form of Oppression
One of the outcomes of Institutional Racism was “Lynchings.”

10. Lynching
Virginia justice of the peace Charles Lynch ordered “Tories” to be hung. In the South those who opposed slavery were lynched
Historically the U.S. legal systems (formal) and Lynching (informal) have been racially polarized, and both operated to enforce white social dominance.[5]

11. Social Control
Lynchings in the Old West favored a particular social class or racial group
Beginning of 19th Century in the South many poor Whites were lynched
Immigrants were targets - late 19th Century many Italian-Americans were lynched

12. In the West - Chinese immigrants, East Indians, Native Americans and Mexicans were also lynching victims
Between 1848 and 1860, at least 163 Mexicans were lynched in California alone.

13. Benjamin Tillman - Governor of South Carolina
We of the South have never recognized the right of the negro to govern white men, and we never will. We have never believed him to be the equal of the white man

14. Power The ISMs are enforced by those who have power
Institutional power - in areas related to
Politics, economics, education, medicine, criminal justice, child welfare etc.
Those without power may discriminate or be biased but they do not have institutional power

15. Since 1859 between 2400 – 3800 Blacks have been lynched in the U.S.
DISTURBING PHOTOS
Since 1859 between 2400 – 3800 Blacks have been lynched in the U.S.
Rarely has anyone ever been convicted for the lynching of a black human being in the United States. The last recorded lynching was in 1981.

16. Lynching carried out by a mob in Marion, Ind., in 1930.

20. Mary Turner (Lynched at Eight Months Pregnant)
Turner was lynched in Lowndes County on May 17, 1918.
A Black man Sidney Johnson had grown tired of the abuse of Hampton Smith, killed him and wounded his wife.

Unable to find Johnson, a white mob lynched eight Blacks including Hayes Turner and his wife Mary.

21. The mob hung Mary by her feet and then sliced her open to get to her baby.
The baby fell out of Mary onto the ground making a whimpering sound.
The mob then stomped the baby to death and sprayed several bullets into Mary Turner.

23. lynching memorabilla

24. Defining Features of Oppression
Power – oppression is about power
To enforce a world view
To deny equal access
To deny housing, education, jobs, healthcare
To maim physically, mentally, emotionally

25. "Isms": Shared and Distinctive Characteristics:
There is explanatory and political value in identifying both the particular characteristics of specific forms of oppression such as ableism or classism, as well as the patterns that connect and mutually reinforce different oppressions

26. Oppression is manifested through racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism, religion and the dimensions of experience that connect "isms" in an overarching system of domination

27. Racism
Racism is about outcomes or results and not about intent.

28. As Audre Lorde so eloquently states, "the true focus of revolutionary change is to see the piece of the oppressor inside us" (1984, 123).

29. Culture
The thoughts, ideas, behavior patterns, customs, values, skills, language, arts, and faith or religion of a particular people at a given point in time.
Defines us as individuals; it makes us who we are.
Influences how each of us sees others.
Communities have different cultures influenced by their members, the environment, and socioeconomic conditions.

30. Cycle of Socialization

32. Lens of Identity Born into the world with no worldview
No blame or guilt
No prejudices, biases, stereotypes
No history, tradition or habits

33. Socialized Taught on a personal level by
Parents, relatives, teachers – people we love, respect and trust.
They shape our expectations, norms, values, roles, rules, models of behavior, sources of aspirations

34. Lens of socialization and teaching
Reinforced - bombarded with messages
Institutions – churches, schools, television, legal system, mental health, businesses
Culture – practices, lyrics, language, media, patterns of thought

35. On Conscious and unconscious levels
Enforced, Sanctioned and Stigmatized
Rewards and Punishments
Privilege and Persecution
Discrimination and Empowerment

36. Lens of Experience Resulting in – Dissonance, silence, anger,
Dehumanization, guilt, collusion, ignorance, self-hatred, stress, lack of reality, violence, inconsistency, crime, internalization of patterns of power

37. Leads to Do nothing, don’t make waves, promotes the status quo or
Change, raise consciousness, interrupt
Educate
Take a stand
Question
Reframe