1. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression Dynamics
Oppression is a system that maintains advantage and disadvantage based on social group membership. Oppression operates, intentionally or unintentionally, on the individual, institutional and cultural levels (Adams, Bell and Griffin, 2007)

2. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression Dynamics
Individual is attitudes and actions that reflect prejudice against a social group
Examples
Unintentional
I assume you are all interested in dating classmates of the opposite sex
Intentional
As a parent, I have my child moved out of a class with an openly gay student

3. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression Dynamics
Institutional is policies, laws, rules, norms and customs enacted by organizations and social institutions that disadvantage some social group(s). It includes government, education, religion, law, the media and health care system
Examples
Unintentional
As a school, we only celebrate Christmas
Intentional
Student Services recommends that girls do not take math or science

4. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression Dynamics
Cultural is social norms, roles, rituals, language, music and art that reflect and reinforce the belief that one social group is superior to another
Examples
Unintentional
Since hard work leads to economic success, a poor person is lazy and undeserving
Intentional
White culture is assumed to be better than other cultures

5. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression Dynamics
Your turn…
Identify examples for each of three ideas (intentional and unintentional) of oppression
Discuss…
Does oppression only operate on the individual level?
Are racism, sexism and other acts of oppression simply individual acts of meanness or hatred?

6. Equity and Social Justice
Oppression is a phenomenon with individual manifestations based on social identity categories.
Social Identity Categories
Group of people who share a range of physical and social characteristics within a social identity category such as
Sex Sexual Orientation
Class Age Ethnicity
Race Gender Religion
Physical, developmental or psychological ability

7. Equity and Social Justice
Social Group within the Identities include…
Social Identity Categories
Social Groups
Race
Black, White, Latino, Native American, biracial
Sex
Female, Intersex, Male
Gender
Women, Genderqueer, Men, Transgender
Sexual Orientation
Lesbian, Heterosexual, Gay, Bisexual
Religion
Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim
Class
Owing class, Middle class, Working class, poor
Ability
Able-bodied, Disabled
Age
Elders, Adults, Young People

8. Equity and Social Justice
Are these social identities neutral? That is , is everyone within a group equal?
Are the Social Identity Categories neutral? Are there differences between categories in the sense of power or advantage? Are categories… and individuals within a category… able to access different resources?
Are the categories and identities natural?
Why do we have these categories and identities?

10. Equity and Social Justice
Which of the following would you identify as a manifestation of oppression?
Racism
Classism
Heterosexism
Colourism
Ageism
Colonialism
Sizeism
Religious intolerance
Nativism
Cisgenderism
Sexism

11. Equity and Social Justice
Sexism -- Almost universal condition of civilization likely because men tend to be larger and have more upper body strength. This brings with it a greater average capacity for violence, and violence is the language of despotism (i.e., tyrannical rule). (…Hopefully, we are moving beyond despotism). Sexism tends to force women into subservient, restrictive roles that many women do not want, and men into dominant, competitive roles that many men do not want.
Heterosexism -- A subcategory of sexism, heterosexism describes the pattern in which people with clearly-defined genders are assumed to want to have sexual relationships exclusively with members of the opposite gender. “Others” are punished with ridicule, restriction of partnership rights, discrimination, arrest and possibly death.
Racism -- Social pattern in which people who are identified as members of one specific "racial" group are treated differently from people who are members of another.
Ageism -- Social pattern in which people of a certain chronological age are treated differently, to an unnecessary degree, than those who are not.
Classism -- Social pattern in which wealthy or influential people congregate with each other, and oppress those who are less wealthy or less influential.

12. Equity and Social Justice
Cisgenderism -- Social pattern in which people who do not identify with their assigned gender roles, or do not have clearly-assigned gender roles, are forced to either (1) choose gender roles that do not suit them or (2) suffer the social consequences.
Colourism -- Social pattern in which people are treated differently based on the amount of visible melanin in the skin. It is not the same thing as racism, but the two tend to go together.
Ableism -- Social pattern in which people who are disabled are treated differently, to an unnecessary degree, than those who are not.
Sizeism -- Social pattern in which people whose bodies fit social ideals are treated differently from people whose bodies do not.
Nativism -- Social pattern in which people who are born in a given country are treated differently from those who immigrate to it, to the benefit of natives.
Colonialism -- Social pattern in which people who are born in a given country are treated differently from those who immigrate to it, usually to the benefit of a specific identifiable group of powerful immigrants.

13. Equity and Social Justice
What is the difference between social diversity and social justice?

14. Equity and Social Justice
What is privilege?
Is it…
Feeling physically safe in most places in your everyday life?
Having your family legally sanctioned?
Being seen as an individual and not stereotyped as a member of a group?
Having connections (e.g., friends, family) that facilitate reaching your career goals?
Sharing similar cultural expectations with others at school?

15. Equity and Social Justice
Is oppression socialized?
Does oppression require a system of beliefs that mask injustice and promote “common-sense” rationales that establish a “natural order”?
We are born without prejudice; yet, we are socialized to oppress. How? By whom? How is it reinforced?

16. Equity and Social Justice
This is an opportunity to critically examine the assumptions and beliefs you have learned, and from that, develop a different perspective and take actions to make your world more socially just.

17. Equity and Social Justice
Literature Cited
Adams, M., Bell, L.A. and Griffin, P. (2007). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. 2nd Edition. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. New York.