Cultural Diversity & Interlocking Structures of Oppression

Cultural Diversity & Interlocking Structures of Oppression

Privilege can be defined as a benefit or power that one group or individual has over another due to their membership in a certain identity category, for instance, race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, ability, or nationality. Privilege is often imperceptible to those who possess it and can be taken for granted. Those who lack privilege experience marginalization and discrimination (McNaughton & Martimianakis, 2020). Privilege operates in people’s daily lives through systemic and structural inequalities that shape opportunities, access, and outcomes across various domains. These include education, employment, housing, healthcare, media representation, and criminal justice. For example, white people are privileged in a society that has historically and presently prioritized their needs and interests (Best et al., 2022). They benefit from racialized advantages such as easier access to education, job opportunities, and higher wages. Similarly, men are privileged in a patriarchal society that values masculinity and reinforces gender roles. They benefit from gendered advantages such as more representation in leadership positions, greater pay equity, and fewer obstacles to professional advancement. Hire our assignment writing services if your assignment is devastating you.

Privilege also operates through micro-aggressions. These subtle forms of discrimination occur in daily interactions and perpetuate stereotypes and biases (Miles et al., 2021). For instance, a person with a disability may be treated as helpless or incompetent despite being fully capable of performing a task. This behavior can communicate a message of pity or condescension. It can be perceived as demeaning or patronizing by a person with a disability. Another example of micro-aggression could be a woman being constantly interrupted or talked over by male colleagues during a meeting. This behavior communicates that the woman’s opinions or contributions are less valuable or worthy of attention than those of her male colleagues. These micro-aggressions convey a message of otherness and inferiority and can impact one’s sense of belonging and self-worth.

Privilege is a complex and diverse phenomenon that affects people’s daily lives and shapes power relations and social hierarchies. To achieve greater justice and equality for all individuals, it is crucial to acknowledge and comprehend privilege. Furthermore, it is important to challenge the systemic and structural inequalities that perpetuate them. To do so, one must examine their own biases and positionality. They must also work towards becoming more informed and empathetic allies to those who are marginalized and discriminated against.

References

Best, O., Cox, L., Ward, A., Graham, C., Bayliss, L., Black, B., … & Walker, J. (2022). Educating the educators: Implementing cultural safety in the nursing and midwifery curriculum. Nurse Education Today, 105473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105473

McNaughton, N., & Martimianakis, M. A. (2020). Critical theory. Clinical Education for the Health Professions: Theory and Practice, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_35-1

Miles, J. R., Anders, C., Kivlighan III, D. M., & Belcher Platt, A. A. (2021). Cultural ruptures: Addressing microaggressions in group therapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 25(1), 74. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/

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QUESTION

Patricia Hill Collins refers to race, class, gender, etc., as “interlocking structures of oppression.” Implied in that statement is that while some are oppressed and discriminated against on the basis of one or more of these categories, others continue to be privileged.

Cultural Diversity & Interlocking Structures of Oppression

Citing peer-reviewed sociological research on the subject, define privilege (on the basis of categories of identity) and discuss how privilege operates in people’s daily lives.