The Four I's of Oppression
I’m choosing to do a reflection on the Four I’s of Oppression. According to the Training Resources for the Environmental Community, there are 4 groupings of oppression. The first one is ideological oppression, which is rooted in our value systems and often appears as “common sense.” An example of this would be calling someone a “real girl” or a “real boy” like Luna Malbroux said in her video about the four I’s of oppression. This is also the thought process that pink is a girl's color and dresses should only be worn by women. In grade school, I was close with a girl who primarily wore boy's clothes. She had no desire to transition to a boy, she just felt that those clothes were more comfortable for her. She would constantly get made fun of because of her style. She wasn’t seen as a “real girl” because she wore boyish clothing.
The second type of oppression is internalized oppression. While this is the last type that Malbroux speaks on, it is still very common in our society. It happens when a person is constantly told these beliefs and it turns into them believing those things about themselves. For example, a person who is gay could have internalized oppression if they had grown up in a homophobic family.
The next type is interpersonal oppression. According to the TREC, this is oppression that goes on between groups. It could be intentional or accidental. Luna Malbroux makes a great example of this in her video. She makes an example of interpersonal oppression with exclusion. Growing up I dealt with a lot of exclusion as I had transferred from a private Catholic school to a public school in 2nd grade. Many kids deemed me the oddball and excluded me from their activities and conversations. This type of oppression can also manifest in microaggressions.
Finally, there is institutional oppression. TREC describes it as oppression through corporate policies and laws. Luna makes note of how certain neighborhoods are composed as an example of institutional oppression. As we all know, there are predominantly white and predominantly black neighborhoods. It is considered oppression because frequently the black neighborhoods aren’t given the same opportunities as the white neighborhoods.
After learning these types of oppression, how can we make sure these do not manifest in our classrooms? To ensure that every child gets the same opportunities as anyone else? I believe that is a part of our main job as educators. I’ve also included an image that shows how all of these categories of oppression can combine. Usually, when we see an act of oppression it’s not a cookie-cutter example of one category.
Hi Catherine, I really like how you broke down each of the 4 groupings of oppression and explained how each one may present itself within society. I also liked how you connected your own personal experiences with the Four "I"s of Oppression and included some broad examples as well, as it gave a deeper sense of how individuals are experiencing ideological, internalized, interpersonal, and institutional oppression on a day to day basis.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine! I related to the example you used of the girl you went to elementary school with and how she was still made fun of just because she dressed somewhat tomboyish. When I was younger, I often would get made fun of or called a tomboy for wearing certain clothes. Whatever someone feels comfortable wearing is their choice. Making a comment about something like that can really impact their mental health and how they perceive themselves!
ReplyDeleteI think it is heartwarming in a way to know that we all had very similar elementary/middle school experiences and to know that we all went through that together and understand one another. I also grew up being told I was a tomboy and I guess I never really felt that way because I liked baby dolls, Barbies, and playing dress up, but I also did not like wearing skirts and dresses out of the house and I loved to play soccer and climb trees or just roll around in the dirt. I feel looking back now because of that label it almost made me feel like I "had" to fit the tomboy role and instead of being a kid I was confused on if I was "supposed" to like dresses and not supposed to get dirty. I really understood your friends story and thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your example because I often tried to dress less feminine when I was younger, however I did it for the reasoning of almost being embarrassed to be a girl. I din't want to draw attention to my femininity because I didn't want to fit into the negative stereotypes. This being said, it seems like no matter what women wear we are judged negatively for it. Too masculine and "not girl like" or "too girly". I also like that you added in that often oppression doesn't necessarily fit into one category.
ReplyDeleteFrom Jess: Catherine: Your blog post on the Four I’s of Oppression is very insightful. You've clearly explained how ideological oppression manifests in everyday scenarios, like the example of your friend who wore boy's clothes and faced ridicule. Your explanation of internalized oppression is also compelling, particularly the example of someone internalizing homophobia from their family. It’s evident that these scenarios have shaped an understanding of oppression deeply.
ReplyDeleteI loved how organized this blog was as well as the photo that you provided!
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