In a world where suffering seems inherent to human condition, Paul Farmer’s exploration of “On Suffering and Structural Violence: A View From Below” offers a profound lens through which to examine the roots and ramifications of this pervasive issue.As Farmer navigates the intricate intersections of suffering and systematic injustice, his words invite us to delve deeper into the complexities of our social fabric, prompting reflection and action. In this essay, I will examine how intersectionality serves as a valuable theoretical approach in the study of inequality, through Paul Farmer’s article. By analysing Farmer’s insights through the lens of intersectionality, I aim to explore the nuanced interplay of various forms of oppression and privilege, shedding light on the …show more content…
As I delved into Paul Farmer’s exploration of suffering and structural violence through an intersectional lens, I began to draw parallels to contemporary events and historical injustices. For instance, the Black Lives Matter movement highlights the intersecting oppressions faced by black individuals, especially black women, who experience compounded discrimination based on race and gender. Similarly, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities emphasizes the interconnected nature of systematic inequalities, as factors such as race, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare intersect to exacerbate health disparities. Adding to the above examples, the experiences of LQBTQ+ individuals with various forms of inequalities and discrimination, particularly those who are people of color, also reveals the complex interplay of various forms of oppression. Therefore, Farmer’s analysis prompts a critical examination of these intersections and their implications for social justice movements and policy
Ranikine’s addresses the light upon the failed judicial systems, micro aggressions, pain and agony faced by the black people, white privilege, and all the racial and institutional discrimination as well as the police brutality and injustice against the blacks; The book exposes that, even after the abolition of slavery, how the racism still existed and felt by the colored community in the form of recently emerged ‘Micro aggressions in this modern world’. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen explores the daily life situations between blacks and whites and reveals how little offensive denigrating conversations in the form of micro-aggressions were intentionally conveyed to the black people by the whites and how these racial comments fuel the frustrations and anger among the blacks. She gathered the various incidents, where the black people suffered this pain. This shows the white’s extraordinary powers to oppress the black community and the failure of the legal system Rankine also shares the horrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina experienced by the black community, where they struggled for their survival before and post the hurricane catastrophes.
In many contemporary spaces, intersectionality is taught and consumed as a static concept of merely listing identities carried by one person simultaneously. It’s used more often as a checklist than a place of analysis or resistance. However, the use of intersectionality as just an apolitical tool, rather than a theory born from the knowledge of Black women experiencing a “triple jeopardy” of oppression and seeking liberation by deconstructing the institutions that bind them, is reductionist at best. In “Intersectionality is Not Neutral”May communicates that intersectionality pushes us to question and challenge the relatively mundane or acceptable norms in society that lend themselves to a continuous legacy of systemic inequality.
There are always certain social problems that take place in our communities. Some of us may not experience it first hand, but all of us should acknowledge the fact that our greatest social problem is still looming to this day. In Michelle Alexander’s work, Drug War Nightmare: How We Created a Massive Racial Caste System in America, she talks about the social problem of inequality and discrimination in America. From being an African American to being a law professor and experience as a clerk for a Supreme Court justice, it can give a reader a sense of comfort knowing that she knows what she is talking about. Alexander uses several methods of using logical and emotional appeals to the readers so they can get a glimpse of this national issue.
In the article, Coates maintains that social, economic, and political injustices against blacks have compounded over the years: “Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy.” He argues that even though slavery and segregation ended, these inequities have crippled many black communities and left them on an uneven playing field—only reparations can even this field.
Eye witness testimony can be a very important piece of evidence surrounding criminal cases but not always the most reliable. As discussed in the textbook Criminal Evidence: Principles and Cases, jurors often rely very heavily on eyewitness interpretations of an incident to determine whether or not a defendant is guilty. Since an adult is presumed to be competent, a juror will often make the assumption that the testimony provided is an accurate account of the events that took place. Amongst other factors, the amount of stress the witness is under at the time of the crime, the presence of a weapon, lighting and the lack of any distinguishable characteristics can play a role in creating a false memory. Under that extreme pressure, a witness is more likely not to recall certain aspects of an incident. Their attention may have been drawn elsewhere and they never noticed the suspect’s beard, tattoos or facial features which can be crucial identifiers. The consequences of falsely identifying a suspect due to false memories can ruin an innocent person’s life, have them convicted and cause them to be punished for a crime that they did not commit.
Inequality continues to affect people in different communities around the globe. It is difficult for many to realize the severity and extreme reality of these situations because they are not given prominence in media and they are not seen as often around certain communities. That is why I believe there is such a huge importance in being aware and reading books such as Just Mercy. Growing up in a large African American and latino population while being caucasian, I felt as if I was much more aware of these issues as compared to those living in less diverse communities. To my surprise, there are always people in worse situations than one can imagine. In Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, he brings attention to the history of the United States
The book “Defining Contested Concepts” does a swell job of explaining that race, class, gender, and sexuality are systems of oppression and are often contested within our society. The author, Lynn Weber (2010) argues that oppression through these titles exist within our every day interactions and that bigger powers in our political, economic and ideological make it possible for greater divisions between groups of people. These powers make the rules that give some people more privilege than others. Weber describes that there are four patterns of social relationships that are advocates oppression. These segregations are all controlled by the bigger powers, being characteristics that give affected individuals an unfair disadvantage to various interrelated aspects in their lives.
This essay will be unpacking and analysing the different elements that create my own intersectionality in my life. This essay will be discussing how class, gender/sex and race have influenced who I am and the experiences I have had throughout my life, and how various structures impact these experiences, with reference to the Crenshaw and Dill and Zambara articles, I will connect their thoughts and ideas to the intersectionality of my own life.
With this understanding it can be acknowledged that one can be an oppressor at one point in time but be oppressed at another. These roles are constantly changing based on a variety of factors. Integrative anti-racism allows a better understanding these social oppressions. The author argues that in order for oppression to be vitally explored, the factors that create oppression must be realized. Oppression gives material advantage to the oppressor. "All social relations have material
African American women are considered the most disadvantaged group vulnerable to discrimination and harassment. Researchers have concluded that their racial and gender classification may explain their vulnerable position within society, despite the strides these women have made in education, employment, and progressing their families and communities (Chavous et al. 2004; Childs 2005; Hunter 1998; Settles 2006; Wilkins 2012). Most people agree that race and gender categories are explained as the biological differences between individuals in our society; however sociologists understand that race and gender categories are social constructions that are maintained on micro and macro levels. Historically, those in power who control the means of production within a society have imposed race, class, and gender meanings onto the minority population in order to maintain their dominant position and justify the unequal treatment of minority individuals by the divisions of race, class, and gender categories (Collins 2004; Nguyen & Anthony 2014; Settles 2006;).
In relation to the Critical Race Theory, the idea of the “gap between law, politics, economics, and sociological reality of racialized lives” (Critical Race Theory slides). The critical race theory gives us a guide to analyze privileges and hardships that comes across different races and gender. For example, analyzing how and why a “black” or “indigenous” woman may experience more hardships versus not only a “white” man, but a “white”
The way humans look externally and feel internally has been a barrier and the kernel to many of America’s social conflicts. Audre Lorde’s essay, “Eye to Eye: Black Women, Hatred, and Anger,” attempts to answer why Black women feel contempt among one another. It resonates that Black women, in lieu of their hatred for each other, should replace it by bonding together because they share the same experiences of being women and Black. In the essay titled, “Colorblind Intersectionality,” penned by, Devon W. Carbado seeks to expand the definition of “intersectionality,” which is a theory Professor Crenshaw initially introduced as a, “Drawing explicitly on Black feminist criticism,” (Carbado 811). Carbado is able to provide other forms of intersections by
In the story, A Social Worker’s Reflection on Power, Privilege, and Oppression, Michael S. Spencer touches on some very important details when it comes to oppression, power, and privilege of different groups. The impacted groups can include those made up of people who are racially diverse, those who are a different gender or those who are part of the LGBT community. (Spencer) Each of these groups can experience oppression in different ways. When it comes to people with a different color
This oppression and discrimination is experienced through several forms of oppression including violence, racism classism and sexism not only at a personal level but also at the structural level. This high risk population is vulnerable for internalizing the oppression as an accepted norm. Mullaly believes that “people may be given certain rights but still be unable to exercise their rights due to particular social constraints based on class, gender, race and ethnicity.”
Institutionalised racism exists under a more subversive manner, hidden in the shadows, yet still has the ability to prevent attempts to mend these health disparities. Consideration must be given to the factors that induce such health disparities, such as socio economic levels of disparity and employment status. However, the dynamic complexity associated with racism alongside ill health must be noted, were poor mental and physical health might be a pre-determinant for being a factor responsible for keeping one out of a vocation and poverty. Larson and her colleagues argue that lessening the socioeconomic inequality would reduce, but not curtail these health inequalities (2007, p327). The difficulty presented to this, is that racism is firmly entrenched within some structural frameworks of society, with the ability to extinguish any progressive movements towards these health issues, but instead reinforcing negative ideologies towards Indigenous