The Relationship Between Power, Privilege And Oppression

Throughout the reading, I realized that when I become uncomfortable discussing power, privilege, and oppression that I need to reflect on where I stand in those three categories. I try to remind myself before the discussion begins to acknowledge where I am an agent of privilege and power and where I may be a target in order to be more conscious of my thoughts and words and of my peers’ in the room. One aspect of the reading that I appreciate was that it discussed that privilege quickly turns into a “blame game” between others. When this happens, certain people may feel the blame while others “get off the hook,” which averts attention from the real issue: that privilege is something that we all should recognize and it is also systematically

enforced, not simply individually based. That being said, I think it is important to define how much of racism or sexism or similar discriminations should be held accountable to the individual and how much is due to societal pressures. I also thought that it would be interesting to compare learned socialization embedded in Everyone Loves Raymond to more modern television shows to determine if it is improving at all. Additionally, it would be intriguing to examine the socialization present on social media sites, especially because it is a considerable aspect of many people’s daily lives. Furthermore, when the author discussed how we act different in social situations, in the same what he acted different when playing Monopoly, it might be meaningful to analyze how people act differently on social media compared to real life situations.
Another part of the reading that resonated with me was the idea of following the path of least resistance. Personally, I always hear that you can do whatever you want, but you whether you actually will do whatever you want depends and I think this concept perfectly articulates what that saying is pointing towards.I related to the appeal and ease of the path of least resistance because it is something that I struggle with frequently. Inside my head, I will say to myself that I should do this because it is the right thing, but for some reason, I am hesitant about acting. This concept urges me to reflect on times that I have followed the path of least resistance without even realizing it and how that has affected different people depending on their privilege and power compared to mine. Lastly, I enjoyed the section that discussed how male-dominance is woven throughout our society, even in the crucial stages of career-building. This is something that I personally struggle with because I want a family, but also want to pursue my own aspirations.