The delicate balance of power unendingly tips between groups, leading to the favoring of one over the other. The magnitude of this power struggle varies from that of the political parties in government to the fight for authority between parents and their children. The faction in power most always resorts to a dictatorial means of maintaining that power: oppression. It is known, however, that the group not in power often manages to metamorphosize and win dominance over the once supreme rulers. The ability of the oppressed to overcome their oppressors lies in the fact that oppression strengthens those who are oppressed, and moves them to take action against their rulers. The strength derived from oppression, however, does not come from mutual support among those oppressed, but rather from an infatuation with the reattainment of power which has been taken from them. …show more content…
Looking back at the example of political parties, oppression is seen through the prevailing of one agenda over another.
In modern day politics, the republican party controls both houses of congress, and this heightens the democratic party’s desire to gain offices in the upcoming election. While not in power, the watchdog party oftentimes searches for any and all opportunities to point out flaws in their opposers, even more so than usual. If the party in power slips up, their mistake is immediately noticed, weakening their chances for maintaining the power. The devotion of the watchdog party to exposing shortcomings stems from the desire to gain dominance for themselves, and is a manifestation of the extent to which the oppressed will go to escape their
oppression. A similar relationship is that of parents and their children. Inevitably, at some point, children challenge their parents. There are two ways in which a parent can handle this: either empower their children for their growth as in individual towards independency, or punish their children by oppressive means. It can be observed that the latter is a much more popular method of parenting, and this is due in part to the fact that oppression is easier than empowerment, which need requires much thought and skill to achieve properly. However, the oppression does not solve the need problem of the power struggle. Rather, it deepens the child’s desire to retaliate against the parent and gain the power for themselves. In this scenario, it is clearly seen that the strength derived from oppression derives from the desire to regain lost power. The alternative of empowerment would have satisfied the thirst for power, but oppression is easier initially, and for that reason is chosen by those in power as a means of maintaining control. Oppression of minority groups is yet another prime example of the strengthening powers which lie within oppression. Many civil rights movements have and still are taking place in American society today. In the past, movements were geared more towards the rights of African Americans and women. Today, movements center more around homosexuals and those of islamic faith. Regardless of the time, these movements have taken place for one reason: to regain the rights and power which has been taken from them through oppression. The individual liberties taken from these groups stirred action among them, leading to revolt and revolution, none of which would have been achieved without the loss of those rights in the first place. Power is the root of the problems caused by oppression. It is the driving force behind both the oppressors and the aspirations of those oppressed. The self-proclaimed necessity of power forces leadership to maintain their supremacy by any means necessary. Even more notable is the repercussions of that oppression. The stripping of power moves the oppressed to strike back, to take the offensive, and to regain what was once theirs. The void created by oppression can only be filled with power, and as such, oppression becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: to take away the rights and power of a group will drive them to retaliate and gain the power for themselves. This storyline is seen throughout history, from the Haitian and American Revolutions to the murderous monarchies of ancient Egypt. This repeating pattern always has and always will be a characteristic of human life, as the hunger for power drives the lives of the human race.
Ruth, Seán. “Theories of Internalized Oppression.” Leadership and Liberation: A Psychological Approach. London: Routledge, 2006. 155-173. Print.
Ms. Pharr explains the politics of domination as few seeking to have power over the lives of many, gaining it through systems of oppression and exploitation. The politics of liberation, the goal is for the many to share decision-making, resources and responsibilities for the good of the group as well as the individual (pg. 11).
"Oppression can only survive through silence" said Carmen de Monteflores and history proved this concept most thoroughly. However, the oppressed groups are generally not silent at all. They revolt, get violent, and are repressed again. This is not a rule, just a simple generalization and, of course, there are numerous exceptions. There is always a possibility that these downtrodden factions will get together to form a strong opposing force that will be an equal or almost equal rival to those that oppress.
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 consequences". The author argues that all identities must be considered interconnected.
I believe governmental power is maintained through oppression and tactic compliance of the majority of the governed struggle and conflict are often necessary to correct injustice.
People are their own worst enemy, we fight and kill each other for power and money. This has become such a common issue that it has even worked its way into literature. Examples of this can be found in many documents and writings in many different time periods. Some examples of these are: The Declaration of Independence, Civil Disobedience, and WALL-E. Throughout time, power struggles of conflicting ideas and individuals in the name of government has been a prominent issue in human society.
The representative population of a community is not comfortable when confronted by an individual who defies the laws that bind them. Whether or not the laws or the powers behind them are just, the populace must deal with any challenge to their authority. In some cases, the community, fearful of a powerful regime, will side with that power and avoid the risks associated with rebellion. Others find the tyranny too unjust to stand idly by and, risking their lives, join with other defiant individuals against it.
...shown during the Russian Revolution as a result of a power struggle. They struggle results in the exploitation of the other subjects and the taking of independence in which they fought to obtain to begin with. This is also shown in today’s society with people with high power who used this power for the wrong purposes. When a ruler takes over from an oppressive dictator the power the former ruler had does not go away and the new ruler becomes overwhelmed and becomes the same thing.
The “matrix of domination” theory seeks to prove that someone is not limited to one type of oppression and that all oppressions for various reasons are not the same. For example, if one is a black, lesbian woman, she may be oppressed in several different factors throughout the day, but she is can be advantage if she went to an all black company and applied for a job there, but that doesn’t subtract from her other disadvantages. (Glasberg, pg.
Oppression; something that has been around since the beginning of time; Mesopotamia. It is a cruel trait that takes advantage of others for the advantage to conquer and attain a goal in one’s life. From one of the first known literary works “The Epic of Gilgamesh” to William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Acts 1 and 2, the theme of oppression has been playing out in societies. In relating to these two stories through postcolonial theory we will look at different aspect of oppression. Oppression has shown it is one of a self-sustaining system of power that is used to dis-empower, disregard, silence, enslave and eventually could lead to death.
The Democratic Party is the most seasoned political gathering in the United States and among the most seasoned political gatherings on the planet. It follows its underlying foundations to 1792, when supporters of Thomas Jefferson received the name Republican to underline their hostile to monarchical perspectives.
When a government violates the rights and fails to protect its citizens, it is the people’s right to instigate a revolution to revise the government as they see fit. Revolutions especially in the case of complete and utter corruption when leaders of the government are bought by coin and allow injustice to happen, it is the people who must respond and bring the wrongdoers to justice. When a government overreaches its authority and violates its citizen’s rights, the people must rise against tyranny and injustice around them, in doing this they begin the struggle for change in their world. However, in all revolutions the methods and reasons are different. Some fight economic class abuse, some fight government overreach, and others racial prejudice. Three excellent examples of these revolutions are the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Civil Rights Movement. By observing these three revolutions, one can see how revolutions make a difference.
Bigsby identified racial identity as “reinforced by eliminating those who might contaminate it.” To clarify, our solution, if ever threaten, is to get rid of anyone that is different. It is very evident in all 3 of these events, that our fear fueled powerful leadership who meant to do more harm than good. Not only did leaders gain power, but as did accusers. Suddenly, people who never experience power had it right there in the palm of their hands. The author compared this to the young Red guards in communist China who obtained power and killed their elders, parents, and teachers. The accusers of the trials, predominantly women, who had very little power during those times have the power to get whoever they want executed. Even Tituba, the slave has got her share in experiencing the feeling of power that she has never felt before.
In most cases, there is a strong disconnect between the oppressed and the oppressor. The barricade separating the two from communicating exists in all mediums, whether it be social, economic, or political. The nonexistence of this availability to communicate leads to events such as the student protests in Mexico, or the brutal misconduct of civilians in Guatemala. Furthermore, these uprisings and confrontations exist not only for the bettering of society during that time, but for generations to come. The actions within each event led to both successes and failures surrounding the troubling injustices. Although the suffering encountered by these people led to slow change in government authority, it set an example for future generations. As history
The minority rights in a democratic society appear to even out with the majority rule in an unusual way. There are some incidents where the minority may have loss, but on the other hand won. For example, when Rosa Parks didn’t give up her seat on that hot Alabama day, she stood up to the majority tyranny. The majority won by putting her in jail, however; the minority prevailed by establishing the civil rights movements.