Assignment 3B

I totally forgot to post this... I just got on to check the blog and saw that i forgot. SORRY!!!!

The Matrix of Domination and Where Power is in Everyday Life

Power is an interesting concept which the Merriam- Webster Dictionary defines as the right to govern or rule or determine. This is saying that power is more than a concept it has become an actually substance you can obtain that gives you the ability to rule over others. In our society power is distributed though the matrix of domination and in every level of the matrix there are marked and unmarked sub-categories. All of these lead to inequality in our everyday lives.
To understand this we must first try and understand the matrix of domination. Try and imagine this like a pyramid of power, where the top level gives you the most power and the lower level gives you the least amount of power, yet it still gives you power. The top level of this pyramid is going to be your socio-economic status. The second level is nationality, in this category it only matters if you are a United States citizen or if you are an immigrant (it doesn’t really matter what country you immigrated from though.) The third level on this matrix of domination pyramid is race. The forth level is going to be sexuality, which is asking if you are homosexual, heterosexual, transsexual, or bisexual. The last level of the pyramid is your level of education; this level is located at the base of the pyramid because it influences all the other levels but on its own doesn’t hold much power.
Before we get in to explaining each of these levels you must first understand what marked and unmarked categories are because they exist in each of the levels. A marked category is a group within any given level of the pyramid that includes all the oppressed people in that level. Take race for example, in the United States, we seem to oppress colored people for the most part, we them do this by giving many hurtful nicknames and bad connotations. This makes them marked; you can imagine it sort of like the book, The Scarlet Letter, where a marked person wears a letter on their shirt, causing them to be oppressed. Therefore, unmarked categories are really the privileged people within that level. When we think of the typical privileged person in the United States it is the American upper class white heterosexual male. This is because in our society this is the type of person that fits in to the unmarked categories and is given all the advantages in life. Now that you understand what marked and unmarked categories are lets move on to explaining them as they pertain to the matrix of domination.
As we said the first level on the pyramid is your socio-economic status. Your socio-economic status is where you fit within society accordingly to your annual income. There are four main categories within this level and they are as follows: the lower class, the working class (the middle class), the upper-middle class, and the upper class. The unmarked categories in this level are the upper-middle class and the upper class. Thus that makes the lower class and the working class the marked categories. These categories are marked because they are oppressed in our society, in that they are looked down upon. Say you are riding down the road and you see a lower class bum sitting on the side of the street, and he/she is holding a sign that reads, “Will work for food,” are you going to give this man/women a job? NO! You are going to give the business man who comes in to your office with a suit on and a resume in hand. This is because most of us are used to placing negative connotation on the lower class, thinking that they will not work hard at a job because they just want to “go out and buy booze.” When in reality you have no idea why that bum on the side of the street got to where he/she is. Still it is our natural reaction to favor the upper class and thus giving them the privileged advantage.
Nationality, as we said is the second level on the pyramid of domination. There are really only two parts to this level, there are the United States citizens, and there are the immigrants. This makes it simple to try and figure out who are the marked and unmarked people in this group. The United States citizen is the unmarked category, giving them all the privilege. Think about it, in America we don’t have anything negative to say about Americans, but we can think of plenty negative things to say about immigrants. Thus making the immigrants the marked group of this level. For example, when 9/11 happened we oppressed all middle-eastern people, just because a few of them were part of that horrendous day we looked and treated almost all of them indecent, and some Americans still do this. Or think about the purpose of affirmative action, we had to create a bill that would insure that immigrants had the same rights are Americans because our natural instinct is to oppress those who are not like the majority. Both of these examples prove that the American is the privileged man in America and is going to get the advantage over the immigrant.
Race is a very touchy issue in America because of our past with slavery, but still we are a country driven by race, and this is going to be our third level on the matrix of domination. While we try constantly to fight racial inequality within the United States it remains a problem. It only makes sense then to say that race is a big part of the power struggle in the United States. While race is in many ways attached to nationality it is not entirely. There are many African Americans in the United States or Hispanic Americans or exc., but even though they are Americans they are not of the Caucasian race causing them to be oppressed. The Caucasian is the privileged one in America; they don’t have to constantly fight racial inequality because for the most part they are creating the inequality. It is the colored person in the United States that has to constantly fight against discrimination and oppression. Think of it this way, how many families do you know would have a problem with a white girl deciding to date a black guy? That number is probably a lot. Or for even a larger number, how many of you or your friends will say the N-Word with each other? It is an oppression that this country has had to deal with for centuries and will probably never fully dissipate.
A form of oppression that has caused a new movement is the issue of sexuality. The gay rights movement is a hot topic on today’s media, and rightly so. The heterosexual man/woman has never had to fight for what they believed in as far as their sexuality goes because we have always believe a man and women being together is the way God wanted it. This has caused gays to be made fun of and cast aside for years because their sexuality did not fit the mold of what society thinks is right. Causing homosexual, transsexual, or bisexual person to be placed in the marked group of social inequality. Because many Americans do not believe that these sexualities are appropriate we take away certain rights of theirs and try and justify it. One that we should all be aware of is the right to marry, many of us watched as the debate over whether same-sex marriage should be allowed in the United States occurred. And whether we agree or disagree on the decision that was made we should all agree that this battle made it overly obvious how oppressed these people are. Let’s take our own army for example, it is only recent that homosexuals were allowed to enter the army but the rule is still that they must not talk about their sexuality due to the “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy. The power given to the heterosexual man over the homosexual man is massive and completely unfair.
The base of the pyramid once again is the level of education a person recieves. This level influences all the other levels of the pyramid thus making it a key part of the pyramid. Those with only a high school education or below are in the marked category and those with an Associates degree or better are in the unmarked category. The level of education you receive is located on the bottom of the pyramid because is affects all the other levels. Those who are poor, immigrants, or colored do not normally receive the same level of education that the rich, white, American does. You can not tell me that the black boy or girl who is going to an inner city school is receiving the same level of education that the rich white boy or girl who is going to a prep school is receiving. Thus the rich white boy or girl is privileged, and in turn oppresses the poor colored boy or girl because they are not given equal opportunities. As you can tell the base of the pyramid is crucial to the entirety of the pyramid.
Now that we understand what the matrix of domination is and how each level works within the matrix, it is time to discuss where I fit in. Let’s start with the top of the pyramid and move down just as we did before. I grew up in an upper-middle class family and thus was quite privileged. Being in one of the unmarked categories of the socio-economic status level is a privilege that makes it increasingly easy to do many things one of them being the ability to network yourself. Just recently I decided I wanted an internship for the summer, as it would look very good on my future job application and my resume. So I told my mom this and she quickly spread the word to my aunt who has a friend who is a lawyer at a large firm on Capital Hill. Before I knew it my mom told me the internship was mine, and all I had to do was make up a resume. I didn’t think about it till now but this is actually a way in which my privileged oppressed others. Others who tried very hard in school and who really worked for this internship through studying about the firm and went through the time-consuming interviews will not get the internship just because I know someone and can network myself through them. Moving on to nationality, I was born an American and this once again places me in the hand of privilege. I have never known what is like to be an immigrant trying to make a place for myself in America. I was born to the privilege that I would just be given a place to fit in without having to really work to hard for it. Around 9/11 when the entire country was in fear I did get a tad scared every time I saw a middle-eastern man or women, so in this way I guess I participated in oppressing others. Race is once again not an area of trouble in my life. Being a white woman in America the most I have had to deal with is being called a “cracker.” Which in reality doesn’t hurt because, it doesn’t have any serious history behind it. And as far as oppressing others, I personally don’t participate in oppressing other races but my family probably does. I know that if I wanted to date a black man my family would be furious because they don’t think that society looks highly on that. While this is a common problem in America it is a serious form of racial discrimination and oppression. Sexuality is the next part of the pyramid, and once again I have never had to deal with oppression in this form either. I am a heterosexual female and thus do not have to deal with the negative connotations that go along with being gay, lesbian, or bisexual. I don’t think I have really ever received any benefits or privileges from this except for not having to deal with those painful stares given to homosexuals , but that is enough of a privilege in of itself. As far as oppressing others goes I think I have probably added to the problem, while I feel that homosexuality is normal and have multiple friends who are I do not agree with the idea of giving a marriage certificate to same-sex couples. This is not because I do not agree in the idea it is because I was raised that marriage is a union under God and in my religion God doesn’t accept homosexuality. I do though agree with civil unions and giving same-sex couple all the legal rights that heterosexual couples have. Lastly is, level of education, just like the rest of us at the University of Maryland, I am once again not in the marked group. I will be graduation in May of 2010 with my Bachelors and this gives me even more privileges. I am more likely to get a job offer over a person who was unable to pay for college or was only able to get their Associates. Yet, I wouldn’t get chosen over that person with a Masters or a doctorate degree and I guess you could say I am oppressed in that way. For the most part I have lived a privileged life and have never had to deal with oppression, which sort of explains where I fit in the matrix of domination.
The notion of power and the matrix of domination are very intricate and could be thought of in many ways, but to me I have found it easiest to understand when thinking of it in the concept of a pyramid. And that the marked and unmarked categories in which forms of oppression are evident is within each layer of the pyramid. And those who have the most power are at the top and those who deal with the most oppression are at the bottom. After doing this analysis of how much oppression there is in everyday life, I can not and would not want to imagine what it would want to be like to be at the bottom of the pyramid.

Tunnel of Op.

I thought overall the exhibit was a very insightful experience. I feel like it covered the majority of the big issues in the world today but did leave out some stuff. The organization of the exhibits could have been better: There was an exhibit about recycling, nexto that would be something about gun violence and then about drugs --> could have been a better layout to create a more organized flow.

ARTICLE:
Goal 1: Programs are centered on the real lived experiences.
The exhibits in the tunnel reflected, what seemed like, real lived experiences. Nothing came off as made-up which helped with the overall emphasis of the points being put across. Although all "real" some of the experiences or situations were exaggerated or only the extreme examples were used in most cases.
Goal 2: Programs challenge the participant to examine their own behavior within appropriate social constructs.
I think the exhibit about recycling and the materialistic nature of america opened my eyes up to my own actions. I don't think i was the only one either. Many of the other exhibits opened my eyes to situations that i didn't really pay attention to or thought existed which made me think how they evolved into what they are.
Goal 3: Programs ultimately move an enable the participant to act to break down stereotypes and barriers between people.
The information provided at the exhibits showed me how stereotypes and oppression develop between groups of people and evolve into major issues. I did not see much information about resolution of any of the issues on exhibit, which was really disappointing. There were many issues displayed and for such large issues there should have been some information offered about solutions or places to learn more and become more involved.

Assignment 3b

Handed it in during class, forgot to submit online sorry:

From the moment we wake up our lives are part in a giant cycle of existence which controls and affects aspects of every person’s life. The decisions we make, our interactions with others, the privileges we have, and who we are is defined by this interconnecting structure of power. Power is our ability as individuals or groups to influence things around us; to move through and use this structure of power as a privilege. However, as the universal law of the universe goes, there must always be balance; to empower one means to oppress another.
This structure is known as the “Matrix of Domination,” how the power of one leads to the oppression of another and how it is all connected. The first power base is Ideology, the control of ideas and knowledge, such as who we are, what we believe and what we think. Next is Polity, legitimized direct control over others. This is controlled by the government defining what we can/cannot do. The final domain is Economy, or the control of material goods and resources of others. This is a more physical control of a persons surroundings such as wealth, work, and housing. Within these domains lay the actual structure of oppression: who is oppressed and empowered. These structures include gender, race, class, and sexuality. Within each domain there is an institution or power base which affects the structure of oppression, dividing it into 2 categories; the dominate, those with power, and the subordinate, those who are oppressed. Because there are so many angles to power, there is no set pattern of how a person experiences power. Each person falls into different parts of the structure and therefore is affected in different ways. The intersection and connection between all these influences of power are what form the Matrix of Domination.
Within each domain exist institutions, which influence power conflicts within society. They divide people between a dominant group, who are the privileged, and a subordinate group, who are the oppressed. The power usually falls to the “normal,” people who do not stand out in society, known as the “unmarked”. If a person stands out against the “norm” because of gender, race, sexuality, or even class, they are considered part of the subordinate group, those without the power. These people are known as the “marked.” They are marked because in society’s eyes they stand out against what is considered normal/acceptable in a given situation. The beauty of the matrix is that to be unmarked in one dimension of the power struggle ends in that dimension. Looking at a different dimension the same unmarked person can be the marked, creating the infinitely interconnecting cycle of power.
Against the backdrop of privilege and oppression, there is the concept of empowerment, or the acceptance of conditions and the resistance the subordinate group makes to create a balance of power. Empowerment is defined, by Patricia Hill Collins, as the act where subordinate group members understand their difference/existence as marked subjects, and with this knowledge objectify themselves to use this as “leverage” in their favor.
While this power matrix may seem simple it is actually very complex with infinite intricacies. To illustrate, I will explore a day of my life and how I interweave in this structure of power. Over the course of my life as a straight, white, male, of the middle-upper class, I will have many advantages/privileges that others won’t. At the same time, others will have advantages that I won’t, and I will be at the disadvantage. Exploring my own power matrix I learned how my being affects others, and how others affect my own being. I uncovered many things that I do or ways I behave and the theoretical reasoning behind them.
As a twenty-year-old college student I wake up every morning to infinite influences on my life. The first thing I do is eat breakfast, which I always eat in the healthiest fashion because I know that a good and healthy breakfast leads to a healthier lifestyle. After breakfast I usually try and go to the gym before my classes to keep myself in shape. I come home to shower and dress making sure I look presentable. Why do I do all this to maintain my physical appearance? The answer is easy, because it puts me at an advantage over others, at least so I’ve been programmed to think.
One of the largest influences on my behavior is the media. In the USA TV, radio, music etc… control a large majority of the ideals of my life. I see fit, attractive people on TV, who are dressed well. They show these people on TV because they are who society accepts or projects as the normal; these people are the unmarked. To be like them I eat well, dress well, stay in shape so I am not different.
Physical appearance is a classification of class. The media portrays the upper class as well dressed. Shows such as MTV, movies, and seeing celebrities on TV portray the extravagant lifestyle as the normal, so we grow up trying to achieve this. I base my appearance and behavior around power structure of class. By improving my position among others by being in better shape, dressing better, acting “cool,” I naturally put myself at what I consider an advantage, being closer to who we are told to be like. Being a male I am less affected than females are by this. There is high pressure on females to be dressed well and fit. The media creates the ideology in society that a woman must be well kept, dressed well, and extremely fit to be attractive and presentable in society. While this gives women the power of sexuality it also objectifies them and creates expectations.
The media does not only affect images of class but also of race. The portrayal of many African-American males in movies, TV shows, and even the news puts them at a disadvantage. The crime reports that constantly appear on the news mark the “black race.” If the news shows that the worst parts of DC are the black neighborhoods, then people who see this “mark” black men. Soon police are wary of lower class black males, marking them as “suspect”/suspicious. The police then enforce this in their daily activity, racially profiling. In an instant the media has turned the crime in one neighborhood into the legitimized oppression of the African-American male community by the police (within the domain of polity law). In the United States, there has been increasing awareness that penalties for possession of and dealing crack cocaine (done more heavily by African-Americans) are much higher than penalties for cocaine possession/dealing (done more heavily by Caucasians). This shows how quickly one institution within a domain of oppression can quickly lead to and influence others and how they interact.
Being Caucasian in America could probably be one of the most direct advantages I have. Recently I was traveling with my family. As a Caucasian I have almost never been pulled aside in airport security, however my Middle Eastern father is pulled aside almost every time he travels. My Israeli dad has been marked by American society because of recent media covering terrorism and problems in the Middle East. While racial profiling exists there have been laws set in place that are supposed to prevent it as a form of subordinate resistance within the “polity” domain.
As a Caucasian, which makes me part of the unmarked majority population of America and this school, I will probably be paid better and have more/better job opportunities than people of other races. Unfortunately the fact that I am Caucasian will also put me at a disadvantage. As I said before there is always balance. When applying to colleges I understood that as a result of affirmative action my non-Caucasian counterpart, who will not have the same jobs or pay as me, will have an easier time of getting into the University. This is an example of resistance of the marked/subordinate group, I am not personally saying that this is bad, but in my opinion, when a group does this they only confirm and perpetuate their existence as a marked group in a form of “submission.”
After waking up a Caucasian, media driven, male student, I make my way to my classes at the University of Maryland. Education is the next big institution within the Ideological domain. Education has been a divider of power since the beginning of existence, giving better jobs and opportunities to the educated and marginalizing the uneducated. There are many negative stereotypes of people who don’t attend college. Education is a divider of race, and it is also a major divider of class. People of the higher class tend to have a college degree and experience, which often leads to better jobs. However, as a college student, It is harder to find jobs at first because we are considered inexperienced. People my age who went straight into the world of work may earn more than I initially earn and have an easier time getting a job than I do when I get my college degree because they have those years of experience working for them.
It is also an expectation of American society as dictated by the media that people must attend college to be considered educated. To not be educated is a mark against one’s self, separating one from the standards of the educated-upper class. Another negative stereotype as a non-college educated person is that you do not have the knowledge of others and therefore will not be able to get as good a job as someone who has attended college. This results in economic oppression on the subordinate group that did not attend college.
Being born into a middle-upper class family is great luck and a large advantage in many aspects of our society. I am treated to the best education and I am expected to fit that mold and perform well in it. This is also a disadvantage because if a person in this situation has other dreams or ideas it is harder to drift away from the norm of that class. I have a friend, both his parents are lawyers, and they have high expectations of him to graduate from the Maryland business school. He does not really tell many of his friends, and absolutely cannot tell his family, that he really would like to just move to Colorado to become a ski instructor for the rest of his life. It is hard and embarrassing to him to tell people he usually associates with within his class what he wants to do. Within levels of class there are certain guidelines and expectations.
The upper class usually controls the better jobs and opportunities, so the lower class must take the worst jobs, and turn to upper class business owners for employment. This leads to another form of oppression where the upper class owners now have workforce control over the lower class. With control over the lives of others the upper class reinforces its personal power and influence over other people. The upper class controls who gets jobs, who gets promoted, what benefits people get, and their earnings.This can lead to the exploitation that can be found with common wage and manual labor jobs. With the lower class marked for worse economic conditions, its source of empowerment is through worker unions, strikes, and examples of worker-owned companies. The workers who fail at this usually are driven out of their jobs or to endless struggles for stable employment.
This situation leads other domains of the oppression matrix to be effected. The lower class being driven into difficult economic positions creates opportunity for others. The police become empowered through class oppression. Members of the lower class are treated less fairly by the law. The court system is enormously expensive, to the point where members of the lower class aren’t able to take people to court because of the expense of lawyers, or even able to pay their court fees to the government. Because of this they get unequal protection under the law compared to those who can afford the best lawyers.
After all my classes are over, homework is done, and the sun begins to set, I usually find myself facing legal restrictions set up for people my age. Still in college, my friends and I do our fair share of drinking and partying, in other words toying with the law. The law was set up to protect people but in a way acts as an oppressor. People my age (who can vote and lose their lives in a war) are not allowed to drink. It is a form of government control of the young population and it puts students in the position of submission to the government’s power. In an attempt to empower ourselves, we accept our role as irresponsible adults and do our best to get away with as much as we can by stretching the law. People empower themselves against government control by fighting back through demonstrations and illegal activities. In my rebellion against this government control I find myself in the bars of College Park where a whole new world of power is opened up to me.
As a male in the modern world I will have many sources of power but at the same time I will also have many disadvantages, which women have over me. To start off with I was born into a position of power, after all the sign for the male is the sword, while the females is the shield. It has been men’s position in history as the “powerful.” This is not my choice or doing but how it happened. Women are looked at as the more beautiful and delicate gender. Where this puts men at a workplace advantage, it puts me at a sexual disadvantage. Women have the power of sexuality. In the case of anyone I know, if a girl asks for something the male will be more ready to help the female than another male in a similar situation. This is because of the delicacy of the female gender. Certain expectations are created around this form of oppression. The males are expected in society to initiate relations with women, they usually are the ones who go hit on women, buy drinks for women, ask women out, etc… Going to the bars at night all the girls who look beautiful and are dressed well have no problem getting into the bars, while men are treated strictly. Inside the bar men buy girls drinks to try and create some sort of connection with the woman. Unfortunately it is usually the better-looking girls who are hit on, get in, and have drinks bought for them. This is not a social choice but more of an animal instinct, however it creates social divides. Women become empowered when they realize there advantage over men and dress scandalously and flirt to try and get what they want, Exploiting their perceived position amongst men, objectifying themselves. As the more work and politically “powerful” gender, it is a common and unfortunate fact that men will make more money in the same job position as equally qualified and experienced females. In the current election process there is great debate between whether Obama, or Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. While both candidates have there qualities I have many people dislike Clinton just because she is a woman. Maybe people are afraid of giving the most powerful job in government (domain of Polity) to a woman? As a Clinton supporter I feel disgusted when I hear people say they will vote for Obama just because he is a male democrat, or even worse when people say McCain is going to be elected because he is not African-American or a woman. While this offers me more opportunity for jobs and better salaries it puts women who have worked equally hard as me at a disadvantage. Many of these oppressions of women and empowerment of men are created and enforced through religion.
Being a Jewish male, with family from Israel, I have had a strong connection with religion throughout my life. At the age of thirteen I was bar-mitzvah, the ritual passing of men into adulthood through Jewish religion and culture. This is a opportunity which, traditionally, only men could take part in, there was no such thing for women. From early life this tradition creates a divide in gender. Men are given the opportunity to pass into a higher form of society within the religion, given power within the religion. Women who for the most part have not been offered this opportunity have recently started to hold the ceremony for themselves as a way to empower themselves. Religion creates more than a gender divide, it has also created a religious divide between people. At the university of Maryland, where there is a very large Jewish population, I sometimes feel like a minority. When certain holidays are celebrated such as Easter and Christmas I sometimes feel different. This is mostly caused by the Christmas music played on the radio and all the tv programming for these occasions. While I don’t feel at a disadvantage, in a way I am marked by society. The majority of America are Christians, being Jewish I am deemed different at times and marked against the norm of society.
Looking through my everyday life I can easily see how power structures my everyday life from my interactions with others to how I act and feel about myself. The privileges I have in one dimension come from the power I take by oppressing others. While privileged in domain and structure I can also be marked by society as different and disadvantaged in another. This constant balance between being unmarked and powered and marked and disadvantaged is what makes up the matrix of domination that surrounds my life. Throughout this paper I explored my life and saw how being who I am can advantageous to me through the oppression of others, and how being the same person can also be a disadvantage to me while tipping the scales of power to those lucky enough to be unmarked.

assignment #3

Assignment #3

I completely forgot to post this, so sorry it's late.

To begin to think about the details of our everyday lives and what they mean to the world is quite a daunting task. Some of us barely recognize our existence. We submit to the numerical outlook on life that being one of six billion is not that big of a deal. Others believe their every action is the center of the world, and everyone should know about it. And yet there are others that live hoping to one day figure it all out, taking things day by day, never having a “typical” day, and always wanting more. I find myself as more of person three, and it very much so affects where I see and, more or less, acknowledge power in my everyday life.

I must first justify the use of acknowledge in my previous statement before I begin to elaborate on the power seen in my everyday life. I can see power everywhere. When I turn on the TV, read the newspaper, or even use a bathroom, I see some institution of power’s influence throughout. I see the power that affects other people as well. I can have a conversation with a friend through a cell phone and understand what they have experienced that day that has brought them to their current situation or mood. What I cannot always do is “acknowledge” the power. Acknowledging is a forming of accepting that I believe does not necessarily require further action afterwards, but because of our nature, usually does. When you acknowledge someone you know walking into a room, a simple hello is rarely the extent of conversation. Most times we extend out to them our idea of courtesy, whether it be asking how they have been or complimenting their vibrancy. This makes them become a part of my day, an event that was worthy of attending. This parallels the way I, and presumably others, deal with power in our lives in that once I have acknowledged it, I will more than likely do something about it or be affected by it. There are times, the rare times, that we ignore it, or leave it be with our “simple hello,” but whether we know it or not we are acknowledging and letting the power of the social labels that exist in our everyday life, affect our everyday life.

Power can be good and bad, but it relies on the use of it. What power we have and how we are able to use it comes from the matrix of domination, those interlocking social labels of our lives. These labels that we carry affect our experience with power in many institutions, for example the education system or the workforce. For each person it is different, but the matrix of domination always involves links between good power, privilege, and bad power, oppression. The power I experience depends on my markedness in each societal community, a concept I will further discuss as I feel it is a big part of my own personal experiences with power.

I see the power in my life as pretty normal - at least for a white, able-bodied, middle-class, working, college-enrolled, heterosexual male in his early 20s. It’s quite an interesting label for a person, perhaps overdone and or perhaps lacking, but to me, that is me to society. Each part of my label embodies a part of my life that gives me the advantages others are not as fortunate to experience and the disadvantages that make my life a little bit harder. I do not ask for either, but I believe it is inevitable to experience what I do in my life because of each of these labels. The parts of my life that I see this power the most prominently are in my education, my current and future job, and my associations with the media.

For the past four and a half years I have been attending a large and highly respected university throughout the United States. How I got there, why I got there, and why I even chose to get there are all come from powers I hold and that control me. I got into college through dedicated work and involvement during my high school career that made me a prime candidate to attend college and further my education in the first place. I got to go to high school in the first place because I was a white, middle-class kid living in an economically developed area. The public school system of my state was able to fund my school and give me the opportunity to attend college, but unfortunately at the expense of public education in many other areas. We are looking at a higher power empowering the youth of chosen socio-economic classes. I look at this and do not know how it is possible to deny the same education I received to others, but they are marked to be the uneducated people of the world. So when I walk around campus, I know that my fellow college attendees received some sort of prior education and are the same as me, and we are unmarked. I also know that my admittance to the major program of my choice comes from not only my previous education, but my race and gender. A white male that excels in computational and physical sciences has become the face of the engineer. If I represent the typical engineer, it was no surprise to me that I end up becoming one, or at least was empowered to educate myself in the profession. This power I have leaves the atypical engineer to face difficulty with acceptance into the profession. The number of women in engineering is growing, but it is not simply because more women are choosing the profession, but because it is becoming more acceptable by the workforce they will enter for a woman to practice the profession and represent an engineer. The power to choose the major though does make it difficult to believe however that gender representation in a particular field is strictly based on lack of interest by that gender, a view I held for most of my academic career. It was not until my exposure to student-teaching last year and the mentoring I received from a woman that worked for developing engineering programs that I was able to think differently. Her message was so clear that I understood better. What I also realized at that time, however, is that no man could have made that as evidently clear to me as she did, and so as a male advocate of female enrollment in engineering programs, I know I will never hold the influence that woman had over as many people as she can touch. And so now within the next month I will be graduating with a bachelors of science from one of the top universities in the country. But what made it a top university? When I was a senior I always checked two ranking systems from institutions comprised of peers and authority figures in the higher education system throughout America – the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. What they did was to compare as many universities as they felt necessary, but usually I never concerned myself with more than 100 out of the over 4000 that exist. I looked at a ranking, done by people I did not know, and based on that ranking deemed a university acceptable. Coupled with personal choices of student life and available programs, rankings have become so important to prospective students that you frequently have to pay in order to have access. These rankings are important to me because of the frequent questions I receive from family members, strangers, and employers about my pursuits in college and where. I place the power to be highly touted in the workforce purely in the hands of the ranking systems that let employers know how good my university is as I do to the “wow factor” experienced by family members and strangers when news of my graduation from the University of Maryland as a mechanical engineer reaches them. That same privilege is what oppresses the graduates of community colleges and colleges ranked lower in their same experiences with employers and interested strangers. My education is important to me. It has given me the knowledge I feel I need to secure a strong financial future with a career that I enjoy and the life experiences that will mold the history that is mine to be made.

So far I am a pretty unmarked guy. I am 22, white, and in college, pretty standard in today’s picture. I am a male engineer, so I won’t stick out too much at any company I work for, and graduating from a good university is only but a clock tick away for me. It is not until I look at the parts of my life influenced by my current job that I begin to feel a bit more in the opposite boat. Since the ripe young age of 17, way back when in 2002, I have worked part-time and recently full-time in the retail industry for American Eagle Outfitters. I had to work because as the child of middle-class, working, and minimally higher-educated parents, my funding for the wants of my life were limited. Those wants included but are not limited to – a car, gas for the car, clothing, music, books, food, and my college education. The economy had oppressed me into being a person that had to, at a young age, devote time to working in order to have the things they wanted. I was also a person that had to lose a lot of social and study time during my college years that even many professors to this day do not realize our existence. It is somewhat unbelievable for any to assume that the average college student must not work, but that is the much too common statement muttered by anyone not in the norm. In the same sense, my race, which identifies the most with the image of the company, gave me the privilege that the successful corporation had to continue my employment for such an extended period of time. Not that my dedication and hard work did not pay off, but there are many groups that do not have as easy a time holding a job with struggling companies constantly looking to down-size or who are being dominated by that corporation I was a part of. I always enjoyed my job but it was because of the economic power my company yielded I was able to keep it.

The hands down, biggest influence on not only the ideas we hold and formulate but the success and failure of people in political and economic power is the media. The media perpetuates so many of my privileges it is absurd. It is because of the media that my gender is the dominant focus of the sports world, and that people of the same sexuality as me can entertain a larger TV audience than those who are not. Let me walk through my day of privilege because of media and watch as I struggle to find any oppression. The white, able-bodied male athletes that succeed in professional sports that draw much TV and radio broadcast coverage give me identifiable and relatable icons. As I grew up, I could admire and aspire to be the 7-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens. If it wasn’t him, there are so many other white male athletes out there that the choices were endless. The stand-up comedians that provide us college-aged and older adults with so many jokes have given me outlet to poke fun at anything different from me, just as long as it was a joke. I have been able to make fun of the stereotypes of the GLBT community, blacks, and women without consequence as long as my demeanor is one of non-seriousness. Due to the large exposure of these comedians on TV and in venues frequented by people of my specific race and sexuality, those other subordinate groups can gain more stereotypes while I remain in the dominant group developing these oppressing outlets. The media, relating back to my job at American Eagle, also gives the company the power to reach the right people to fund their business. Without exposure to the media, American Eagle is just another producer of clothing that does nothing more than any other brand. Instead it creates people who believe there is something more about wearing that brand than meets the eye. When I wore their clothing, I believed most thought I looked stylish and well put together. What I mean by well put together is a sense of being mature enough to understand that there are appropriate times to wear jeans and a t-shirt and other times where you needed khakis and a polo. When people looked at me, I wanted them to approve of my choices and make an initial judgment that I was a good person because of the clothes I wore. I also wanted my peers to judge chances of compatibility based on style. I have become a person concerned with outward image because of the media. Looking back on only a simple activity in class, I realized that I owned nearly 100 shirts, all of different design, each with its own intended purpose to portray myself as something. The media has made me part of the dominant group that thinks this is perfectly fine and not someone who challenges the idea of an image being necessary to be accepted.

The media has also limited the way in which I can act from day to day. Media coverage of the horror stories of college aged women’s experiences with sexual assault and rape makes me a part of a marked group of men that are chauvinistic, forceful, sexual animals. I then become the college male whose sexual promiscuity is the result of a sense of conquest within my circle of peers. This is, however, a positive constraint that college-aged males face that raises awareness within our educational systems that the adolescent male population is not getting the proper education about sexual relations. Add those who do not learn in school to those without the available schooling in the first place and the outlook for men is not good. The type of male that deserves the negative stereotype of being forceful and eventually rapes someone gets it from the media coverage, it just unfortunately connects itself to the rest of the male population. This is one explicit situation where being male marks you.

In the continuous effort of Katie King to motivate us to engage ourselves in events that are about social reform, I must mention a media event I recently saw that opened a large window about the oppression of race in this country and just how privileged I am to be white. The event was a panel discussion at Howard University, covered by MSNBC, entitled “A conversation about race.” During the event, a video clip of what has been called the doll test was shown in which a two dolls, one black and one white, were placed in front of children and they were asked to identify which doll was the pretty doll, which was the ugly doll, which was the nice doll, and which was the mean doll, after which they were to point to the one that looked most like them. Though only 60 seconds of the test was shown, with the children all being black, the results were shocking. All three children identified the white doll as the pretty and nice doll while the black doll was ugly and mean. When asked why the dolls were pretty or ugly, the response was unanimously that it was pretty because it was white and it was ugly because it was black. The one black boy showed little confusion as he answered, but one of the girls seemed puzzled at the end when she was asked which one she looked the most like as to why she was pointing at the one she had just called ugly and mean for being black. In terms of the matrix of domination, this really struck me as an injustice that race will probably always carry. In terms of the doll test, I was the pretty and nice person. And as I identified with the test, I had to ask myself, “What would lead these children to ever believe this?” And the answer unfortunately relates to the actions my race controls media that instills this image to even the youngest of children. Our educational system has reached a point where this would never be something a teacher would tell children, and outside of possible exposure through a religious environment, which is more than likely racial segregated, the only excuse is the media. My race is the one that creates confused images within people. I can even go as far to say that my gender contributes to it as well, as most in power in the media business are men. This means white men hold the power to instill within millions the wrong ideas about themselves which can cause additional emotional, psychological, and physical problems of its own. And in my life, I am left to be simply unaffected and not to worry about confusion because I am a part of that group. The power that is my influence to give myself privilege within society, acceptance as the good and the pretty, makes me just the opposite. It is a good thing I am not a marketing or television executive who sees this same documentary, for I am sure the sense of guilt and exclusivity from so many problems of society would de-value my life.

The last example I experienced gives a good summary of what I feel power is in my life and also how my partner and I decided on our creative representation. Power to me seems excessive and dangerous, but it is because I have access to so much of the good. Rarely do I find myself in a position where I worry what will happen because of my labels. My matrix of domination would be exactly that, an interconnection of domination over the social influences and economical and political policies that shape this country. My life though, everyday, finds me at odds with myself over the use of this power, and whether I want to acknowledge it and make it a part of my life. I saw no problem with using my race and socio-economic class status to get and retain a stable and good paying job, so why would I not enjoy the privilege of a higher salary than an equal woman in the same workforce. It is a struggle within that I cannot compare to the oppression that is an actual struggle for those outside of my groups. Though there are things in my everyday life I do not concern myself with, those that I do have been highlighted to show the importance of needing some sort of change. Maybe I should be a proprietor of change since I have so much privilege, using the good power to rid the world of the bad power that limits so many in this country. If so, I think I would become marked, in the sense that activists are not considered the norm, and I might find myself at more of a disadvantage, in other words, sacrificing my power. It is a vicious circle of either choosing to be apathetic in order to remain comfortable but then find yourself back where you are too privileged, or the desire for change that inconveniences your immediate power in hopes of the elimination of oppression for others and regaining of benefits for all. Power would be much better off not existing, and make it much easier for us to all get along.

Karen Jo

WMST205

Power is Privilege but Oppression

In my own personal life, the different categories that I fall into determine not only who I am in the society, but how I identify myself as a whole. I am both privileged and oppressed to be in the place of power in which I am currently in, and it is exposed through my everyday life and how I fit into various international systems of power. In the matrix of domination, I have to ask myself the same question of “Am I included?” in certain marked and unmarked categories, and as I critically look at myself, I find that the power I posses is given through the place I fall into. The different categories are gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexuality, class, ability, age, nationality, and language. In each category, I find myself to be privileged in some aspects and to be oppressed in others, but as a whole, each category encompasses my entity, to make me the person I am.

In an obvious and distinguishable category, the identification of gender is important in determining power. Gender, like other categories as class and race are socially constructed, meaning that they are not biologically determined. For most people, there are only two genders, male or female. I am a female and this identification has determined many aspects of my life. Although everyone is born as either a male or female, it is up to the society to construct our ideas of the power that women hold. Even in the beginning it is custom to identify women as the more passive gender, the tender and loving side of a human being. Growing up, this idea has constantly been reinforced and made obvious to me. In my everyday life, I see how women are perceived to be soft and delicate, in contrast to the strong masculine viewpoint of a male. For example, even in the hospital, girl babies are associated with the color pink, while boys are associated with the color blue. Girls were not born to like pink and neither was boys born to like blue, but it is our society that has constructed this idea and made everyone believe it. Being a women brings power but also oppression. I am in the marked category for being a woman, because it distinguishes that I have less power than males. It is strongly assumed that males should be more powerful and historically it has created a system of oppression. In the system, women are forced to be under the rule of men and under their power. Males have the privilege to be above women and to be stronger than them at the expense of women having less power. In my life, I have seen this very clearly. Even in my family, I see how the male members hold onto their power and use it at the expense of the women. My father, being male, is the head of the household, and therefore he holds all the power. He can tell everyone else what to do and how to act. Even towards my mother, he has ultimate say and makes the final decision for everything. In response, my mother being the subordinate sex has to take orders from my father and to obey his wishes. This type of traditional family role has existed for generations and it is how our society has developed to identify the difference between male and female. Within my life, I see how my peers act toward me simply because I am a woman. When males talk to me about academic discussions, I can sometimes feel that they acknowledge me as a subordinate and not knowing as much as they do. I am impacted by this because I feel that this can be a huge issue when it comes to the work place and when I am applying for jobs. I am well aware that there is discrimination against women and that they do not have the same rights as men. On the other hand, I feel that women’s rights are increasing and that the times are changing. In the current election, Hilary Clinton is running for president and this is a monumental step for women. It is making the gap between male and female to decrease and allowing women all around the world to step up and acknowledge the power that they posses.

In the category of race, I find myself again in a marked category, due to being an Asian American. The fact that I am a minority in America and that I do not belong to the unmarked category of being white, decreases the opportunities that I have and the level of achievement that I can reach. I have realized this by observing other Asian Americans in the United States and seeing how far they have climbed the ladder. Although many Asian immigrants are intelligent and posses undeniable talent, they cannot reach the same level as a white person in the same profession simply because of their race. The discrimination and prejudice that exist in our world is not only painful to the receiver, but detrimental to the society as a whole. I see how those who are minorities posses less power than the dominating Anglo-Saxons due to their race. Just in the history of America, it is obvious how different a person can have power according to their race. Slavery has been a huge issue in our history that was supported by the immoral idea that some people are above others simply because of the color of their skin. In our readings in the class, like Kindred, it shows that slavery was not innate to cause black people to be under the rule of white people. It is the misconception of people to think that they are superior to other races and to feel that they have more power. Although I am not of African American descent, my race has also experienced discrimination in America. Chinese people are commonly seen as peasants and working for low class jobs, like laundry shops or restaurants. It is not because they are not intelligent enough to hold a high collar job; in actuality many come from high professions like doctors and scientist in their country, but because of the language barrier they are forced to take low paying jobs. I also learn from my parents that it is almost impossible to pass the glass ceiling for us minorities. We can have the same education and experience, and yet never reach the same level as the white people, because they have been the dominant group for centuries. For me, this is an oppression because it stops me from achieving the highest possible. In addition, many people have certain stereotypes about me simply because of my race. On a positive note, Asian people are seen as being hard working and studious, but at the same time nerdy. On the micro-level, this influence the people I hang out with and the way I view other races. I tend to associate with other people who are Asian simply because I can associate with them and we have similarities.

In my religion, I am part of the unmarked categories in that I am Christian. I believe in God and Jesus and go to church every Sunday. Being a Christian is unmarked because the United States was founded and based on Christianity, and the dominant religion is Christianity. I believe that religion controls many different ideas and knowledge. In ideology, religion helps to justify and support the interest of certain groups. I have seen this plainly in my everyday life, especially when I hear about politics. While religion is kept separate in the school system and in many other institutions, religion and government are in fact very intertwined. Those who are Republican tend to be more strongly rooted in the faith of Christianity, while the liberal Democrats tend to not be. Many times I feel that people vote for one candidate over another because of their religious stance that influences many of their policies. Especially in America, there is a positive image of Christianity, because our founding fathers were strong in their faith. In my life, religion is a large part of my life and determines how I go about my every day. In the Bible, it says that Christians have the duty to spread the word and to tell other people about the love of Christ. The goal is to convert other people to Christianity and by it being the dominant faith, it is sometimes easier to associate with others who believe in the same things as I do. The power that Christians have can also oppress other religions. Although anyone in America has the right to believe in any religion they want to, Christians believe that their faith is the correct one and it can go about to extreme ends. For example, the Crusades was when Christians believed they held all the power and tried to convert other people, which led them to oppress the people they felt were subordinate.

My sexuality also defines who I am and the category that I fall into. Being heterosexual, I fall into the unmarked category because in our society, heterosexuality is the norm in contrast to gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. By heterosexuality being the dominating sexuality, it oppresses the others by out casting and discriminating them. Many people do not understand why some people are gay or lesbian and they believe that it is wrong. In our society today, individuals have been brought up in a traditional household that teach the fact that a man and woman should only be together. It is this teaching and idea that has been passed on from one generation to the next and that has caused gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered individuals to be seen as out of the ordinary. In the polity domain of oppression, many times the dominant group has legal authority in the public arena and controls others in everyday life. In many states, it is by law that gays or lesbians cannot get married and this is how the dominate group, heterosexuals can controls the public. The subordinate group, while fighting for their rights, feels that they have no sense of control of themselves or their environment. They are essentially powerless to fight against the wide majority and will always be looked down upon. In my life, my sexuality is strongly connected to my religion because my religion does not approve in homosexuality. In fact, it condemns homosexuality and states explicitly that God created men and women to be together. Through my religion and sexuality, I do believe heterosexuals are unmarked and therefore have a sense of superiority. They can control how other people live, and I have realized that it has oppressed many other people.

Growing up in Maryland and from the part of town called North Potomac, I belong to the middle-class. The middle-class is an unmarked category because it is generally where most of the people are wealthier and thereby have more power idealistically, politically, and economically. The middle- upper class controls the power by having more opportunities of better education and better jobs. My daily social interactions are strongly affected by this unmarked category of belonging to the middle-class. I realize that I am privileged to have many physical things and opportunities that other people do not have. I can receive a good education and continue on to college because I come from a good county that believes in education. In addition, I do not have to think about the issue of money or how to pay for an expensive tuition. Due to the fact that I belong to this unmarked category, I recognize the blessings that I have, but I also see that my privilege is the effect of systematic structures in which others are oppressed. Other people who belong to the working class or poor do not have the same opportunities as me and it is due to many different factors. The reason why they belong to that class may be due to their race or background because they might live in poorer neighborhoods where education is not a main priority. Without an education they will never be able to make it up the working ladder and become nearly as successful as someone with a college education. On the macro level, this causes many subordinate groups to resolve their internalized oppression with self-hatred and self destructive behaviors. Many times, in the slums where the poor population lives, violence and hatred is abundant because they have resolved their issues with brutality. Socially, it is unfair that those who are already unfortunate by belonging to the lower poor class have a harder time in trying to gain empowerment. The subordinate group attempts to overturn this social hierarchy, but it is very difficult to, since most of the time it is determined what class you belong to from birth.

In the category of ability, I am currently able bodied. The general population is able-bodied and belongs to the unmarked categories. It is only when a person is disabled or physically challenged that they stand out and has to identify them self as physically different. I believe that this category is usually overlooked because the unmarked category remains invisible. It is standard that people should be healthy, while those who are disabled tend to be seen as weak and incapable. It is sad to recognize how marked people feel powerless compared to the able bodied people because they cannot function normally. Many times in my normal daily life I take for granted how blessed I am to be able to perform all functions normally, and to not even think twice about how it would be like to be disabled. When I wake up in the morning, I can brush my teeth, take a shower, and dress myself. All able bodied people can perform these low-functioning daily activities, but to those who are disabled, every task needs the help of others and it causes this helpless feeling of oppression by their physical state.

At my current state, I belong to the unmarked category for age, as I am a young adult. The prime time during one’s life is when they are young and capable of succeeding in life. Being an adult and being young allows an individual to have ultimate power in the direction of life they choose. It give me optimism in my own to life to know that I still have many years ahead of me to live, and that each day I can do something new and expand my knowledge of the world further. The marked categories of children or elders reveals how age can make one hold less power due to the point in life one is currently at. As a young child, I remember being fully dependent on my parents and needing them to constantly take care of me. When people are dependent of others, they hold less power and are therefore under the care of others. Similarly, elders have passed the prime time of their lives and are once again dependent on their children and family members to take care of them in their old age. They hold power in the sense that they are respected and acknowledged as the former generation, but they are still in need of care and the help of others. In my life, I can see how I am independent in the sense that I can take care of myself and continue on with my life without the immediate help of others. My parents are still a huge part of my life, but as I continue to grow old, I grow farther away from needing their help and find power in myself.

In my life, I find it interesting that I hold power and oppression together in the category of nationality and language. Since I was born and raised in America, I am a US citizen, part of the unmarked category of the privileged and dominant community. In addition, I am also part of the unmarked category of the language of Standard English. The only language I speak is English, even though I am from a different race than the commonly unmarked category of white. On one hand, I have many benefits from being part of the unmarked category because I hold US citizenship and I speak English. In many ways this allows me to assimilate into the American culture easily and to have all the rights that any other US citizen should have. On the other hand, I am oppressed in the sense that I have lost my power from being a part of my original ethnicity, in that I did not grow up in or learn the same things as my parents did in their native country. I am partially connected to both worlds, and yet in a sense rejected from both. For example, I cannot speak the same languages as my parents can, and this causes a barrier for me to fully understand my culture background. In another situation, I am a US citizen, but that does not mean I do not face any type of discrimination due to my background. Other white US citizens do not face the same types of barriers as I do simply due to my race.

It is being an entity of the different categories that reveal where I have power and where I do not. When combining all the categories for myself, I see how privileged I am to hold so much power, and at the same I see how I am oppressed by the systems that have been socially set up by our society. Since I am one person, every category fits into my life and connects with each other to make up the person that I am. It is important for myself to remember that in categories where I am privileged, other people are oppressed because there are always two categories of being marked or unmarked.

Analysis of Everyday Life

Dora Melara
WMST250
Sec 0105
April 21, 2008

Assignment 3- The Analysis of Everyday Life
There is power surrounding us in our everyday lives and sometimes we do not even notice it. There is power in our government, school, work, and even our homes. The government controls our country where we live. They control economy and all the other government issues. What they decide influences what happens to the citizens and what they can do. In school, the school’s principal or dean make decisions that affect the student body and faculty. Even though the principal and dean are on top in the school they still have someone above them that has even more power. When we all work, most of us all have a boss telling us what to do. When we are a child even up into our adult life if we are still living with our parents, they are the ones controlling us. They have power over most of us because most of the time they are the ones taking care of us with food and shelter. I say most of us because sometimes there are people who still live with their parents but are in charge of their own life. I know someone who is 20 years old and lives with his mom but she has no control over him because he works and pays rent but I know another person the same age and with a job but his parents do have control over certain things he may do. Power is everywhere. In everything we do there is somebody above us who has more power than we do.
Power can be shown through a matrix of domination. There are two categories when it comes to who has power in the matrix of domination. They are unmarked and marked categories. Unmarked categories are the dominating, privileged, and powerful. The marked categories are specific, subordinate, oppressed, and powerless. Race, gender, class, sexuality, able-bodiedness, language, religion, nationality, and age are the sub-categories of unmarked and marked categories. But through the years they can change historically and contextually. This matrix of domination can be shown in our everyday lives. Think about the example I gave in my introduction about the school’s dean. It is usually a Caucasian male, but not all the time. When I think of a dean, I think of a white guy and being white and a male are the unmarked categories in the matrix of domination. You do not even have to go to the highest power in the school. Thinking back the past two semesters I have been at the University of Maryland, almost all of my instructors have been white with the exception of two and they are both from Asia. Who will succeed the most in the end? Just look at the matrix of domination in the unmarked category. And with this I am leading in to the category of race.
The first category in the matrix of domination is race. The unmarked category is white. The marked categories are Black, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian. This category is not stable. In the 1870s the categories for race were white, colored (Blacks), colored (Mulattoes), Chinese and Indian. In 1950 it was just White, Black, and other. Now it includes many more. This is an example of how history is an ever-changing thing. It was such a big deal back in the days of slavery up into the 1960s. This separation of Whites and Blacks caused much turmoil in those days. Blacks were looked down upon. They were indeed slaves. The White person had control in everything they did. Then slavery got abolished but the problem continued. Blacks were still not seen us important enough to mix with Whites. They were both still separated. They could not use the same things. Everything was marked with either Whites Only or Colored Only. Then the civil rights movement came in and the separation became equal. But even now, Whites are the unmarked category meaning they are the privileged ones and Blacks are under the marked category meaning oppressed. It was suppose to be that after the Civil Rights movement, Blacks would not be seen as oppressed but they still are. And is not only with Blacks now also with Hispanics. Now with this whole immigration business, Hispanics are being attacked a lot.
In this category, I fall into Latino/Hispanic. It is in the marked categories meaning it is oppressed. But I do not consider it being oppressed because I have two cultures in my background. I have the American culture and also my Hispanic culture. I learn a lot more of the world and different cultures. I can also teach other people who only have one culture about mine. I can tell a person who is from an American culture about my Hispanic culture and they can learn about it and vice versa. It makes their knowledge grow. For example, in my Hispanic culture, when a girl turns 15 years old, her parents throw her a huge party because when a girl turns 15 she turns into a woman. It’s the same as when a girl who is American turns 16, the parents throw her a Sweet 16 party. In the Hispanic culture it is called Quinceñera. Ii is composed of having a church service and then a party. In the party, the Quinceñera and her maids of honor with their guy partners do a dance routine. It is very nice. I remember I was telling one of my friends about this and they were very interested in the information. Therefore I don’t consider me being Hispanic as oppression. I see it as a way to expand my cultural background. But I can see why it can be an oppressed category because there are many stereotypes about Hispanics. One that affects me is the stereotype that most Hispanic girls do not go to a university. They either only achieve a high school diploma or go to a two-year college. They usually get pregnant before that. But I have overcome that stereotype and I guess that makes me privileged not oppressed.
Nationality can tie into race. U.S. citizen is the unmarked category while undocumented, alien, and immigrant are the marked categories. It ties with race because usually other races than white are immigrants rather than U.S. citizens. This is a big issue now because we see all the immigration laws being put into place and it is hurting Hispanics the most. I know Hispanics that are afraid of going outside because they do not want to be deported back to their country. Especially in the Prince William County in Virginia, they have put very strict laws against undocumented people. There are immigrants who would dread to go down to even Virginia since they do not understand English, they do not know where the immigration enforcers would be. I know that sometimes they would go to a 7-11 since a lot of undocumented men are standing there ready for someone to pick them up and take them to work, and ask each of them for their IDs and if they did not have it, they would be taken into custody and most likely deported back to their country. Just recently it was in the news that even police officers would stop a car just to ask for Hispanic people for the documents. I think that just took it way too far because police officers are not immigration officers. Immigration officers are the ones that need to do that.
I am a U.S. citizen but my parents are not. My mom just recently got her resident card. When I was younger, there was a fear that my parents could get deported and leave me here by myself. With this category, I guess I can say I was oppressed even though I am a U.S. citizen. I never really thought that my parents would get deported. I would dread that idea. So I just kept it in the back of my mind. In this issue is where we see the power our government has. It can make decisions that can split families apart.
The next category is the socio-economic status. Upper-class and middle-class are the unmarked and working-class and poor are the marked. For the first time my category is in the unmarked. I am middle-class. The class influences a lot. It influences in where you live, what you can eat, what you can buy. It influences many things. In this category, I consider myself privileged. I always got what I wanted not wanting to brag but it is true. My parents are very hard workers and because of that we got to be middle-class. It may not be upper class but we still get to splurge on some things. But it was not always like that. When my parents first got here, they were so poor. My mom tells me she was living with 20 people in one apartment. In her bedroom, 5 or 6 people slept there. She has come out of that now though as well as my dad. My mom always gets what my sister and I want. She also gets things she likes too. We got a very nice house and there is always food on the table, which are the most important things. Each of us has a car except my sister because she is only 6 years old. People who are poor are not able to afford cars. Sometimes they may not even have food on the table. That can be very heartbreaking to know there are kids out there who may not have dinner tonight. We are very blessed to have these things. My parents have taught us to never things for granted and I know I try not to.
I think our education level is also a big category even though it is not mentioned. The unmarked category for it can be getting a college degree while the marked would be just a high school diploma. I am in college and I want to get a degree. Education level can be linked with our social class. Upper-class students, ones who go to prep school, usually end up going to Ivy League school. If not that, they do get into a college because they have the money for it. While the poor, who go to an inner-city school, do not really get the chance to go to college because they may have a lot of debts and need to work as soon as they finish high school. Many do not even finish high school because of certain issues. They usually end going straight to work at a factory or a mall or some may enter into an office job but not a big one maybe one at an insurance office or they work at real estate. Many people make fun of them by saying that the words they need to remember are “Do you want fries with that?” Race can also be linked with this category. Colleges are usually filled with Caucasians instead of other races. I know for a fact that not many Hispanics go to college because I am in college and I do not see many Hispanics around campus. It really is a privilege for me to be in college and do something with my life. I know however high I get in my education; I will succeed in my life and hopefully not suffer from being poor.
Sexuality is one that may change overtime. It has changed over time so far. The dominate category is heterosexuals. The others are gay, lesbians, bisexual, queer, and transgendered. I am heterosexual. I have a boyfriend right now. This issue has been in debate for a long time now and also has been shown in the news many times. Gays and lesbians want to be able to get married but most states are not allowing it. Some have only allowed civil unions. They say that marriage is between only a man and a woman not man with man or woman with woman. Those people are oppressed because they want to get married. They want people to know that they love each other as a man and woman do. They want the world to know as do heterosexual couples. In school, issues of gays and lesbians are not talked about as much as heterosexual issues. It shows that America is still not completely ready for homosexuals. That it is, that they are still not comfortable with that issue. I do not know how the rest of the world stands with this issue unless they are Christians who follow the bible very well. Because in the bible it does say homosexuals will not enter the kingdom of God. So obviously they are against it and with this I go into the next category: religion.
There are so many religions around the world but the unmarked category is Protestant Christian. The marked are Jewish, Muslims, Catholic, Buddhist, and others. I guess those are marked because of the persecution they have had. I know that Muslims were persecuted by the Christians during the crusades, which failed entirely. And yet here in America when 9/11 happened, when someone saw a Muslim they would say, “You did this!” Jewish people have also been persecuted terribly. The Nazis eliminated so many of them. They suffered so much at the concentration camps. They worked really hard and barely got any food. They were starved. When the Nazis saw that a prisoner could not work anymore they would send them to the gas chambers and have them gassed to death. This is all just sad but it goes to show that what you believe in can have dire consequences. I am Christian but not Protestant Christian. I am a Pentecostal Christian. I do not know if it still falls into the unmarked category. Pentecostal Christians follow the Bible closely. It is their spade as it is said in the bible. It is the word of God and we have to follow it. I do not consider myself very religious but it is very important to me. I believe that God has blessed me with many great things. I used to think that Catholics were the dominate category since I hear so much of it and now with the Pope here, it is heard about even more. I used to be Catholic but last year I converted to Christianity and have found it to be much more fulfilling. I do not want to put any other religions down. I just want to express my feelings toward my religion. Like I said before I do not know if it still falls under the unmarked category. I think it still does since it is still Christianity just a different sect.
In the category of language, I fall into both marked and the unmarked category. I speak both English and Spanish fluently. With this I believe I am privileged. There are not many people out there who speak two languages fluently. My parents told me that a person who speaks two languages is valued as two people. It is a big plus when you want to go apply to a job. Especially in the area we live where there are many people who cannot speak English only Spanish. I am able to help those who need to translate things. Even in my home, my parents always ask me and use me to translate things for them. I remember one time I was at the Stamp Union eating lunch and two Spanish ladies came up to me and asked me to help them fill out an application because it was in English and they could not understand some of the questions. I felt good because it showed how well I can deal with both languages and mostly because I can help people around me. And for me that’s a big plus because I love to help.

The sub-categories I mentioned above, I believe are the most important at least in my case. In some of them, I am oppressed in others I am privileged. But I know of many people who are oppressed in each category. I can think of a person who is oppressed in each category. A Hispanic female who is poor, undocumented alien, has not received an education, and does not speak English. I know a person like that and it is sad. I would want that each person could all be equal and not be oppressed. But I also think that sometimes those people who are oppressed can come out of it. For example my mom when she came here she was dead broke. So she started working very hard and look at her now, she has a beautiful house with a huge bedroom just for her and my step-dad. Also, English is the dominant language right? So a person who is here can learn to speak English, I know at my church, they give free English classes. So they cannot say that they cannot afford it. It maybe that they do not have time because they are working very hard, but in the future it can be a possibility that they can learn English.
Now with the nationality issue, that can be a different story. It is very complicated. It is against the law to come to the United States without any documents, as an immigrant. The ones that do have already committed a crime. But their reasons for doing it is not because they want to commit that crime and say yea I am going to get away with it but that they want a better life. They were even more oppressed in their country because there they were dead broke or they were fleeing from a war. But there are associations that help them fill out an application to at least get immigrants a permit of being here in the United States but they have to follow the pre-requisites. There are many ways to come out of being oppressed. A person should not feel oppressed all their life especially here in the United States where there is so much more opportunity than in other countries.
The matrix of domination shows us the main categories and whether or not they are marked or unmarked. The categories race, gender, class, sexuality, able-bodiedness, language, religion, nationality, and age are all those categories. Some of them can even mix with each other as I mentioned above. For example, level of education can intermix with socio-economic status and race. I noticed that each category only has one specific element in the unmarked category except class. For example, race is white, gender is male, and sexuality is heterosexual and so on. I hope one day that may not be the case and that other elements from the marked category can go into the unmarked category. I know not all would be able to do that like class because in that category if you are poor you will always be oppressed. But I mean in like the category of race or even in language that could change one day. History is ever-changing and the matrix of domination can change with it we have seen it already.