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.