What is Systemic Oppression? If you have experienced systemic oppression, We would love to hear your story. Please comment below.
If you have experienced systemic oppression in any capacity we would love to hear from you? Comment Below and Tell Us how Systemic Oppression has impacted you?
Systemic oppression is the permanent subordination and humiliation of certain social groups due to their lower status within society, maintained by deeply embedded societal systems, institutions, and practices. It isn't always about overtly harmful intent but rather the persistent, often invisible, creation and maintenance of inequities by laws, policies, cultural norms, and institutional practices, leading to unequal access to resources like education, healthcare, and wealth based on identity categories such as race, gender, or sexual orientation.
How Systemic Oppression Works
Embedded in Systems:
It is deeply ingrained in the fabric of society, operating through institutions such as the criminal justice system, education system, housing, and healthcare.
Historical Antecedents:
Current forms of systemic oppression are rooted in historical events and policies that have created and perpetuated disparities.
Interconnectedness:
Various systems of oppression, like racism, sexism, and classism, often overlap and reinforce each other, creating complex and interlocking disadvantages.
Everyday Manifestations:
It shows up in everyday life through biased policies in schools, discriminatory hiring practices, unequal access to healthcare, leading to significant economic and social disadvantage for marginalized groups.
Key Aspects
Beyond Individual Prejudice:
It is more than the sum of individual biases; it refers to patterns of mistreatment that are self-perpetuating and require systemic, not just individual, intervention to dismantle.
Invisible and Ordinary:
Systemic oppression can operate in ways that are not immediately obvious, making it seem like a "normal" state of affairs rather than an issue that needs addressing.
Creates Inequity:
Its core function is to create and maintain cultural, social, and economic inequities between different groups of people.
Requires Multi-Sector Action:
Dismantling systemic oppression requires broad, coordinated efforts across various sectors and communities to address the deep-rooted issues.
People trying to address systemic oppression face several major challenges, including the embedded nature of discrimination in societal systems, individual resistance to change, and a lack of awareness about how these systems function. The issue is not just about individual acts of prejudice but about dismantling the ingrained policies, practices, and beliefs that perpetuate inequality.
Invisibility and complexity of systemic issues
Subtle practices: Unlike overt acts of discrimination, systemic oppression is often built into seemingly neutral policies and everyday practices. This can make it difficult for people, especially those not directly affected, to identify or acknowledge its existence.
Interconnectedness: Systemic inequalities are often intertwined and mutually reinforcing. For example, a lack of access to quality education can limit employment opportunities, which in turn leads to economic inequality and further disadvantages. This interconnectedness makes it difficult to isolate specific causes and measure progress.
Historical roots: Many systemic challenges are the result of historical injustices, such as slavery, colonization, and discriminatory laws. The long-term consequences of these historical roots continue to create persistent inequalities across generations.
Resistance to change
Defensiveness and "white fragility": When confronted with the reality of systemic oppression, people from dominant groups may react with defensiveness, anger, or denial. This "white fragility" can shut down conversations about race and prevent meaningful reflection on one's own role in the system.
Protecting power and position: Resistance to change can stem from a fear of losing power, privilege, or a comfortable position. Those in positions of power may actively or passively resist efforts to redistribute resources or opportunities that have historically benefited them.
Ignoring structural factors: Many people operate under the assumption of the "American dream," believing that hard work guarantees success. This ignores the structural forces that contribute to poverty and inequality and can lead to victim-blaming.
Institutional barriers and limitations
Vague commitments: Organizations may make superficial commitments to diversity and equity without defining clear goals or strategies for achieving them. This can result in a performative effort that does not lead to actual change.
Siloed funding: Funding for interventions is often siloed within specific sectors, such as health or education, limiting collaboration. This makes it difficult to create the cross-sectoral solutions necessary to address the root causes of systemic oppression.
Challenges with measurement: Developing effective metrics to measure the impact of interventions on systemic issues is challenging. The long timeframes required to see meaningful change and a lack of consistent data across different sectors complicate evaluation efforts.
Overcoming the challenges
Despite these difficulties, organizations and individuals are working to overcome them by:
Focusing on institutions: Shifting the focus from individual biases to institutional policies and protocols can help create systemic change.
Promoting diverse leadership: Ensuring representation in leadership positions can help address racial and ethnic injustice in workplaces and other organizations.
Leveraging data and research: Using data to expose discriminatory practices and inform decision-making can help build trust and support for change.
Promoting dialogue: Creating safe spaces for open dialogue can help build trust and address resistance to change.
Seeking long-term investment: Advocating for longer-term funding cycles is needed to adequately assess the impact of structural interventions.
Understanding context: Recognizing the unique challenges and contexts of different communities is crucial for developing effective strategies.
