Welcome!
Before we dive too far into privilege and oppression, let's start with some definitions.
The book gives a definition on page 73, however, google gives us a more condensed version. Google defines oppression as "prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control."
There is a definition of privilege on the same page, but again, I like Google's version better. Privilege is defined as "a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people."
Now that we're all caught up, we can dive in!
One of the first public policies that came to my mind is the need to have a voter ID. Voter ID laws effect many American's citizens ability to vote. Here are just a few examples on how:
-Millions of American's lack photo ID (more than 21 million)
-ID costs money and the documents that go along with them often times costs money-- thus putting a strain on lower income families.
-Traveling to get them can cause a hassle for people and families who deal with a disability and may not be able to get there.
This policy of needing to have an voting ID promotes the oppression of people who have less privileges such as financial ability and physical abilities.
Sources:
https://www.aclu.org/other/oppose-voter-id-legislation-fact-sheet
I never thought about the voting laws, but I think it's a great example of how privilege and oppression works in even the things we consider the most basic "rights" of an American person.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your article, something that stood out to me was, 'minority voters are more frequently questioned about ID than white voters.' Just because a person isn't white, some people might assume they aren't supposed to be in this country or something to that effect, which just goes to show how so many people are discriminatory against non-whites. It shows who people trust more, which is just so horrible to judge someone based on appearance.
ReplyDeleteVoter ID issues are definitely a timely issue. What are the larger issues behind such policies?
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember that the definitions we are using for these terms are more nuanced and more specialized on purpose--for instance, our definitions get at the more systemic nature of privilege and oppression and how these have been baked into our institutions. Where do we see this with voter ID?
Delete