Title: Five Faces of Oppression by Kristen Harris
Headings: Five Faces of Oppression
Five Faces of Oppression
Outline
8 frames
Reader view
Culture of Silence
Violence
Powerlessness
Marginalization
Cultural Imperialism
Exploitation
Five Faces of Oppression

Content: In the US, a shamefully large proportion of the population is marginal: elderly people who are fired from their jobs,
young Blacks or Latinos who cannot find their first or second jobs,
many single mothers and their children,
other people involuntarily unemployed,
mentally and physically disabled people, and
American Native Indians on reservations. The idea of powerlessness links to Marx's theory of socialism: some people "have" power while others "have-not". The powerless are dominated by the ruling class and are situated to take orders and rarely have the right to give them. Some fundamental injustices associated with powerlessness are
inhibition to develop one's capacities,
lack of decision making power, and
exposure to disrespectful treatment because of the lowered status. The powerless in the US do not participate in basic democratic processes because they feel that they can't or that their participation won't mean anything. In most cases it means not voting or participating in any decision making process. Cultural Imperialism
Exploitation
Cultural Imperialism involves taking the culture of the ruling class and establishing it as the norm. The groups that have power in society control how the people in that society interpret and communicate.