Tunnel Of Oppression

Though I was able to walk through the tunnel of oppression, I didn’t feel as though I had as much time as I wished I could have spent taking it all in. There were many exhibits that moved me. The first one, which I spent a good amount of time on, was the one about consumerism in America. It was shocking to me to actually see just how much Americans waste. I had previously acknowledged the fact that as Americans, we have lifestyles that are very superficial and that would include the absentmindedness with which we consume. It’s previously been made clear to me that as a nation, we have and are continuing to create a culture with very little realistic values and more superficial ones. This particular exhibit actually displayed how priorities for the majority of Americans lie mainly with the media, celebrities, mimicking celebrities, and consuming and an alarming rate. What was made even more apparent to me than previously was how much of the Earth we’re destroying in doing the process. Americans consume much more of the Earth than we even occupy of it. That’s truly alarming. It also providing evidence that our economy is based on the consumerism we perpetuate. So much so that manufacturers make things which I designed to fail in order for consumers to purchase more either because the item simply not longer works, or because it functions are out of date. On the one hand, I thought this to be crude of manufacturers, but on the other, it made me question its validity. Is it possible that technology is advancing so fast that updates on purchases are necessary, or is it and intentional marketing strategy?
I was also moved at the exhibits which contained different media images. I understood that such things influence consumers but I was pleased to know that many people acknowledge it as a negative ideology and also that people are trying to prevent this cycle of self dissatisfaction among Americans. I think that during this age, a huge amount of adolescence and beyond, even now reaching preteens, are being brainwashed to believe that what we see on TV., in magazines, and billboards are actual realistic images of comparison. This exhibit even took us through the process from model to cover. It showed the viewers that and ordinary-looking woman can sit down, be made up, cropped, edited, and airbrushed into a physically admirable super model. It’s extremely misleading to consumers of such material. It was also noted that most of such material is targeted towards teenage girls. The majority of the magazines, which undoubtedly simulated such processes on their cover and spread pages, had headlines specifically appealing to girls. Images containing what many perceive to be perfect women on them were the majority and even of the minority, those covers appealing to men/boys, contained even more falsely represented images of perfection. The remainder, those appealing to men which didn’t contain images of women on their covers, contained images of “perfect men” on them which also deceives the consumers. Girls grow up believing they’re supposed to look like the women on TV., billboards, and magazines, to look like sex symbols, and boys grow up expecting women to look that way and be available to provide the sexual fantasies conveyed in such messages. On the other hand, Boys grow up believing they’re to look as the men do on such medial images and girls grow up expecting that as well. All these images lack true substance of individuals. The focus is on nothing which makes a life meaningful. These are the images we feed our youth and therefore they grow up on such images which later become normal. Perhaps that’s why 5th and 6th graders have been learned to be pursuing sex and seeing such ideas to be casual and “not a big deal”. Perhaps, that’s why the tunnel of oppression then proceeded to display statistics regarding body image, false body images, eating disorders, and self-dissatisfaction. When ones send such images repeatedly through the underdeveloped minds and self identification of young children, one can’t be surprised that they then develop such destructive ideals and behaviors. The tunnel of oppression was trying to reveal these ideas to people who may have grown up eating such self destructive food distributed liberally by the media. I think that, as a start, such topics discussed in the tunnel of oppression are absolutely necessary for many individuals because much of our society lives ignorantly amongst such oppressions. If it weren’t so the issues and effects of such oppression too wouldn’t be as apparent as they are. Many individuals simply are unaware and I believe the first step in changing anything is to educate, which is what I perceived the purpose was for the tunnel of oppression.
It was and should be an eye-opening experience even for those who think they’re educated and that these ideas don’t apply to them. Drug trafficking, human trafficking, slave labor, domestic abuse, hate crimes, learning disabilities, rape and sexual assault, as well as other topics including the ones I’ve discussed which were covered in the tunnel of oppression may not “directly” affect myself or even anyone in our discussion group, but it directly affects us as human beings as wells as commands our individual responsibility to acknowledge and change, as human beings, such injustices and suffrages.

Tunnel of Oppression

Romy Solomon

Tunnel of Oppression

I absolutely loved the Tunnel of Oppression and was very moved and affected by it. Although I was familiar with many of the topics covered, I learned a lot of new facts, statistics, and other information about the extent of certain oppressions. It’s hard for me to pick a specific station I liked the most because I found all of it so interesting and creatively displayed.

In the station about human and drug trafficking, it was interesting to learn how different experiences are for men and women, and blacks and whites. Human trafficking is a serious issue today in which millions of people from all over the world are bought and sold into slavery. While men are usually more prone to hard slave labor, women and children make up the majority of the sex slave industry. These women and children often are forced to sleep with 30-40 men a night and many can never ask their customer to wear a condom. In my opinion, women and young girls are far more oppressed by the human trafficking industry because they are forced to have their bodies violated on daily basis. Also, in the drug trafficking industry, blacks are responsible for only twenty percent of the drug activity in the United States, yet they make up over fifty percent of the drug convictions in the country. Because of the color of their skin, blacks are seriously more oppressed than whites in terms of the law, in addition to almost all other aspects of society.

Another section I. felt particularly affected by were the sections on feminism and the portrayal of women in the media. Tied in to this were eating disorders, objectification of women, domestic abuse, and women in the military. While men and women are both equally influenced by the media, girls are largely more inclined to have eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression from the media then men. I was extremely surprised how many women are raped in the military by their superiors. The exhibit said that a female soldier in Iraq has a greater chance of being raped than of being wounded. Far worse is that even when reported, disciplinary action is rarely taken. I was shocked by this, and had never realized that such a thing was so common. I was also upset reading that Viagra is covered by health insurance, but birth control pills are usually not. All of these sections showed how women are more oppressed than men in different aspects of society, whether it is the media, the military, or the health care system.

While many of the stations did focus on oppression in the United States, I thoroughly enjoyed the stations that gave a more “world view” of certain issues. I was surprised by the facts I learned about the death penalty. Apparently the U.N. had tried to ban it, and this motion was widely accepted across the world with the exception of only a few (I think four) countries. The United States and Egypt were one of these few countries to oppose the ban on the death penalty. It was interesting to learn this alternative global view on the issue, considering the death penalty is a political issue often brought up by the U.S. presidential candidates. Another moving section revealing world oppression was the one on diamonds and the devastating conflict in Sierra Leone. The pictures and stories of young kids who are forced to join the terrorist groups and brainwashed to kill others was absolutely heartbreaking. Although many people probably know of this conflict because of the movie Blood Diamond, I thought it was an important exhibit to show nonetheless.

The art, music, and overall methods of displaying the information in the Tunnel of Oppression were fantastic. Each section was so creatively done and it really helped to intrigue the audience into learning more about the information. In the section on sexuality and how homosexuals are oppressed in society, I thought it was great that they had an actual “closet” in the center of the station. Written on the inside of the closet were fears and self-conscious attitudes a gay person struggling to conceal their sexuality would typically have. This was a great visual representation to enhance the station and give the audience a small sense of what it really means to “be in the closet.” The station went further to show the oppression that happens even after gay people come out. Along the walls of the station outside of the closet were real life stories of gay murders, bashing, and cruelty that have occurred. This station helped display the extent to which gays are oppressed in society and are not given the same liberties as others to fully express their true selves. Additionally, the visual representation of female mutilation really helped evoke emotion out of the viewers. As gruesome as it was to see, most of the viewers would not have been as affected by the station if they hadn’t seen a true representation of what these women go through.

I really enjoyed the Tunnel of Oppression and felt that it was important exhibition for all students to see. I would even go so far as to say the Tunnel of Oppression should be mandatory for all students. Especially in my world literature class, I witness how ignorant a lot of students are to issues and oppression both in the United States and in throughout the world. The exhibition was so eye-opening and enlightening, I feel like all students would benefit and gain broader horizons about the issues presented. I was so moved by the exhibition that I am hoping to take part in planning next year’s event. While I have always seen myself in the future engaging in social justice and activism around the world, this exhibition increased my determination to make a change. I became a member of the Not for Sale campaign that works towards shutting down the human trafficking industry and helping the victims. I am not only sending a monthly donation to the organization, but also plan on going on one of their global immersion trips where I will actually travel to foreign countries and fight human trafficking first hand.

The matrix of Domination: Assignment 3

Power is very often, if not always associated with control. This may mean control over people, things, places, companies, organizations, ect. If one has power over one’s household, then it is assumed one has control over it. Likewise, if one has power over a country s/he (usually he) has power over that country and ultimately the last say in what happens in that country. The powerful have command over people and the powerless listen to their commands and usually are being dictated to and controlled. Everyone wants to be able to control their own lives, destinies, and successes, which they should. The demand to obtain something one wants increases with power. There are also times when only controlling oneself isn’t enough and one wants still to control other people as well or controlling other people may be the only way for ones power to persist. This is why the quest to obtain power is such a universal one. Sometimes to achieve power gives one a feeling of accomplishment as well as the drive to acquire even more power, which begins a very dangerous addiction. To control or have power over someone other than yourself usually puts the controlled person in an oppressed state; not being able to decide for oneself, not being able to act in a way one wishes, not being able to do the things which make one happy or, if able to do so, these things are regulated, ect. I will further discuss in this paper where I believe power lies in my everyday life and in the world in which I live based on the experiences I’ve had and with the aid of power identifying techniques and guides I’ve learned in class.
I’ve learned in class as well as in my own life experiences that usually power is not given to anyone. Power can be earned but not always. I’ve learned that there are sometimes factors which provide certain people more access to achieving power than others. Likewise, there are factors which hinder or prevent certain people from achieving power, or even those who have access to power may be hindered from achieving ultimate power over any given person or thing. I’ve grown up in the United States of America, traveling from coast to coast. My father is in the military and therefore, I’ve had what I believe to be a privileged childhood being able to see many places in and out of my home country. It’s also forced me to reorganize and adjust to different domains of power since in different places power may be moved from one domain to another.
If I first take the fact that I was raised in the US into consideration, as oppose to another country, I’d say I’ve been truly privileged. The US is a very powerful country which influences the world largely. In comparison to other countries, the US is advanced in what one may call simple things that are sometimes taken for granted by Americans. For instance, though, our health care system can definitely use some improvement, other countries, especially those which are commonly referred to as Third World countries, lack even the simple medicines Americans have access to. There was a time most of us (Americans) either don’t remember or weren’t even alive to experience in which common illnesses caused many fatalities. Yellow Fever, Measles, Mumps, Tetanus, some Venereal Diseases, Rabies Chicken Pocks, Rubella, or even infections caused by some other aliment usually go with little to no acknowledgment in the USA in 2008. That’s because in this country, we have antibiotics, vaccines, and other preventative medications which are fairly accessible to a large majority of the community. Unfortunately, in some other “under-developed” countries, to contract one of the aforementioned diseases would mean death or even life time disability or disfiguration. Preventative medications, as well as antibiotics aren’t even a thought in some of these countries let alone a possibility. In this regard, being an America I feel liberated because I know that most of the time I’m in contact with a disease I have medical insurance which enables me to go to the doctor, which is usually a short drive away, who will give me a prescription for a generic (cheaper) brand of medication and in a couple of days I’ll be back to normal and healthy again. Or, before I was even able to understand such medical concepts, I was given vaccines as a young, child which have prevented me from even getting such diseases if ever I were to come in contact with one. And in all cases of public schooling in the US, which I was a part of, one can’t even get in without having been vaccinated for particular diseases. Also, one ought to consider that given such a privilege, and possessing such knowledge that there is much suffering and death in other places because of easily curable diseases, it would be an obligation to make such treatments accessible to those countries, being that it’s so easy for this country to protect itself from them. As a country we’ve done that but only to an extent. We’ve help certain places and yet in other places we’ve simply turned around quietly and got into our "comphy" beds and gone to sleep, probably to dream about how we can make more money. My thoughts get ahead of myself.
It’s important when it comes to the contribution a given person/country has on the world to consider these aspects. If certain people from certain countries don’t have to same access to health that another person/country has, it’s more likely the lesser privileged will suffer more in life and possibly die much younger than the privileged given no unforeseen tragedy occurs. Furthermore, if everyone doesn’t begin on the same level of opportunity, it’s an unfair race for power, or success, which, for some, is directly connected to ones happiness. Also, if a certain person/country doesn’t have the same opportunities for good health that another person/country has, the world misses out on the contributions the oppressed person/country may have provided.
I mentioned that if I were to be ill, it wouldn’t be difficult at all for me to simply drive to the doctor. This is again another privilege I have which is often taken for granted. In our country alone, many people live without vehicles and in rural areas which don’t provide much public transportation or simply don’t have insurance. In such cases, it’s extremely hard to get access to much needed medications or even medical attention, which in turn, may lead to a shorter life. A shorter life means less time to contribute to society and less time to obtain power.
Now, instead of comparing this country from the next, I plan on breaking down the matrix of domination as it more closely applies to me. I previously touched on particulars which either help or hinder one from achieving power. These particulars are usually labels society puts on a person or group. For this argument, I’m going to address these labels as the marked or unmarked categories we’ve discussed in class. Because marked and unmarked categories are the defining labels imposed on a person or group by its society, these categories will change when considering different cultures and places. For myself, I consider myself to be in mostly an unmarked position in my society. I am, by definition, a twenty-two year old, biracial, single mother (indicating too that I am a woman), working class, university student, religiously unaffiliated, not quite bilingual, military brat currently living in the D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. (Shwooo! That’s a mouth full if ever there was one.) Now, in my opinion, I think the matrix of domination in my society lies with the wealthy (“old money” increases ones chances to obtain power even more so than “new money”), well educated, Caucasian, heterosexual, usually Christian affiliated, middle aged, married with 2.5 children, men who usually have ties to other men with the same criteria. To me, these are the marked categories of my society. I feel that the marked category of people in my society hold the most power and therefore control much of society including choosing who is to receive power as a particular generation dies out. I think for the most part this marked category of people make decisions which control our society’s way of life and that in turn affects the people in the society. I believe this to be the case because (let’s start from the top) even the Presidents, Commander and Chief, for example have presently and in the past fit this description. They’ve also shown precedence towards their families such as John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, George H. W. Bush former President and Director of Central Intelligence (who coincidently was married to a descendent of Franklin Pierce, Barbara Pierce Bush and whose father was a Senator, Prescott Bush) and his son and our current President George W. Bush, and William H. Harrison and his grandson Benjamin Harrison to name a few. This is also not to mention the precedence Presidents, Senators, CEOs and even the majority of writers of our US Constitution, which of course controls American’s everyday lives, take toward their fraternally related brothers through organizations and secret societies such as the Freemasons and the Skull and Bones or The Order of Death as it’s commonly referred to. One would be amazed at the search results for CEOs, Presidents, Senators, Supreme Court members, and Constitution writers related to each other through such organizations. These organizations also held, up until very recently, particular criteria which fit my definition of the marked categories for my society. The main difference will be in the secret society of the Skull and Bones since that’s one which initiates third year undergraduate Yale men. But these men usually grow up to fit mostly, if not entirely my definition of marked categories.
In this regard, my chances of obtaining power in this society, which is always affiliated with wealth, are very slim. For starters, by being born I possessed the unmarked categories of being a military baby girl who is biracial. Being a military child I was born in California. From what I understand the power in this particular state lies, very much so, with the wealthy and the famous. Of which I was neither. While I was living in California, my father was often gone in the field, given that he’s a Marine Officer which left the household to me and my two older brothers who somehow managed not to drive my mother completely insane. This situation didn’t put me and any better a position at life than the next person unless of course the next person was less privileged as I. We eventually moved to Dale City, Virginia and continued to live a modest life. It was neither fancy nor shameful. In Virginia, however, the matrix of domination changed slightly. The power still lied with the wealthy but there weren’t many famous people walking around who’d command domination. Beneficial for my family as well as for myself, however, my father’s position in the military gave him much respect in his field which meant something in northern Virginia where much intelligence (my father’s concentration and specialty) and military personnel reside. Now this doesn’t day much for me but often times power and/or wealth are passed down from generation to generation. So, say for instance, a man happens to do extremely well in any given field and becomes wealthy. Often times, if that man has a son, when the son reaches working age and shows interest in the field his father was/is in, the name is known and respect has already been established which increases the prospect of gaining power in that field for the son. This type of foundation was being laid. So because my father made such a respectable reputation for himself, if I or my brothers entered his field (which one of my brothers has), a good reputation precedes us which puts us in a better position for success or power in that field (which it has for the one brother).
In contrast, because my mother is Caucasian and had three biracial babies to care for, we were often given confusing looks from other Caucasians. Over the course of my life I can say I’ve never gotten a strange look because of my ethnicity from any other race beside Caucasian. I can, however, say that other races have asked offensive questions or said offensive things without the intention to offend. So, still, for the most part my father was gone, up until finally my parents divorced which then gave me yet another unmarked category: a child of divorced parents being raised by a single mother (dun, dun, dun). My family then moved to North Carolina where typically people were raised in Christian, majority Caucasian families with wed parents. Living in this environment I felt as though I “didn’t fit in” and still, though not often, received disapproving looks from other people. My mother and father both remarried, however, in my personal opinion my step father “doesn’t count” (he and my mother later divorced), but when my father remarried I gained two step sisters. We then moved to Hawaii where the domain of power changed greatly. Though Hawaii is a US state, it’s like a completely different country. In the school system instead of focusing on United States history, it focused more on Hawaiian history and culture. Students are taught Hawaiian culture and mythology, the Hawaiian and Japanese languages (as opposed to Spanish which was taught in my North Carolina elementary school), and Hawaiian themed events and celebrations. This type of curriculum sets one up for success in Hawaii but not in the US or other places of the world. The power in Hawaii is difficult to place. From my understanding it lies with the Kapunas (Hawaiian for grandparents or elders). Just like in Hawaiian tribes in antiquity the Kapunas made decisions and everyone would go to the Kapunas for advice and guidance. I felt accepted in Hawaii because of my tan skin and darker features since one saw nearly no Caucasians and almost never African-Americans.
Finally, we settled in Maryland. We were located in Laurel which is about twenty minutes away from Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. I attended somewhat of a middle class elementary school and then went on to a working class middle school and high school. The matrix of domination in the D.C. metropolitan area lies again with the people who fit my definition of marked categories. The high school I attended wasn’t noted for its high test scores or its undefeated athletic teams. Instead, it was known for its continuous increase in violence. It was easy to get sucked into the nonchalance of pursuing a higher education. I did well for a while but inevitably had poor grade point averages and therefore my options of colleges became very slim. The college I did get into was a cheap one with non-challenging academics. It would prepare one for the work force but a limited one. I somehow, however, found myself applying to the University of Maryland (UMD) and getting accepted which then opened up a lot of opportunity for me. UMD is a very well know university, known for its academics and impressive research. The matrix of domination at the UMD lies with those who are credible based on their academic performance whereas at my previous college, it lied with those who were popular based on their looks. To graduate (which I’m will) from such a reputable institution puts me in a much better position to achieve success, if not power, in my life than if I had graduated from the first institution I attended. It prepares me for and puts me in a work force which values the completion of higher education, the higher the better, which also increases the amount I earn for a living. Also, the more reputable institution the better ones chances are at acquiring power and success. So, since one can earn more having graduated from a reputable university, one can have better chances at success and power since, as I mentioned before, money is a universal criteria for power and success.
I decided to include this little summary of my upbringing to say two things. First, it displays how I’ve encountered different matrix of domination and how that can be changed over time and space yet universally money seems to be the most common criteria. Secondly, to provide somewhat of an explanation as to where my stand point is in perceiving power in my society. Most people in power in our society have come from either old or new money, they’ve therefore gotten a head start on a good education, not having to worry about violence as much as public schools, achieved high test scores, and went on to very reputable universities which landed them in the positions they currently possess.
Let me just mention the importance of a good start with education. In our society one must be articulate as well as precise in conversation and knowledge in order to be acknowledged as someone worth listening to and worthy of responsibility, respect, and power. Generally, people with lower levels of education aren’t as articulate as those with a good quality education. Sometimes, in areas of lower level income, people tend to have lower levels of education and on the very bottom of the spectrum, some may also be illiterate. It is quite often that areas of lower level income have school systems which are well below those in academics as the areas of higher level incomes. If there is a direct correlation, in most cases, between getting a good higher level education and obtaining a well paying job which makes success and power much more obtainable, then one must deduce that people in areas of lower level incomes are more likely not to obtain success and power as it remains in our society. Wealth is always going to come along with some type of power. But if one doesn’t have wealthy means, a good education is the next best thing.
Everything I’ve mention up until now would only be assumptions if there were no exceptions. There are always exceptions to any rule. Though the wealthy may have a head start in obtaining power simply because they’re wealthy, that doesn’t mean that all people who were born into wealth have presently obtained power as defined by having control over people or things. There are many cases in which one born wealthy fails at maintaining the power reputation of its family. One may not be very bright in school and fail at attempts to pursue higher education and/or is incompetent in maintaining a powerful job. One may decide the lifestyle of power and control isn’t one that it wishes to maintain and may go on to do less lucrative work. Sometimes families with wealth come into hard times and may have to lower their standard of living, altering the path intended to maintain power.
Also, one must consider the other side of the spectrum. Not all people born into a lower level income community continue that way and are therefore destined to always be powerless, controlled, and oppressed. There are many cases in which people have come from these lower level income communities and have worked hard (that’s not to say that people from higher level income communities don’t work hard) and earned an excellent education and have therefore obtained a reputable and powerful job. There are also situations in which people from lower level income communities found other means to acquire wealth which may not involve the “traditional path” towards power and success. Likewise, one from a lower level income community may decide that a lifestyle of power and control may not be one it may wants to obtain and possess and may be content pursuing a less lucrative occupation. In both cases, lower and higher level income communities, there is also the fact that at some point one becomes responsible for one’s own outcome in life. The fact that one may have less opportunity shouldn’t prevent one from achieving its desires for a successful life. Having said that, however, there are also cases in which one of a lower level income community has been taught from childhood that certain things are simply unobtainable and therefore teaches them to strive for less and prevents many individuals from accomplishing higher quality lifestyles for themselves.
It is also fair to say that along with these exceptions, there is the prospect of change. Typically, I maintain that power lies, at least in this country, with wealthy, well educated, Caucasian, Christian affiliated, heterosexual, middle-aged men. There are, of course, exceptions to that definition of power. There are many women, minorities, non-Christians, GLBT’s (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgender), un-wed, people without children who are extremely successful and powerful. Let’s look at Oprah Winfrey for example. She is known by just about everyone in the world and is extremely powerful, respected by many, and has been termed one of the most powerful women in the world. And yet, she came from a lower level income community, is a woman, an African-American woman, she’s not married, and she has no children. But she did pursue a higher level of education. She doesn’t fit my typical definition for the powerful in this country at all and yet she’s extremely powerful and extremely wealthy. We also have a presidential candidate whom Oprah openly supports who also doesn’t fit my definition. Barack Obama came from a lower level income community, but also pursued a higher level of education, and is an African-American who is running for President, one who controls the entire country. He is the very first African-American to be taken seriously in a Presidential Election. We also have Hilary Clinton. Hilary Clinton may have come from a moderately higher level community than that of Barack Obama and certainly that of Oprah Winfrey, but she had much easy access to education and went on to study at Yale University and became a lawyer. She however, is a woman, the very first woman to run for President and to be a serious competitor in the election. These are things which have never happened before and are beginning to alter the matrix of domination for this country. These are only a few of the many major exceptions to my definition. The fact still remains, however, that the majority of people in power in this country do fit my definition and that wealth is almost, if not always in direction correlation with power.
I feel compelled to also note that more change needs to come. It’s important that people from different backgrounds and cultures are given the opportunity to succeed and obtain power because if the majority of those in power are from the same background, have the same principles and beliefs as each other but not necessarily those of the community, there will always be someone oppressed, misrepresented, and/or completely unacknowledged. Diversity in power provides diversity in living. I think that though much progress had been made towards change, the fact that it’s such a big deal that we can have both a woman and an African-American running for President shows that it’s something so uncommon it has become an enormous topic of discussion indicating the shock it’s had on many people since we’re so used to people fitting my definition of marked categories holding this position. We have people of high power positions resigning due to their exposed sexuality, such as former New Jersey Governor McGreevy, indicating that as a society, we still are unaccepting of such lifestyles. As Americans much has changed, yet in order for us to advance we must become accepting and open-minded to change. Everyone has something to offer and narrow-mindedness denies the opportunity for advancement in the quality of life for us as a whole.
Therefore, power could be something inheritable, earned, denied, or even forfeited. It’s something not everyone desires. But everyone desires freedom which should never be denied. Yet power cannot be regulated so therefore those with it should be someone of good character who won’t take advantage of it and won’t use it harm or degrade others. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. But this shouldn’t discourage those who desire more for themselves. I believe each individual at some point becomes responsible for his/her own success and with that inherits the responsibility to use wise discretion when it comes to the power their success may generate.

Assignment 3 Paper

Romy Solomon

Assignment 3 Paper

Power is a complex concept that is critical to all systems and institutions in society. Power is a social relationship of influence and control, and can be latent (reserved, inactive) or manifest (active). There are many different sources of power, such as political, economic, social, economic, geographical, racial, and psychological. The power relationship helps to organize society and differentiate between the marked and unmarked categories. The marked category refers to the powerless, subordinate, and oppressed group of people that are marked because they are different and excluded from the norm. The unmarked category, however, refers to the more powerful, dominating, privileged group that is included in the norm. The matrix of domination classifies marked and unmarked categories through the institutions of gender, class, race/ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, able-bodiedness, language, and age. In each of these institutions, certain groups of people are privileged while others are oppressed. In everyday life, I am surrounded by different systems of power and belong to different marked and unmarked categories. I am both privileged and oppressed by identifying myself as a white, upper class, heterosexual, female, Jewish, English-speaking, U.S. citizen.

Power is significantly present in politics and the law in the United States. The American system of government is organized into three different branches- the legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch implements the laws, and the judicial branch interprets the laws. While all of the branches have a significant power in the government, the system is designed so that one branch does not have more power or control over the others. A system of checks and balances is used to keep the branches in line by giving each branch a check, or multiple checks, on the other two branches. While powers of the branches may be in check, a certain group of people demographically have the most political power in the U.S. Government officials like legislators, senators, congress members, governors, and judges, have significant power due to their involvement in producing and controlling the laws and policies of the citizens. Government officials are comprised of the elite of society, and a vast majority of these people belong to unmarked categories through their race, social class, gender, and nationality. The majority of government affiliates are white, upper-class men, all of whom are U.S. citizens. Such people are at the top of the government and have access to the most power. People belonging to marked categories, thus, are not adequately represented in the government, and their needs are often not looked out for. Especially with the high cost of political advertising to encourage citizens to vote, people of lower class and economic status are excluded from participating in politics because they can not compete with the elite.

While America was founded on the principles of liberty, freedom, and equality of all individuals, it is evident to see that this does not hold true in the eyes of the law, even in today’s modern society. There is a biased treatment in criminal justice systems; statistics show that blacks, Hispanics, and other people of color are more likely of being convicted of crimes than whites, due to racial profiling. While blacks are responsible for only twenty percent of the drug activity in the United States, they make up over fifty percent of the drug convictions in the country. It is extremely sad that these minorities are oppressed by their country’s own system of law and justice. Thus, people of color belong to the marked race/ethnicity category because they lack political power and are subjugated through the law and government.

As an eighteen year old citizen of the United States, I have the power to vote in presidential primaries and elections. As a white citizen, I am not oppressed in the system of law, and automatically gain privileges over my black and Hispanic peers. I am privileged because I have greater odds of being elected into government positions because I am white, and thus unmarked. As a white woman, however, these odds are slightly reduced because the majority of politicians are men; I am considered marked in terms of gender and am subordinate to men in terms of political opportunities. The fact that I was born in the United States includes me in the unmarked nationality category; I have privileges and greater opportunities than many immigrants who are struggling to get their green card and gain the rights of American citizens. Especially in terms of the law, U.S. citizens are favored in comparison to immigrants- this includes legal immigrants. Like people of color, immigrants are also discriminated and oppressed by governmental law.

Economic status is a significant source of power in America. People with higher economic positions have greater power, control, and opportunities in our capitalist society. A person’s economic rank determines his or her social class and whether they are of upper, middle, or lower and working-class standing. The people who are most oppressed in society belong to the lowest economic status, just as the people who are most privileged in society belong to the economic elite. In today’s society, social mobility is getting more and more difficult and “the American dream” is getting more impossible to attain. Due to inflation and the increasing costs of education, housing, health care, and living necessities, lower class families are given little opportunities to raise their economic and social status. As the old saying goes, “the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.”

Immigrants and minorities, in particular, have greater difficulty moving up in society and gaining economic status than their unmarked white counterparts. Statistics show that poverty rates among blacks remain at nearly 30 percent, which is three times that of whites. White people, in general, do not face the same kind of racial profiling and discrimination that minorities do when applying for jobs. A study was done in 2005 that found that white felons were called back to job interviews more than blacks and Hispanics without a criminal record. Also, the minority candidates were subjected to downward channeling; they were told they were more suitable for lower-end positions in the company than what they were applying for[1]. Thus while many of us would like to believe racism is a concept of the past, race remains a significant factor in determining who has power and who is powerless in society. Blacks, Hispanics, and other marked minorities are oppressed in our society where unmarked whites have control over good jobs, income, wealth, housing, and upward socioeconomic mobility.

People from a higher financial position have greater opportunities and advantages both in social relations and financial situations. The economic elite can afford proper housing, health care, great education, among other living amenities that people from low- working class usually cannot pay for. The marked are further exploited by the marked through the elite’s social connections and financial ability to buy their way through life. For example, I know extremely wealthy parents whom were able to donate a wing or building to a university to guarantee their child a spot at the school. Due to their financial situation, these people are given more opportunities than others of a lower socioeconomic background. People from the marked category of the working-class poor are oppressed in society and do not hold power in relationship with the unmarked upper and middle groups. Belonging to the upper financial class also provides a greater social network at the top of the economic spectrum. Many people rely on their connections and the people they know to help them gain a job in the upper circle. People from low socioeconomic standing usually do not have access to the same connections at the top of the economic rank, and are thus excluded from work opportunities.

Belonging to the white upper class, I am not one of the many people who are oppressed in the capitalist system. I don’t have to worry about managing my school work with a job or even multiple jobs. When applying to colleges, I didn’t have to pick the school that offered me the most scholarship money; rather, I was able to attend the school I liked the most because financial cost was not of foremost concern. I will never have to worry about being a victim to racial profiling, and will never have to assume I wasn’t hired for a job because of the color of my skin. Due to my social connections in the upper class, I will have more opportunities and windows open leniently for me in life. I can admit that I was hired as an intern this past summer at a major financial company because my father was good friends with my employer there. The power I have as a white upper class individual with social connections helped get me a job, while possibly oppressing someone else who was just as qualified but did not have the same social connections as me. These privileges I am given is because I identify myself in the unmarked upper-middle social class, and the unmarked white race/ethnicity.

While my race and socioeconomic status may place me in the unmarked categories, my gender does not. As a woman, I am oppressed in the work force compared to men. Statistics show that women as a whole are paid less in the work force than men with equal skills. It is harder for women to get management and supervisory positions, as men usually dominate these roles. Women are subordinate to men in this manner, and are restricted in the job titles they can take. Such a situation is defined as the glass ceiling, which limits the upward mobility women may travel in their positions at work. While women face the oppression of the glass ceiling, men are given the privilege of the glass elevator, which favors them in management and supervisor positions, and helps them climb up in their jobs. In this sense, I do not have power in the work force and will be restricted and discriminated against because I am a woman.

Gender stereotypes and expectations are significantly reflected in the institution of the family. While the woman’s role in the family is no longer the same as it was in the 1950’s, when women were only expected to cook, clean, cater to their husbands, bear children, and raise a family. Now, it is far more common for women to balance family life with a job of their own. However, men are still very much considered the bread winner in the family. Even in today’s modern society, there is less expectations for women to earn money to support the family than there is for men. The man of the household is expected to be the primary bread winner and earn the most money. Additionally, men are not expected to stay at home once they become a father. On the other hand, it is much more expected for women to sacrifice their job in order to become a stay at home parent. Thus when I become a mother and a wife, I will be oppressed by these cultural norms to put my family before my work; something that men are privileged not to have to choose between.

Education is an institution that unevenly stratifies power of the marked and unmarked categories. As mentioned earlier, people from a higher socioeconomic can afford a better education, not only on the collegiate level but on the primary and secondary level as well. People in the upper economic rank can afford great private school educations, while those in the lower socioeconomic class are confined to lower education standards. There is also a significant gap in test scores between whites and blacks, which has remained constant since 1990. Various explanations for this phenomenon are biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, socio-economic and family structure disparities, and cultural differences. Blacks are once again marked in the institution of education, as whites statistically have the privilege and power over them. Gender disparities also are prevalent in education. The vast majority of graduate school students are men who will have greater opportunities of a high income in the work force. While men may be in the unmarked category for graduate school, it is the opposite for undergraduate school. These days, there are more women at undergraduate universities than men, thus making college acceptance rates far more competitive for women than men. As a woman, I am oppressed by this system that favors male admissions. Additionally, education, especially at the university level, is catered more towards men than women. There is a specific major titled Women’s Studies that includes a number of courses geared learning about women and their influences and roles in different aspects of society throughout history. This however, implies that all the other classes and courses in different majors are geared towards Men’s Studies. It marks Women’s Studies while leaving all other courses and majors unmarked.

While collegiate athletes do not maintain an authority figure on campus, they have significant power and privileges over other students at universities. Because Maryland is a public university, it relies on athletic recognition in the nation to initiate money revenue- either in donations, or grants from the state. Athletes are given almost star treatment on campus- they live in the best dorms on campus, they are given favorable treatment by their teachers, they are allowed to miss classes, and they register for classes earlier than almost all other students. Such privileges give athletes power over other students.

In my own experiences in life and at the University of Maryland, I am able to observe how I classify with marked and unmarked categories and where I witness power in my everyday life. Being a woman on campus gives me less power than my fellow male students. In registering for housing, male students register first and thus are more likely to get better housing than women who are required to register for housing on the second day. Campus safety also is a crucial issue that demonstrates how men have more power than women on campus. College Park is a relatively dangerous area at night, with high crime, rape, and robbery rates. Women are much more subjected to be victims of these crimes than men, and thus fear walking home at night greater than male students do. We are oppressed because our gender puts us in greater fear than men. We are at greater risk of being raped by men then men are of being raped by women.

While growing up, I was always marked one of the few Jewish girls in my class. I was often subjected and ridiculed about my religion when classmates would tell me Jewish jokes making fun of stereotypes that Jews had big noses and “Jew fros.” This put me in a situation of oppression because I was often mocked for doing something Jewish. I remember while growing up, I tried to portray the opposite of the stereotype that Jews were stingy with money, and often leant money out to my friends and never mentioned for them to pay me back. It was only when I came to Maryland that I was surrounded around a lot more Jewish peers and was able to get over the powerless and oppressed feeling I had for not fitting in the majority of Catholics or Christians.

My heterosexual preference also places me in an unmarked category. I have never been placed in a situation where I was mocked, teased, or subjected to hate crimes because of my sexuality. I have had the privilege of being able to fit in with the majority, never fearing my friends and family will abandon me if I come out to them, and not defining myself through my sexuality. I have the privilege of never having to tell anyone my sexuality upon introduction, because it is implied. I am not oppressed by society that considers gay marriage a taboo. I have the privilege to marry the person I love in any state I choose, and have it legally recognized as a marriage and not just a civil union.

Other systems like my ability, language, and nationality classify me in the unmarked category. Because I am in fine physical condition, I do not have to worry about wheelchair access or disability support at all the locations I visit. Because English is my first language, I am not made fun of because of my foreign accent. Because of my U.S. citizenship, I am not oppressed and written off as an immigrant, taking work from the American people for lower wages. Rather, I am able to find job opportunities more easily and have power over disabled, non English-speaking, and immigrant people.

My identity and position in society completely revolves around the power I have access to in different systems and institutions. In terms of politics and the law, economic status, work force, education, and family, I am unmarked based on my race, nationality, language, class, sexuality, social class, yet marked because of my gender and religion.

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[1] Pager, Devah and Bruce Western 2005. ‘Race at Work’, NYC Commission on Human Rights and JEHT Foundation, pages 2-12.

Chelsea Martino
Reaction to Tunnel of Oppression
I did not expect the Tunnel of Oppression to be as moving as it was. I thought it was going to be a disorganized representation of boring information put together in a slipshod manner. However, it was set up in a way that was eye catching and shocking. It presented real issues that so many people struggle with on a regular basis. There was a great deal of factual evidence such as statistics and news articles that helped to emphasize the horror of the oppressions. It also was interactive and thought provoking. One exhibit had a two jars with marbles placed inside. One jar had white marbles and the other dark green. People were supposed to place a marble in a jar depending on if they knew someone who had been a victim of abuse. To my astonishment the jar with the green marbles, which was for abuse, contained more then twice as many marbles as the one without abuse. It really made me think about how many people are being harmed. Another section that caught my attention was the one that dealt with homosexuality. The poster of the boy, who had been murdered just because he was gay, was frightening. He did nothing wrong, just had a different sexual orientation. It goes to show that there are evil people out there who are willing to kill someone just because he or she is different. I think that the best aspect of the entire display is that it dealt with many different forms of oppression. It did not leave one group out. It showed the struggles of homosexuals, women, minorities, and people in poor countries. Because of this, I feel that no matter whom the audience was he or she could relate to the Tunnel on some level, while still being exposed to other struggles that people face.

Assignment 3

Estifanos Berhe
4/22/08
WMST250

WMST 250 – Assignment 3: The Analysis of Everyday Life

The characteristics in humans that signify power have fluctuated throughout history and time itself. It is also evident that it will continue to change and there are several factors that influence this change. These factors have been looked upon and tested countless times. Because of the numerous cases of oppression in history, it has forced society today to view its citizens in marked and unmarked categories; these areas are the root of where power is currently located. The marked category can be characterized as the category that is, as one can say “noticeable”. It is the category that is generally the subordinate to the specifics that make up the unmarked category. The unmarked category is seen as the one to be dominant and power, the one that is considered the “norm” in our society. Most people do not have the choice of being a part of an unmarked category and are usually forced into it. These categories include gender, race, religion, sexuality, class, ability, age, nationality and language. These are the barriers that have come into fruition throughout the course of time and are also the thorn in the side of equality. It has become clear that if one was to belong to the “unmarked” category, the dominant category, they are the ones that hold power in there lives. This has been shown throughout every institution that has been in place for decades. These categories have been created for us through a course of events in our history. In my life, I have come to learn that I fit under both marked and unmarked categories and this has greatly affected my life. Who I am as a person has been influenced by the institutions of power that have been put in place.

The first of the category that tends to signify power is gender. Gender has always influenced where power lies. It has only been a few decades since women have begun to truly be seen as equals. History has taught society that, for the most part, men are superior to women. There are some categories that allow you to choose which side you prefer to relate to (marked and unmarked). Although, gender is not one of those privileges; one cannot select their own sex prior to being born into this world. Therefore, I am technically forced to be in this category, the unmarked category, but would be a part of the male gender if I did have the privilege of choosing. If one was granted the choice of their gender, I am sure most people would decide to be a man, rather than a women since men have been portrayed to be the dominant figures. History has shown several that it is much easier to attain power and prosperity, if one was a man. Even though it is not fair, I am sure it has been easier for several men to succeed due to the fact that they were men in addition to their natural intellect. There have been several examples in life that have shown this. There is the standard example of two candidates, a woman and a man, applying for the same job, and are equally qualified but the man would most likely get hired. This is because some people see women to be a liability. Some people believe that women are naturally weaker than men; therefore it would be smarter to hire a man versus a woman. Several people want to someday get married and start a family. This is another case why women are discriminated against. If they do start a family, it would be the woman that has to carry the child, which would require her to miss work, possibly even quit her job. This is another example of why women are considered to be in the marked category and men are in the unmarked category. There could have been several cases in my life where being a male has helped me to reach my goals and I could have been completely and utterly oblivious to it. The only true way to understand the ramifications of gender inequality is to experience it first hand and that can only be accomplished through a woman’s perspective. In our government, the top positions are held by men, and it has been this way since this country was created. It is the same with our media; more men gain representation and fame over women. It has been shown throughout out several aspects of our society that women are oppressed by men in more areas than one.

The next category that affects where power lies is that of race and ethnicity. Oppression through race has been an everlasting issue not only in this country but in countries across the globe and this oppression has been dictated over and over through several past centuries. I am an African-American and am therefore considered to be in the marked category. For a very long time, this characteristic will continue to define who I am in the eyes of the people who belong to the unmarked racial category; white/Caucasian. Breaking away from idea is very difficult but is more possible now than any time before. It has been difficult being labeled into this marked category. This label was forced on my by the people who belong to the norm of this society; whites. There have been several instances where my race has affected areas of my everyday life. One can never really know if they had been a part of a racial injustice, they can only have their suspicions. This country was founded by what is called the unmarked category. It was founded by white males and there are several people who want to keep it that way. Again, in our government, the top positions are held by males who are white. In my everyday life, I know I will be judged against by one person or another because of my race, which is what always reminds me to prove myself in any situation. This has affected my life in that race is still an issue today even through racial discrimination legally does not exist. It does not surprise me that this is the case; we are only one generation removed to the civil rights movement and the famous supreme court case Brown v. Board of Education which overturned the case Plessey v. Ferguson of 1896 which yielded the phrase “separate but equal.” Change generally takes time to get use to and this is definitely one of those cases. It will take some time for racial discrimination to disappear. Some could argue that it will never disappear and eventually history will just repeat itself. Great change has taken place in the past decades, change that has benefited my life for the better but has shown that there are still quite a number of hurdles to jump. But we have already begun to see a glimmer of change. We presently have an African-American candidate running to become the future President of the United States; Senator Barack Obama. Currently, the senator is running against Senator Hillary Clinton, a white, female senator of New York, for the democratic presidential candidate seat. Both belong to marked and unmarked categories and their privileges in those categories oppress each other and also liberate and oppress myself. Senator Barack Obama is an African-American (marked) male (unmarked) whereas Senator Hillary Clinton is a white/Caucasian (unmarked) female (marked). These characteristics most certainly affect the voters they attract and their ability to win this race. Either way, we will find out which marked category is considered to be more oppressed. This greatly affects my life because if Senator Barack Obama is elected the democratic seat and is eventually elected President, it will be considered the greatest breakthrough against the racial barrier this country has ever seen.

Power and oppression are also stipulated by different religious views and orientations. Christians/Protestants are ones in this society that are considered the privileged and dominant religion. Others religious beliefs are considered to be beneath that of Christianity. I belong to the marked category since my family and I follow Catholicism. But I have never truly felt oppressed because of my religion. I have never considered myself to be extremely religious, and though my religion influences my decisions to some extent, I feel others of different religious orientation are more oppressed than I am. Religion is most likely the oldest category of oppression in history. There have been several cases of discrimination and oppression regarding religion as the basis. Again, there are other religions that would be more affected by they “unmarked’ religion of Christianity; ones like Judaism and Buddhism for instance. Catholicism is a branch off of Christianity; therefore it is closer to it than any other religion. This would be difficult for others since religion is a very sensitive issue amongst people. But personally, I am Catholic because my parents raised me that way and I believe in it, but not necessary all of it. Throughout my life, I have had different thoughts and ideologies enter my mind that has questioned my religious beliefs. These thoughts were brought on through the education program instituted by this nation, through peers with different religious backgrounds, through the manner in which the government is run (separate church and state), and several other factors. I am considered part of the marked category of religion because I generally identify with Catholicism.

Following this would be sexuality; the sexual orientation of a person greatly influences their privileges and oppressions. Many feel that there are only two sexual orientations; heterosexuality and homosexuality. But there are other areas of gray that are important to consider as well. There is homosexuality which branches to gays (men) and lesbians (women). Society also needs to consider bisexuality as well as the trans-gendered. All of these sub-categories fall under the marked category. My sexual orientation is heterosexuality which is the unmarked category; this is the category which is considered the normal and which most people should be able to associate with. I know full and well that my sexuality has enabled me to gain power in my life. It has enabled me to create friends, and bonds with several people and I consider this to be a form of power. I feel that people who are homosexual or bisexual may have more of a difficult time achieving these same things I have been able to achieve since their sexuality is not accepted by everyone. This will create a problem until it is widely accepted, but I feel that this will be somewhat complicated since it conflicts with different religious views. This issue of sexuality only became prevalent in the past few decades. By being labeled as the dominant sexuality, it is in a way hurting and oppressing the marked categories. This exists even if it is not intentional; I have nothing against a person’s sexual orientation and I feel that it is their decision to make. Logically, since I feel this way, I am not oppressing others of different sexual orientations since I side with them in their decision to do so. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the system does not work this way. There are structures that have been put in place, structures that label citizens of society into categories (for example, marked/unmarked categories). Therefore, my sexuality will continue to subjugate those who are not heterosexual simply because of the existence of the group I identify with.

Another aspect of life which determines power or oppression is that of class status. In our society, today I feel that wealth and power go hand in hand; if one is attained the other will soon follow. The dominant group is considered to be the middle to upper class and the subordinate group is considered to be the poor/working class. I identify with the later, the marked group of the working class. My parents are immigrants from another country. They knew little English prior to moving to the U.S. and have learned as they have lived here. They have had low paying jobs to provide for us and give us an opportunity to live a more prosperous life. The majority of the people in the country would most likely relate to working class rather than the middle class. Although, it is clear that the power is held in the palm of the middle class. With this clear distinction, the people who identify themselves with the unmarked group have their privileges due to the fact that the working class is being oppressed. It has been established that these labels are what fuel this type of thought; the thought that one needs to strive to become part of the “norms” of this country in order to attain power and become truly prosperous and successful.

Many must also consider able-bodiedness as a form of power or oppression. The standard and norm of society is to be physically able and the subordinate group tends to gather the disabled and/or the physically challenged. I fall into the category of the unmarked group; the physically able. This part would definitely affect one’s everyday life. If one is to attain power, one crucial step is that they must appear physically powerful, or at least physically able. I feel that with all the emphasis on strength and vigor that is emphasized in our society, through education and the media, it would be very difficult to be beneath a person who is not physically able. And again, with this fact, it makes it very difficult for those who are disabled or physically challenged to rise up and gain power. I feel that being physically able has helped me and will continue to help me in my everyday life. It is very important to understand that this factor has a crucial affect in how one lives their life; like gender and race, one cannot select their able-bodiedness. I know that my life would be a completely different experience if I had been physically-challenged; I am sure that most people would agree with this fact. In this society, if you are disabled, that is a sign of weakness, far from power. And this is again, due to the systematic structure that has grown in our society. Another dimension of difference that greatly affects the ability to gain power is age. I feel that able-bodiedness and age can be applied to one another. The group that is seen as the dominant and privileged are those that are considered young adults, whereas children and the elderly are seen to be subordinate to them. Generally, young adults are considered able and the elderly are considered to be not as able-bodied. In this category, I fall into the dominant group. The elderly are seen as wise, but unfortunately weak. I feel as though, I have just entered the realm of young adulthood but it has provided a sense of empowerment; unlike children and the elderly, as an adult one is providing for themselves which shows strength.

Another aspect in the matrix of domination that divides people is nationality and language. This is a very big issue especially with the past current events. I am not a citizen of the United States and am in fact a permanent resident here. I was born in the country Eritrea, located in east portion of Africa. I came to this country with my family when I was five years old. Therefore, I do not fit the structured mold of the people who are considered privileged; people who are U.S. citizens. This greatly impacts my everyday life because there are some aspects that are completely unavoidable. I am currently an engineering student at this University, but since I am not a citizen, there are a lot of companies that would not hire me, even though I have the credentials. This has happened on a couple of different occasions and will most likely continue to happen in the future. One opportunity that is not available to me is that if I wanted to, I would never be able to run for the President of the United States. In order to be eligible to run for President, a candidate must be born in this nation. Unfortunately, this clause eliminates me from consideration. This is a key example how people in society will strive to become what is accepted and what is considered normal. Since I experienced these setbacks, it has allowed me to consider applying for my citizenship on the simple fact that it would offer more opportunities, which I recognize to be a form of power. Again, the dominant group retains their privileges because there are those who are considered below them that are being oppressed. In addition to this, another aspect that correlates to nationality is language. My first language is not English, it is the language spoken in my country; Tigrinya. Although, since I came to the U.S. at such a young age, I was able to become fluent in English within two years of my education. This is one area of my life which I am unsure how to label myself (marked/unmarked). The dominant group is categorized as those who speak Standard English and the subordinate group are those who speak other languages. Since I do not have an accent when I speak, many people would not know that I can speak another language. Therefore, to some extent I feel I have the choice to associate with either group. Personally, I would choose to relate to the unmarked group, those that speak Standard English, simply because that is the group that is privileged and associated with power. I would not want another aspect of my character to be oppressed, and thus, my instincts would tell me to join a group that is accepted rather than not accepted.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that these methodical structures of power affect everyone in different ways. Analyzing my life with respect to the matrix of domination has broadened my perspective on how great of an affect they have on me. It is amazing how many things people take for granted in their lives. I relate to both the marked and unmarked categories in relation to the different socio-economic factors. When I step back and look at the different categories, it is pretty much divided relatively evenly. We need to strive to ignore these factors and judge a person based on their character and intelligence. The one key fact about the matrix of domination is that the dominant group only prospers because the subordinate group exists; if it did not, there would be no distinction between the powerful and the oppressed. Thus, the establishment of these structures and the continued enlightenment of their existence is what is perpetuating the line between the men and women, the white and black, the rich and poor and the dominant and subordinate. These systematic constructs are ever-changing and the true question is whether or not we, as a society, will continue to put them in place.

Power in our Everyday Life

Ji Kwon
WMST250-06, Assignment 3

Power is a short yet strong word that can affect people’s lives every day. It can either permit people to rise to the top and give them authority, or it can make people suffer and become oppressed. In my everyday life, power definitely changes and affects who I am today. Being a marked person for several reasons and unmarked for other reasons, I have both privileges and my own oppression that causes me to view life in a different perspective than others. I am a Korean American female living in the United States nearly my entire life. Being a marked person has a lot to do with the power that revolves around my life. Not only does it shape who I am today, but it has also automatically makes me become a subordinate and oppressed person in the society. To be the norm or standard in the society is harder than it seems because no matter where you stand or what you do, people will always perceive you in different ways and judge you just from the marked and unmarked categories you fall under. It is inevitable to think that not everyone will be accepted in the society, especially because of the fact that everyone is unique and marked in their own way.
It seems peculiar to me that power has its own structural levels in the society, and how it classifies people in their own living. On the economy level, such as in the industry and work places, minorities including women, have low incomes and salaries just because of their marked category. It seems biased that both women and men work in the same company, doing the same job and aiming for the same position, yet males receive a higher salary. In fact, women have it harder because after work, they have their children to take care as well as household chores they need to finish. Although it is a privilege for women to have a stable occupation, they are oppressed for getting a lower income while having more responsibilities outside of work.
The society as a whole is controlled mainly by the government and its authority. The government creates and regulates laws and restrictions that everyone needs to follow which simply compels us to restrain any unnecessary power. It is true that United States is all about liberty and freedom of many aspects, however on the government level, power is not in our hands. When criminals commit a misdeed or felony, they are put in trial and sent to jail if they are declared guilty. The majority of the people who work for the government are white males who come from a wealthy and highly educated background. This is a privilege to the other white males who have a high chance of getting a job related to the government. However, this oppresses the minorities who know it will be extremely unlikely for them to obtain a job to work for the government. This structural power brings the topic of matrix of domination into consideration because the government can give many privileges as well as oppression to the society as a whole.
During the week, power influences and changes the way I act upon certain situations and the decisions I make. To begin with, I am included in many marked categories as well as several unmarked categories. I am considered an unmarked person because I am part of a middle class, considered a U.S. citizen, and temporarily able-bodied. On the other hand, I am unmarked for many reasons such as my gender, race, and the language I speak. Being an Asian American living in the United States is a privilege sometimes, but it also is my own oppression in many ways. When I first entered elementary school, I had to take separate ESOL classes because I couldn’t speak English very well. This meant that I had to be pulled out of my classes separately to receive extra help since I wasn’t fluent in English at all. This oppressed me because my classmates knew I couldn’t speak English and they considered me “different.” Also, it made me fall behind in my regular class work and it prevented me from getting closer to many kids since I was always alone in ESOL class.
Also, ever since I was young, kids, particularly the white kids, during elementary school would give me the name “Chinese girl” without even considering or asking my true ethnicity. I was the one out of three Asians in the entire school so we were always made fun of and discriminated against. Since I was young, I was mainly hurt and it did affect my childhood. I’m eighteen and I still can’t forget the harsh names kids called me solely because I am Asian. As I moved into middle and high school, there were more Asians, particularly Koreans. As time went by, the other kids made “Asian” jokes and considered it to be funny that we are Asians. The stereotypes of Asians never died out; “Asians are all smart so she will do my math homework” or others would always make rude remarks about our names or our physical appearance and how we all look alike. This not only did oppress me, but also the other Asian kids at my school. I always felt like kids of other races were bringing us down and making us feel lower of ourselves.
In addition, my parents and relatives were immigrants when they first arrived to America a few decades ago. The fact that they were immigrants oppresses them to be viewed lower than others. This gives them less job opportunities with low incomes and no good places to stay for shelter. Although the racial issues has decreased as the time went by, my parents as well as the other Korean American immigrants had to suffer through being pointed at for being different and looked down upon for not obtaining any degree of education in America. Although my parents both graduated from college in Korea, it is simply ignored and brings them a disadvantage of better opportunities while living in America. They cannot even stand up for themselves at the moment because they couldn’t speak English very well. This motivates me to do much better living in America to prove to others that my parents do deserve the righteousness and justice because they worked that much harder to be accepted in the society.
My parents worked in a carry out store for ten years in downtown Baltimore, where majority of the customers were African American. They dealt with many kinds of issues, such as fighting with the customers because of their unnecessary demands, and even a murder and other serious crime scenes right in front of the store. The customers always looked down upon my parents because they were Asian and always found a way of stealing thinking that my parents wouldn’t even notice. This oppressed my parents because they would lose money from the privilege that customers got from stealing. I always remember my parents coming in really late every night and their only free day of the week was Sunday. Being marked as Asians gave us many disadvantages that led to oppression, but it only made my parents stronger and encouraged them to become successful in the future.
Being Asian, however, was also a privilege for me. During high school sophomore year, my Korean friend and I decided to try out for our school’s dance team called POMS. The majority of the team was white, and the majority of the girls who tried out were also white. I think being Asian was a privilege for me because I felt like the team would pick my friend and me to join the team solely because we are Asian. The team captains and the sponsor would probably think that we would bring more diversity to the team. Also, right before my junior year of high school, I decided to try out for the Step team, where the majority of the members, the team sponsor, and the girls that tried out were African American. The fact that I was a minority out of the group gave me an easier chance to make it to the team. The team captain was my friend who was also Korean American so it gave me an advantage as well. This was a privilege for me, but it is an oppression to others who didn’t make it. Just because I was Asian doesn’t mean that I didn’t try hard to make it to the team, but the fact that I am marked as an Asian brought more likelihood that I would have a higher chance of getting in.
Additionally, being raised in a Korean tradition and culture-based family, the fact that most Korean parents favor sons over daughters cannot be ignored. This has not affected me at all in my own family because my parents never seemed to care that they didn’t have a son in the family. My parents only have two daughters, and they never complained about us being daughters instead of sons, so I feel extremely privileged to be part of my family. However, when I look and notice in my friend’s families, they are more oppressed than I am for being a daughter instead of a son. My parents always tell me how there are so many Korean parents who decide to have another child many years later after they had two or three daughters just because they want a son that badly. Many of my girl friends have younger brothers who are treated more fairly and have more privileges than them. My best friend has a younger sister and a younger brother. Although she is the oldest, her parents give her a strict and restricted curfew even though she is currently in college. She has restrictions on who she can date and what age she can, and more chores and responsibilities in the house such as cleaning rooms, washing the dishes, and preparing dinner every night. On the other hand, her younger brother seems to be more favored by her parents even though they do it indirectly. He has no curfew, does not need permission to date girls, gets more allowance, and even receives more expensive clothes and shoes by his parents. My friend and her younger sister always go out to Target or Payless Shoes to buy their clothes and shoes. Although it is within their own families and ethnicity, it is an oppression that my friends are females and they will always be brought down because of the fact that they are not sons.
Not only does the real society show it, but the Korean media as well. On Korean dramas, sons are more favored than daughters which frustrates me because the girls are treated a lot more unequally from their brothers. In addition, when pregnant ladies in the drama give birth to their child, they always end up crying and become really upset when they unexpectedly find out that they have a newborn daughter. This is because they expected a son that badly and it turned out to be a daughter instead. I feel angry and disturbed when I watch this on television because females and males are both human beings and when they are born, they all should be equally welcomed to the existence of life, but instead, daughters are almost always a disappoint to the parents.
The ability that I can speak both English and Korean fluently brings me privileges as well as oppression to my life. My fluency in both languages can bring me more opportunities in my future career because it is always useful and beneficial to know more than one language. However, I am also considered marked for being able to speak Korean. When non-Koreans learn how to speak Korean, it is a privilege for them because it is rather fascinating and interesting to see them speak a foreign language. However, the fact that I am Korean and can speak Korean fluently oppresses me. Everywhere I go, people would always unexpectedly tell me to say something in Korean, mainly insults and curse words that they want to know. I always felt uncomfortable saying those certain words in Korean and it really made me want to drop the conversation and walk away numerous times. I think it is unfair that others who speak Korean as a foreign language get to speak it in front of others with pride and confidence. However, when Koreans speak the language, they always get asked to say things that are inappropriate and embarrassing.
Furthermore, being part of the middle class brings me many advantages that I feel thankful for. Being part of an unmarked category, I obtain many privileges that others cannot gain easily. I’m living in a county that is known to be one of the few wealthiest areas of the country with good education and a clean, safe neighborhood. The fact that I am from this wealthy and prestigious part of Maryland gave me a slightly better chance of getting into University of Maryland, College Park. This is definitely a privilege for me, but oppression to those who got rejected from University of Maryland. I basically replaced their spot and chance of getting into the school. In addition, growing up in the middle class of the society, my parents always wanted the best for me by providing me an expensive car that many teenagers cannot afford without their parents, and always offering a sufficient amount of allowance each time I asked. This is mainly why I’ve only had one job in my entire life, which was solely for store discounts at my favorite clothing store. People of lower social status are oppressed by the society because they cannot afford expensive cars or get offered decent jobs. I do feel very privileged for growing up in a middle class family, but it does make me sad to think that other kids my age cannot get the same support and privileges as I received.
In addition, my sexuality and religion keeps me under the unmarked category. The fact that I am heterosexual and a full Christian allows people to considers me to be part of the norm. I know some of my friends are atheist and churchgoers look down upon them after trying numerous times to get them to come out and worship God. Out in public, when other Christians ask if I believe in God and I tell them yes, they gladly accept me and start to get to know me better. I feel privileged in this sense because they don’t judge who I believe and worship, simply because they believe in the same faith and religion. Those who believe in other forms of religion such as Buddhism and Jewish are often oppressed and considered marked by the society. Also, the fact that I am heterosexual evidently keeps me unmarked because I am just like the majority of the society who are also heterosexual. However, those who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual are marked automatically and looked down upon by the society. State laws don’t even except these marked categories especially gay marriage which remains to be a prominent issue among the society.
I didn’t realize until I got into college that females are mainly subordinated all the time by men. At the beginning of spring semester, my friend forwarded me an email naming tips and advices on how to prevent and be protected from getting raped by men. It traumatized me to think that females always have to be careful walking around at night because they could possibly be future victims of men who rape women. Especially at night, I always get scared to leave my dorm building to quickly go buy something just because I know there is a chance that something can happen to me. I definitely feel oppressed when it comes to the issue of rape and it sickens me the fact that it is a privilege for men to take advantage of women just for their own pleasure. The society as a whole doesn’t even do much to give assistance to female victims after getting raped unless they have evidence that it actually occurred. This is why rape incidents never decrease and only cause women to be helpless and weak in front of men. Many of my girl friends who currently attend college all carry around self defense items, such as the pepper spray. Although we can laugh and joke with each other about carrying one, we know it really is essential to us, especially when walking alone at night. Not only does college show how women are subordinate in front of men; the media shows it as well. Many music lyrics and even music videos express how men are always shown as the dominant and assertive figure while on the other hand, women are always exposed, defenseless, and vulnerable to men. The many issues or rape, assault, and other forms of violence that make women subordinate to men causes this society to look down upon the strengths of women which oppresses us to other opportunities.
Many men also quickly assume that women do not know much about certain “manly” topics. Once, I was with my guy friend and his car ran out of battery so he needed to find someone with a jumper cable. We were in the garage so we walked around to find others who can help. When I saw a girl driving by, I suggested we should ask her for help. But, immediately, he made a comment that girls don’t know anything about cars so she probably can’t even help us. At first it didn’t hit me, it made me irritated that he could quickly assume that females don’t know much about cars so they will be helpless to the situation. I’ve noticed that he would only go up to men to ask for assistance. The ideology that females are not aware of “male-related” topics or interests bothers me. It only oppresses us to look weak and ineffectual in front of men. However, this is a false and negative ideology because I know many girls who are interested in sports and cars as much as men are. It is true that there is also a general trend that girls are also attracted to shopping, chick flick movies, and other feminine activities, but that doesn’t mean that they are completely unaware of other interests that men has. This is just a general stereotype that women are subjected to, but not necessarily true to all women.
Another negative ideology that many men believe is that women are easily persuaded into doing things that they are told. For instance, a male salesperson thinks it is easier to take advantage of female customers by misleading them into conceptions that are supposedly “beneficial” to women. They may tell the women that there are other following options that they should buy in order to get the better deal, so the women tend to believe them and buy it from them. It is extremely unfair that men take advantage of this idea and make them think everything they say is correct.
There are also positive ideologies about women that give us privileges that men may feel oppressed about. For example, at University of Maryland, I have been told that on average, the females maintain a higher GPA than the males at all times. This only shows that women work harder and put more effort into studying than men which gives a positive outlook towards women in the education field and future career. There is also an ideology that women are more cautious and organized than men which is also another advantage for future opportunities and careers.
I’ve never realized how power structures can easily change and affect our everyday lives until this assignment has been given to us. The analysis of power structures that surround us led me to the belief that we should all stand up for ourselves, despite the fact that some of us are marked or unmarked. I personally believe that the more marked categories someone is under, the more they should be able to express their distinctiveness and defend who they are as a person. Being a female, we should never let the negative ideologies bring us down and think ourselves as subordinate to men. We should be treated equally as one, and not let the fact that we are marked prevent us from achieving our goals and dreams. The class lectures and discussions beneficially helped me realize how important power controls our lives, and how we can control it with our own actions and beliefs. Although I was unaware of the objective and purpose of this assignment at first, it helped me bring out my inner thoughts on power and allowed me to express how I felt power is analyzed in our society. The various systems of power permitted me to explore the social justice and levels of the society and how it impacts us as a whole. Putting myself in the center and looking at power in my everyday life, I’ve found and became conscious of my privileges as well as my oppression as I stand here today. I am unmarked and marked for many reasons and it interconnects with the concept of matrix of domination that helped me analyze power in a different perspective. It definitely opened my eyes toward new insights toward the structural levels of power in our society.

Erin Smith

WMST250 0106

April 22, 2008

                                                                       Assignment #3

 

            Power.  It’s what controls our society. It’s what establishes social status among people and who makes the rules that govern us.  Everyone sees power differently, depending on one’s personal matrix of domination.  Whether a person fits into marked or unmarked categories will determine how they view the centralization of power in society.  Me being a white Catholic middle class female compels me to view my world in a much different way then perhaps a black low class woman would.  We were offered different opportunities and were born into completely different surroundings.  It is only natural that we would think differently about power sources and other aspects of society.  While I am oppressed in some ways they are perhaps not as obvious or apparent as her own oppressions.  Despite my oppressions not being as easily viewed, they still exist and are felt because of the limitations of power in our society.

            Personally, I see power in our society concentrated in our government and other societal institutions.  The government holds the ability to make the laws and create the rules that the population as a whole must respect.  They also have the power to enforce these laws and punish those who do not obey them.  Although our country is based on personal freedom and liberty, restrictions are still placed on us and thus there is only the appearance of complete freedom.  Every citizen is allowed to do what ever he or she please, under the constraints of the law.  Who makes these laws?  Who is qualified enough to make decisions for the masses? Supposedly these people are those who we, as United States citizens, vote into the government to make informed decisions for all of us.  However, if this were true then wouldn’t there be a good representation of all races and ethnicities in our government?  Instead rich white males control our government. This has been the case since our country was established in 1776.  Some may argue that our country has gone through significant changes over the years and the power has shifted.  It may be true that there are more minorities then ever represented in the government today but that number is still miniscule to the percentage of white males that hold positions in the government.

            Despite my seemingly unmarked matrix of domination I will most likely not hold a significant position in the government, no matter how hard I worked for it.  I am not part of one of the wealthy families who are involved in the government.  In order to run for Congress one must have a significant amount of money in order to run a campaign and also have a considerable following from the political world.  Some might not consider this an oppression per say but I still consider it a limitation.

            Socialist C. Wright Mills discussed his view of power in the American government in his book The Power Elite.  He felt that the United States government was run by a small group of ‘elites’, which included the president, and a handful of other political leaders, the highest ranking military officers, and big business owners.  He believed that these people controlled the government and made laws for the masses, which they believe, were most beneficial for the general public.  He even thought that Congress itself was only second tier to these elites.  However, he did not believe that the elites was a set group of people.  He thought that new people were allowed to enter this circle of power but they must have connections and work extremely hard in order to break through the social classes.  The public, in his opinion was the lowest tier and had very low influence in governmental decisions. Some may not agree with him because they would like to believe that our democracy is, as is the definition of a democracy, of, for, and by the people.  Absolute democracy is not capable in a country as large as ours.  It is inevitable that a group of people would take charge, not so much in a dictatorship type of way, but it is impossible to have every citizen’s voice heard.  (Neubeck, 37)

            Our government is not the only imperfect social institution in our country.  Education is another example of one of America’s institutions that enables certain groups to be suppressed.     While our country relies on the philosophy that everyone deserves the same opportunities, the systems that try to enforce this concept are imperfect as well and thus oppress certain groups of people.  For instance, although all citizens are given access to education, the quality and availability of these schools differs for each person, mainly depending on their socioeconomic status and location.  Public schools are offered in every socioeconomic neighborhood but schools in wealthy areas will provide a better education solely because they are able to pay higher taxes that are put into funding the school.  Those who live in poverty stricken areas are unable to pay high taxes to fund their schools, if they are lucky enough to even have a school within walking distance of their homes.  Another contributor to the low quality of education the lower class receives is the deficiency of teachers in those areas.  Teachers want to be paid well so they migrate to areas that can provide them with a decent salary.  Thus, they migrate to the wealthier areas in order to make a living.  This is one of the reasons that poverty is a vicious cycle.  Education is one of the key elements that help a person get out of poverty.  However, a lot of people who are in poverty are not provided with schools that will help them advance in the world and some can not attend school because they have to enter the workforce in order to help financially support their family. They continue to work in the same jobs as their parents and many never have the time to go to school and therefore remain in the same situation as their parents and are unable to rise above the poverty line.           

            Education is one key example in displaying the painfully obvious separation of social classes in America.  In our capitalist system there will always be one group of people who profit from our system and numerous others who consequentially suffer from it.  Those in the elite, by human nature, try and maintain their status.  No matter how much it may seem that those in the upper class are trying to assist those in the lower class to help them achieve a better life style, they will never do enough in order to make all the classes equal.  It is the harsh reality of a capitalist society that there will always be a gap in the social classes, what we can control is the size of this gap.  There is never a reason to have millions of people live below the poverty line in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  These people are being suppressed in order for the rich to maintain the lifestyle that they have become accustomed to. Many prejudicial practices arise from this attempt to preserve the luxuries that the wealthy enjoy.  The groups who are suppressed have seemed to remain consistent throughout the years. They are usually minorities such as African Americans, Hispanics, or even women.  They are placed into positions in which they are not offered the same opportunities as the wealthy and thus are unable to rise out of their social class and become more powerful then those currently in power, or the “elite” as Mills considered them.

            Most people would not think that me, as a white, American, Catholic, middle class female is oppressed in any way.  I was offered good educational opportunities and now I am attending a national ranked university. I don’t have get a job right now to support myself I am lucky enough that my parents have saved enough money in order to send me through college without relying on me to contribute a significant portion of it.  I do not feel oppressed in the same way that many people would consider oppression. However, I am restricted in some aspects of my everyday life.  There are certain things that I am unable to do because of my age, gender, race, or even socioeconomic status.  My daily oppressions may not have anything to do with economics, but they still exist.  America prides itself on offering everyone the “American dream.”  Of course this “dream” differs for every individual, but on the whole it is the idea that everyone has the chance to make a good living for themselves through hard work and dedication.  This of course is idealistic.  Sometimes no matter how hard one tries to reach his or her goals, they do not achieve them.  There are certain things that restrict people from doing anything they want, and sometimes these characteristics are out of our control. 

            For instance, no matter how hard I try I will never be able to become president of the United States for various reasons.  None of my family has ever held a political position and social networking is one of the biggest factors is acquiring a government position like that.  I also would not obtain enough money in order to manage a campaign and run for office.  Another factor that would work against me is the fact that I am a woman.  Although there is a woman candidate running for this election who has a good chance of being the Democratic nomination there is still a biased against women entering the government.  It has always been the norm that wealthy white males dominated governmental positions and when someone tries to break the norm resistance is usually felt.  We have come a long way from when our government was established but at the same time it seems that nothing has really changed at all.  When our government started one majority ruled the government and that is still the case today.  Those who are in the minority are still trying to establish themselves as essential parts of society and protect their rights as individuals.

            Sometimes even a person’s individual beliefs are even grounds for prejudice.  Throughout history people who did not hold the same beliefs as others in their society were persecuted.  The most well known example of this is the Jewish people.  They have a long history of persecution that originated solely because they were not Christians. Religious prejudice is one of the hardest concepts for me to understand.  How can someone hate someone else just because they are of a different faith? Some people assume that Catholics are resentful of the Jewish people because it is said that the people who killed Jesus Christ were Jewish.  I can only speak for myself and the other people of my religion that I know, but this is untrue.

            When I tell someone I’m Catholic and that I attended a Catholic high school immediately they assume things about me.  Since Christianity is an unmarked category their assumptions are not negative as sometimes those of marked people are. Many people assume that because I went to a Catholic high school that I am very religious and that I abide by all of the Catholic teachings and agree with all the Catholic doctrines.  This assumption could not be farther from the truth.  While I was raised in a Catholic family my family encouraged me to make my own decisions regarding religion and various other things and never pressured me to think or believe a certain thing.  I know a lot of families place a lot of pressure on their children to have the same faith and beliefs as they did; this was not my case however.  I do still consider myself Catholic in the sense that that’s how I was raised and that’s where my education came from. However, all those years in Catholic school actually made me rethink my beliefs and forced me decide for myself which doctrines to believe.  Catholicism is very strict on their constituents upholding all traditions and beliefs, so in the eyes of many extreme Catholics I would not be considered a true Catholic.  I believe this is why many people leave the Catholic Church; it doesn’t leave any room for people to make their own decisions and decide things for themselves.  The Church also puts people in marked and unmarked categories.  Although it says it is accepting of everyone it does not accept a person’s choice to be homosexual among other things such as a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion.  This causes a lot of hardship for not only the person who is directly involved in the act but the people in their lives as well.  Because I am heterosexual I have not personally felt the oppression of being a gay Catholic.  However, my uncle is homosexual and I saw the extremely hard time he went through when he finally decided to come out to his family.  My grandparents are extremely Catholic and thus it was tremendously hard for them to accept that their son was going against the norms that the church had set out for them.  The issue of abortion is more relatable for me solely because I am a woman.  I have a hard time complying with restrictions that are placed on me.  I am not firmly pro-choice or pro-life but I believe that individuals should have the right to make this decision for themselves.  Due to the fact that the church is a heavy determinant of some people’s choices of what to do or what to believe, it is a huge power structure in our society.  Not only the institution of the church itself, but religion in general.  Religion is one of the most defining characteristics of a person. In some cases it governs their actions but regardless whether a person is raised in a very strictly religious family or in a household of atheists religion (or lack their of) influences the person they become and affects their actions and their lifestyle. A power structure is just that, something that has an influence in a person’s actions and lifestyle.  Religion, in my case, has not restricted me but nevertheless it still molded me into the person I am today.

            Another aspect of the matrix of domination that separates one person from another is gender. I am a female, which is a marked category in our patriarchal society. Women used to have a lot fewer rights and privileges in society.  The evolution of women’s rights throughout the history of America is impressive and went from placing women in the home to placing them in the business world right next to the men.  Although women in our society are given many of the same opportunities as men and are now in high-ranking positions of large corporations and even political positions, there is still a slight bit of oppression being felt. Women are still seen as inferior to men and are paid less money for the same job title.  Recently women make about 75 cents to a man’s dollar.  This would be understandable if men and women held different positions and performed different tasks this is not the case however. Women are just as qualified as men to do most jobs.  Yes, it is true that men are more qualified to do jobs that require physical labor but this is only because most men are naturally built bigger then most females and are able to handle more physical labor. However, it is harder to achieve a high paying in the workforce if you are a woman because of the assumptions that come along with your gender.  Some employers assume that a woman candidate is not only not as intelligent as another candidate who is a man, but also that she might leave her job in order to start a family. This cannot be assumed for all women and it could also be assumed for some men. 

            Over the years women has become much more likely to get a career outside of their house. Also, more women are attending college then men now.  Possessing a higher educational degree allows them to get hired at the big companies and corporations.  This allows women to be able to provide for themselves more then they have been able to in previous years.  This is one of the main reasons why women are now getting married later and later.  The original reason why companies wouldn’t pay men and women the same salary was because men were the main providers for their families.  This is no longer true so this should be changed.  There is no reason why a woman should make any less money then a man doing her exact same job. Women work just as hard as the men in their positions and dedicate the same amount of time out of their lives to advance in their careers.

            Being a female myself is an oppression and advantage all at the same time. It is true that some people view women as meek creatures who need to stay home and care for the families while the their husband provides for them, but these views are ever-changing.  It makes it that much more of a success to make be successful as a woman, knowing that some people didn’t think you could do it.  It is extremely satisfying to know that you proved someone wrong, especially when they were saying that someone was incapable of doing something.  Another in some instances I feel restricted by my gender I think it is able to be overcome.  I don’t feel that because I am a woman I am not able to achieve the goals I have set for myself.  Perhaps I have adjusted my goals throughout my life in order to account for my limitations but I am still following the path I wanted to in my life.

            One last characteristic of my self that I think affects my everyday life and the opportunities that I am given is my race.  I am white, which is an unmarked characteristic of the matrix of domination.  I have never had to deal with the issue of racism in my personal life.  I obviously still acknowledge it but I have not experienced it for myself mainly because I am white.  However, because the effects of racism on certain people I have felt some reverse racism.  Sometimes I assume because I am white that some people in the African American community dislike me solely based on how other people in my race act towards them.  I honestly am accepting of all people no matter what their race but they assume that I act like some of the other white people they have met. 

            Many of my own characteristics in the matrix of domination are unmarked, also my characteristics is where power is mostly held.  In my opinion wealthy white males possess the most power in our society whether it’s in the government or big business corporations.  Although I am a woman I feel that this is not so much of a restriction anymore.  However, I do not believe that female will ever become an unmarked category.  The genders may never be completely equal. Perhaps in future years women will become more powerful then men, but then men would be a marked category so essentially it would be extremely difficult to have complete equality of the genders.

            I had never really taken the time to consider where I found power in society or where in the realm I fit until we started discussing it in class.  Because I fit into most unmarked categories I wasn’t really forced to take a look at my own personal oppressions.  It seems that if you are in these common categories that people are not as willing to acknowledge your oppressions because they are not as harsh as those who maybe live in poverty or experience racism on a daily basis.  I agree that these people’s oppressions are much worse then mine but I still think that the limitations I experience because of my gender, race, religion, age, etc, are still important and worth noting.  Although it is completely unfair that certain people, based solely on personal factors, can be restricted from doing certain things, but I think that while the groups who are labeled marked may change there will always be inequality in our society.  Hopefully over the years we can work on it and lessen the degree of oppression that these marked categories feel.  I think the most important thing to take out of analyzing one’s place in society is realizing that everyone experiences oppression in some way and that everyone views power structures in completely different ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Neubeck, Kenneth J. Social Problems: A Critical Approach. 5th ed. Boston: McGrawHIll 2007. 36-39.