Critical Reflection #5: History, Narratives, and Inequity
In the Five Faces of Oppression, Iris Marion Young explains how the definition of oppression has changed in history. In the past, it simply meant “the exercise of tyranny by a ruling group” (Young, 1990). However, Young offers her own unique, up to date definition of oppression. She states, “In its new usage, oppression designates the disadvantage and injustice some people suffer not because a tyrannical power coerces them, but because of the everyday practices of a well-intentioned liberal society…” (Young, 1990). In other words, people are now faced with oppression in our everyday society. The most common form of oppression I see is microaggressions. Whether it is at the grocery store, work, or school, microaggressions affect some individuals more than others. Most of the time, microaggressions aren’t done purposely, but as Young (1990) stated in her definition, people plan to do and say what’s right and often don’t mean to be oppressive.
In the same sense, Ada Isasi-Diaz (2012) states that “Injustice, which from the perspective of those suffering is called oppression…” In addition she divides the idea of oppression into five groups including “exploitation, marginalization, ethnoracism, powerlessness, and structural violence” (Diaz, 2012). When Diaz identifies herself as being “oppressed and impoverished” she is referring to the fact that although she is a Latina who is middle-class, she has also faced exploitation, which is one of the categories of oppression, in a professional setting (Diaz, 2012). In another definition she explains that being oppressed and impoverished also refers to “… to those who are conscious of their oppression and who struggle for their liberation, taking into consideration their communities” (Diaz, 2012). For example, I could see homeless individuals who are able to reflect and talk about the circumstances they faced in the past and how they became homeless as being “oppressed and impoverished.”
It’s important to observe and articulate day-to-day experiences because people experience things differently in their daily lives and for some, having demanding day-to-day experiences is a constant reality. For example, some college students might have to worry about how many hours they can work each day in order to pay for groceries, rent, and bills. In addition to trying to work as much as possible these same students are trying to find a balance between school and work. In contrast, students who don’t have to worry about paying for rent, bills, our groceries have what can bee seen as a less taxing lo cotidiano (Diaz, 2012).
At my community partner site, I could observe lo cotidiano experiences of the lives of people I work within the community by taking note of their routines at the community partner site. Diaz (2012) explains how after seeing the little boy and his mom at the bus stop she “…was left to ponder on what I had just seen and heard.” So at my community site for example, I could observe what someone is wearing, how they talk to community members, and listen to what they talk to others about. In turn, I could compare it to the decisions I made that day and the amount of thought I put into them. Another strategy for observing lo cotidiano experiences of community members could be directly asking community members about what they did during the day compared to another day through brief conversations. This could be done while the community members pick out their food from the pantry. For example, maybe asking questions related to transportation and errands could help give insight to their day-to-day lives.
