Anti-Oppression Flashcards
Oppression
Cambridge dictionary
“A situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities in freedom”
Examples of systems of oppressions:
racism, ableism, ageism, Homophobia, sexism, ageism, ect
Oppression is:
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• Coercion
• Dictatorship
• Maltreatment
• Hierarchy
• Power
• Injustice
Four levels of oppression
• Ideological
•Institutional
• Interpersonal
• Internalized
Oppressor
An oppressor is a person or group of people that is treating another person or group of people cruelly or unfairly
Oppressive Behaviours
Oppressive behaviours can range from Cruel/Hurtful comments, Insults, threats and violence.
4 l’s of Oppression
• Ideological
•Institutional
•Interpersonal
• Internalized
Ideological Oppression
That one group is somehow better than another and in some measure has the right to control the other group. The dominant group believes that they are superior i.e( more deserving, more capable) and the opposite qualities are attributed to the other group i.e (inferior, lazy)
Institutional Oppression
The idea that one group gets to control the other group which then gets embedded into our legal system, education sector, laws, hiring policies, power etc.
• For example, when a woman makes less than a man doing the same job.
Interpersonal Oppression
The idea that one group is better than another and has the right to control the other, which gets structured into institutions,gives permission and reinforcement for individual members of the dominant group to personally disrespect or mistreat individuals in the oppressed group.
• For example, jokes that are racist/sexist etc.
Most people in the dominant group are not consciously oppressive, they have internalized information as normal
Internalized Oppression
Oppressed people internalize and reflect on their experience of disrespect from members of the dominant group, and they eventually come to internalize the negative messages about themselves. If we have been told we are worthless, abnormal, and have been treated as if we were all our lives, then we believe it.
5 Faces of Oppression:
- Exploitation
- Marginalization
- Powerlessness
- Cultural Imperialism
- Violence
Exploitation
The act of using people’s labours for profit while not paying a fair wage. This creates classes of people: wealthy and poor
Examples: Child labour, sweet shop, Sex trafficing
Marginalization
Treating a person or a group as insignificant, by confining them to a lower social standing.
This is a process of exclusion.
Example: older people not being employed because of their age,
Powerlessness
The powerless are dominated by the ruling class and are expected to take orders. They lack decision making process.
Example:
not voting because they believe their participation doesn’t matter anyway.
Cultural Imperialism
Is taking the culture of the ruling class and establishing it.
• Example: the spread of American culture during Globalization
Violence
Is an act that does not necessarily need a motive but likely to damage, humiliate, or destroy the person.
Example: older student hurting a younger student to establish power and dominance over them.
What do children need…
• They need to know that love and respect are universal concepts regardless of the language or where they were born from.
Characteristics of Oppression
Systemic
power imbalance
Denial
Systemic:
It is systemic and societal. It is not just individuals with prejudiced beliefs and actions, but rather is embedded within the structure of society.
Denial:
The powerful group often denies that oppression exists or accepts it as being normal or right.
Power Imbalance
It involves a dominant or more powerful group exploiting a less powerful group based on perceived differences between the groups.
There is always a power imbalance at play.
Overt forms of oppression are
open and observable, not secret or hidden. The target is very aware of the intention and action of the oppressive act, and of the oppressive person or group.
Covert forms of oppression
may be secret, hidden, and not openly practiced, or so subtle that they are not obvious, even to the intended target.
The person targeted may not even realize that an oppressive act has occurred until after the fact, nor be aware of who committed it.
Often, targets of covert forms of oppression may second guess themselves and their reactions to covert oppression.
Identity
What oppression
Who experiences oppression
Gender> sexism> women Trans gender
Race> Racism> people of colour
Class> classism> working class, ppl living in poverty
Ability> Ableism> people living with disabilities
Sexual Orientation> Heterosexism, Homophobia, Biphobia> people who are gay, lesbian, Bisexual
Age> Ageism> Children, youth, seniors
Nationality> Colonialism> Aboriginal ppl
> Nationalism> Permanent residents, people with temporary visas, sponsored. people with no status, refugee claimants, convention refugees
What is micro aggression?
Micro-aggression is subtle, everyday indirect discrimination against marginalized groups such as, Comments or behaviours that may be intentional or unintentional or go unnoticed by the person who uses them (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.).
Anti-Oppression
Anti-oppression is a framework that aims to end oppression by examining and challenging power dynamics while empowering those who experience oppression.
Anti-discriminatory Practice (ADP)
Is an approach which calls for people to be treated with respect and should not be treated badly or unfairly because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, impairment, class, religious belief or age. It also champions the implementation of policies that fight against discrimination
ADP Example:
implementing policies and codes of practice; staff selection and interviewing procedures comply with the Equality Act; staff development and training; mentoring; staff meetings;
Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP)
recognizes the oppression that exists in our society/space and aims to relieve the effects of oppression and eventually equalize the power imbalances that exist between people. It also recognizes that all forms of oppression are interconnected in some way, shape or form.
Three Levels of Anti-Oppression
Beginner- new to the term “anti-oppression” and “anti-bias
Ally- familiar with the concepts, you are willing to seek out more information, support others in their journey
Activist- working towards social justice through different organizations and institutions.
Paulo Freire
reminds us of the importance of reflection through his concept of ____
Praxis
Praxis refers to the following:
ACTION, PRACTICE: such as
a: exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill
b: customary practice or conduct
Reflection plus action =
change
Anti-Oppression
If we wish to be anti-oppressive, we need to:
•Respect and welcome Diversity
• Rid ourselves, as far as possible of stereotypes and prejudices through gaining accurate knowledge of people or groups that differ from us some aspect of identity
• Use any power and privilege we have to benefit people and not ‘wound’ them through social devaluation
• Work for communality sharing and equality
• Be aware of negative aspects of the Culture and structures of the society in which we live, and try to counteract them and change them
• Recognize the pervasiveness and seriousness of oppression in the world, and commit ourselves to positive action to remedy and prevent it
• Study first-hand accounts by those who experience oppression to understand its reality, nature and prevalence, and to gain authentic knowledge for tackling it.
What do children need
They need to know that love and respect are universal concepts regardless of the language or where they were born from.
Anti-Bias Education (ABE)
-is a commitment to support children who live in a highly diverse world
-it begins with early childhood education Including your interactions with families and colleagues
-is an understanding that children are their own Individual, based on the way they were raised and hov society views them
Four Core Goals of Anti-Bias Education
- IDENTITY
- DIVERSITY
- JUSTICE
- ACTIVISM
What are isms
A BIAS THAT CAN BE CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS, THAT REINFORCES OPPRESSION AND INEQUITIES.
Equality
Equal treatment that brings about an equality of results and that may, in some instances, require different treatment. For example, to give all students equal treatment in entering a building, it may be necessary to provide a ramp for a student who uses a Wheelchair.
Equity
- Equality in access and outcomes and a distinct process of recognizing differences within groups of individuals, and using this understanding to achieve substantive equality in all aspects of a person’s life.
Systemic Barrier
- A barrier embedded in the social or administrative structures of an organization, Including the physical accessibility of an organization, organizational policies, practices and decision-making processes, or the culture of an organization.
Inclusion
- Appreciating and using our unique differences - strengths, talents, weaknesses and frailties - in a way that shows respect for the individual and ultimately creates a dynamic multidimensional organization.
Privilege
-Benefitting from unearned power, benefits, advantages, access and/or opportunities based on membership or perceived membership in a dominant group.
Bias
- A subjective opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination, often formed without reasonable justification, which influences the ability of an individual or group to evaluate a particular situation objectively or accurately, Biases (particularly implicit biases) are built into and perpetuated by societal structures. These biases might be against others’ race, gender, weight, disability, sexuality, skin-tone, age, culture or religion.
Prejudice:
Is a favorable or unfavorable opinion or feeling about a person or group, usually formed without knowledge, thought or reason. It can be based on a single experience, which is then transferred to or assumed about all potential experiences.
prejudice Example:
if someone is taught to believe that a certain ethnic group has negative attributes, every negative act committed by someone in that group can be seen as confirming the prejudice.
Discrimination:
Consists of actions or unfair treatment against a group of people.
Discrimination can be based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, health etc.
Discrimination Examples:
You are asked at a job interview if you have children. When you tell the interviewer that you have four children, he makes a remark about you needing time off work if they’re sick and says you won’t be suitable for the position. (parental status, family responsibilities)
Prejudice and discrimination can _______ ________ ______in many ways.
overlap and Intersect
Unprejudiced non-discriminators are…
open-minded, tolerant, and accepting individuals.
Unprejudiced discriminators might be those who…
unthinkingly practice sexism in their workplace by not considering women or gender nonconforming people for certain positions that have traditionally been held by men.
Prejudiced non-discriminators are those who…
hold racist beliefs but don’t act on them, such as a racist store owner who serves minority customers.
Prejudiced discriminators include those who….
actively make disparaging remarks about others or who perpetuate hate crimes.
Racism:
Racism is a belief that humans can be divided into a hierarchy of power based on their differences in race and ethnicity. With some groups seen as superior to others on the sole basis of their racial or ethnic characteristics.
Racism is frequently expressed through prejudice and discrimination.
Ableism:
is a set of practices and beliefs that assign inferior value and worth to people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disAbilities.
Eracism:
(4 steps)
Erasing Racism
4 steps
• Observation
• Awareness
• Conversation
• Action
Sexism is
Sexism includes any action, attitude, behaviour or language that depicts a gender as inferior.
Heterosexism (i.e., homophobia),
relates to social structures and practices that serve to elevate and enforce heterosexuality while suppressing other sexual orientations.
Homophobia
is the irrational fear and hatred of those who love and sexually desire those of the same sex. Homophobia ranges from dislike and avoidance of homosexuals, to discrimination against them in employment, to acts of violence.
Ageism
Ageism is discrimination of individuals based on their age.
For instance, discrimination of older women based on the notion that they are incapable of performing certain functions such as driving, or discrimination of youth based on the notion that they are immature and therefore incapable of performing certain tasks.
Classism
Classism is discrimination of groups of persons sharing a similar social position and certain economic, political, and cultural characteristics.
Antisemitism
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
According to the Government of Canada: “Regrettably,_______ persists in Canada in various forms. Despite representing less than 1% of the Canadian population,____ are the religious group in Canada most likely to be targeted for hate crimes”.
antisemitism
Jews
Colonialism
Colonialism is a process by which a foreign power dominates and exploits an indigenous group by seizing their land and resources, extracting their wealth, and using them as cheap labour.
Implicit Bias
- unconscious attitudes and believes that we are unaware of
Explicit Bias
- conscious attitudes and beliefs that we are aware of
Four fundamental types of Implicit Biases
• Affinity bias
• Confirmation bias
• Conformity Bias
• Perception Bias
Affinity Bias
When people like people who are perceived to be just like them. Any perceived connection, however big or small, can result in an affinity bias. Affinity bias is fertile ground for the exclusion of people.
Our natural instinct to gravitate towards people who are like us.
Conformity Bias
When people want to achieve group consensus. People will adopt the thoughts and opinions of the group while setting aside their personal beliefs and values.
Confirmation Bias
Are realized when people attempt to prove assumptions and stereotypes. Confirmation bias impacts the organizational culture since people seek to confirm their beliefs or stereotypes in their interactions.
Perception Bias
Perception bias is when people form generalized stereotypes and assumptions about particular groups of people.
3 factors to reflect on ourself
•Consider your layers
•Check Assumptions
•Ask about Inclusion
History of Racism in Canada
Slavery > Residential Schools > Head Text/ Exclusion > Komagata Maru > Turned Away > Internment > Post- WW2 Immigrants
Slavery
“A condition in which one human being was owned by another. A slave was considered by law as property and was deprived of most of the rights ordinarily held by free persons”.
-Britannica
African People
3,000 people of African ancestry were forced into_______ in Canada.
Generations of African Canadians faced______ _______ in employment, housing, schools, churches, restaurants, hospitals and public transportation.
slavery
overt discrimination
Head Tax Exclusion
Chinese immigrants had to pay a head tax to enter Canada. From 1923-1947 Canada shut it’s doors to Chinese immigrants
Chinese People
17,000 Chinese labourers came to work on the _______ ______ ________
Once it was completed, Canada introduced Chinese “head taxes”
Canada collected ___ ____________ in head-taxes before shutting the door to Chinese immigrants.
Canadian Pacitic railway
$23 million
Komagata Maru
The ship set off from Hong Kong on April 4, 1914, carrying 376 passengers - 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims and
12 Hindus. Over a month later, on May 22, the Komagata Maru arrived on the coast of British Columbia.
South Asian People In 1914, Canada wouldn’t permit the Komagata Maru to _____ in Vancouver.
It carried 375 Sikh, Hindu and
Muslim passengers. Many were
British subjects
land
Turned Away
Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis were denied entry to Canada. The ship returned its passengers to safe harbor in four European countries.
Jewish People
In 1939, Canada turned away the MS St. Louls, an ocean liner carrying over 900 ______ _______
Forced back to Europe, some ____% of the passengers later died in the holocaust.
Jewish refugees.
40
Internment
Confinement dwellings that the Canadian government had control and power over.
Japanese People
During World War II, the Canadian government forced 20,000 Japanese people - 75% who were Canadian citizens into ______ _____
Their homes, fishing boats and businesses were confiscated.
When the war ended, 4,000 people were ____ _______ ______
internment camps.
deported to Japan.
Post-WWIl Immigrants
Many immigrants came to Canada for a better opportunity.
Post-WWII Immigrants.
Canada favoured immigrants from the _______ _______ and ______ ______
In 1967, Canada introduced a fairer immigration policy with the _______ _____
United Kingdom and Western Europe
point system.
Residential Schools
The “60s scoop”
referred to the Indigenous children that were displaced and placed into foster homes or residential schools.
Indigenous Peoples
From 1886 to 1996, 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children were……..
The trauma of residential schools and the “60s scoop’ has been passed down from generation to generation.
snatched from their families and forced to attend residential schools.
Indigenous peoples” is a name for
the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often alled Aboriginals.
The Canadian Constitution recognizes 3 groups of Aboriginal peoples:
First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
In 2021, almost one in five Indigenous people in Canada (18.8%) lived in a _____ _______ _______, This was down nearly 10 percentage points from 2016. The decline was likely driven by government transfers in response to ____ __________ _________
low-income household
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Census counted 1.8 million Indigenous pople, accounting for 5.0% of the ______ ______ ______ _______, up from 4.9% in 2016.
total population in Canada
Most Indigenous people live in____ _____ ______ ______, but account for larger share of overall population in territories
Ontario and Western Canada
Food Resources
all _______ _______ across the country hunted and gathered plants for both food and healing purposes. The actual percentage of meat, fish and plants in any _______ _______ diet depended on what was available in the local environment.
First Nations
First Nation’s
all built homes that were either portable or easily sourced materials found in their immediate environments.
Who?
First Nations
Modes of Transportation
constructed birch bark canoes that were light, durable and good for navigating the numerous rivers and lakes.
Who?
First Nations
Clothing-made their clothing
usually tunics, leggings and moccasins—of tanned animal skin. Woodland and northern______ ______ used moose, deer or caribou skin. Plains _____ ______ mostly used light animal skins, such as buffalo, antelope, elk or deer.
First Nations
Beliefs
All _______ _______ believed that their values and traditions were gifts from the Creator (Great Spirit). One of the most important and most common teachings was that people should live in harmony with the natural world and all it contained.
First Nations
Colonialism
Colonialism occurs when a country or a nation takes control of other lands, regions, or territories outside of its borders (boundaries of the country) by turning those other lands, regions, or territories into a colony. Usually, it is a more powerful, richer country that takes control of a smaller, less powerful region or territory. Sometimes the words “colonialism” and “imperialism” are used to mean the same thing.
Residential Schools
Residential schools were government-sponsored religious schools that were established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture.
First residential facilities were established in New France, the term usually refers to schools established after 1880. Residential schools were created by Christian churches and the Canadian government as an attempt to both educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into Canadian society.
Truth and Reconciliation
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2008 to investigate the full extent of the harm caused by residential schools, propose solutions, and prevent future abuse of Indigenous communities.
Truth and reconciliation
One of those activist-led lawsuits resulted in the _____ ________ _______in Canadian history.
It mandated _______ from the Canadian government, official church bodies, and other participants in the horrors.
largest class-action settlement
apologies
Calls to Action (CTAs)
Prevention, according to the CTAs, will happen by:
Teaching all Canadians the reality of Indigenous Peoples’ treatment
Creating educational and economic opportunities for Indigenous Canadians so they can fully participate in society
Identity
the qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others
Values
Values are ideals or beliefs that an individual hold and are essential for determining what is desirable or undesirable to them.
Culture
Culture are the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.
Examine the five basic characteristics of culture
•Symbols
•Dynamic
• Integrated
• Shared
•Learned
Culture is Symbols
• A symbol is something that stands for something else.
They only have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use.
• Language, money and art are all symbols.
• Language is the most important symbolic component of culture.
Culture is Integrated
• This is when various parts of a culture being interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related to one another and to truly understand a culture, one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few.
• This is vital in fostering unity and acceptance.
Culture is Shared
• Because we share culture with other members of our group, we are able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act.
• Despite the shared nature of culture, that doesn’t mean that culture is the same.
• The food we eat, the clothes we wear etc.
Culture is Learned
It is not biological; we do not inherit it. Much of learning culture is unconscious. We learn culture from families, peers, institutions, and media.
Culture is Dynamic
Culture is dynamic. This means that cultures interact and change. Most cultures are in contact with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols.
it changes over time due to globalization, migration, historical events, advancements etc,
2 components of culture
Nonmaterial Culture & Material Culture
Nonmaterial culture
includes the values, beliefs, symbols, and language that define a society.
Material culture
includes all the society’s physical objects, such as its tools and technology, clothing, eating utensils, and means of transportation.
Diversity
the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.
Immigrant
According to the Government of Canada an Immigrant is :
• A person who is, or who has ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident. This person has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Immigrants who have obesined Canadian citizenship by naturalization ie.( marriage) are included in this group.
• According to the 2021 Canadian census, immigrants in Canada number 8.3 million and make up approximately 23 percent of Canada’s total population.
Multicultural
Relating to or including people from other cultures into one country.
Gender
Socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people.
Sex
Refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals. Associated with physical and physiological features.
Gender Norms
Gender norms are societal expectations and rules regarding how men and women should behave, express themselves and interact with others according to their gender.
________ ________&_______ contribute to the development of gender norms and they differ across time and place.
Media, socialization and culture
Gender Socialization
Gender socialization is one of the primary ways gender norms affect children. Gender socialization refers to how children learn the appropriate behavior, appearance and attitudes for their gender.
What is it when boys learn to be assertive, competitive and independent, while girls are encouraged to be nurturing, emotional and compliant.
Gender Socialization
These gendered messages can shape children’s self-concept, beliefs and expectations about themselves and others.
Gender socialization
Male gender assumptions
Physically Strong
Decision makers
Disciplinarians
Logical
Good at math and science
Admired for success
Driven by
achievement
Female gender assumptions
Physically Weak
Peacemakers or Indecisive
Nurturers Emotional
Good at reading
Admired for appearance Driven to be loved
Gender Roles
Society’s expectation of social roles and responsibilities that are accepted based on biological or perceived sex.
Gender roles were traditional after ______ ______ and slowly started to be more flexible since the 1960s
world wars
Gender wage gap between women with disabilities and men without disabilities is
43%
Gender Bias
Preferred treatment toward one gender over the other.
Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination means any exclusion or restriction made on the basis of gender that creates barriers.
Gender Stereotype
• A gender stereotype is a generalized view or preconception about attributes or characteristics, or the roles that are or ought to be possessed by, or performed by, women and men.
•A gender stereotype is harmful when
it limits women’s and men’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers and/or make choices about their lives.
81% of women feel women are expected to do the majority of…
cooking, cleaning & child rearing at home.
In 2018 the wage gap between men and women was
Women earned $4.13 less per hour
ABE Goal #1 Identity
Gender identity
Children will express their ideas and positive feelings about their gender identity and be comfortable with their own way of expressing gender.
ABE Goal #2 Diversity
Gender Identity
Children will have vocabulary for and an ease talking about the great diversity in appearance emotional expressiveness and behavior of children across the spectrum of gender and identities
ABE Goal#3 Justice
Gender identity
Children will recognize stereotypical ideas and images and hurtful behaviors directed at their own and others gendered identities, they will know that it is not fair to treat people hurtfully because of who they are.
ABE Goal#4 Activism
gender identity
Children will practice skills for supporting gender diversity in their interactions with peers and adults.
By the age of ___ _______ ______call themselves either a boy or a girl.
2 most toddlers
By the time a child is ___ they have absorbed culture ideas of what boys and girls are supposed to do
4
