4 I's of Oppression/Intersectionality

Oppression is defined as a systemic subjugation in which those belonging to the dominant group have access to privilege and benefit at the expense of individuals in the subordinate group. To many, one group of people comes to mind and that is white people. However, after analyzing the wheel of privilege and discussing the importance of knowing our own, I have come to realize there's more than our ideological beliefs.

Ideological Oppression is the belief that one group is dominant or superior to the other; this is often misconstrued as "common sense" and how others see the world. An example of ideological beliefs that I have personally been affected by is the "You're pretty for a black girl" or simply putting that "I'm very articulate." This type of ideological racism puts out the idea that you cannot be black and pretty or black and well spoken. This belief stems from the comparison of black people and animals such as gorillas and monkeys. Comparing our traits to that of these animals and so forth. It's a way to continue to showcase the value that is lacked for one particular group of people versus another.

Internalized Oppression addresses the way individuals absorb belief systems that then contribute to feelings of false deficiency within themselves in relation to others especially those who are not part of the superior group. An example of this can be an individual who is considered low class feeling out of place in school for not having the latest items that other students may have and brag about. Internalized oppression reaches a persons self esteem and creates insecurities and feelings of displacement in individuals if they feel they are alone.

Interpersonal Oppression is the way internalized oppression is expressed among individuals or groups. In one video that I had watched and will display below, they discuss how being bullied for being gay is an example of interpersonal homophobia. This form of oppression occurs every day and those who are different then those who are superior always receive the short end of the stick in societies treatment.

Institutional Oppression is the way oppression perpetuates socially through policies, law and social practices. In reality, one form of institutional oppression we are familiar with is the gender pay gap. In America, women have less than half the retirement savings that men have, hold two-thirds of student loan debt and experience higher poverty rates than men. This practice stems from a time when men were the "breadwinners" and women stayed in the home to be caretakers. Even in these contemporary times, we still have these limiting factors that make women feel devalued and continue to keep men on top.

I can only ever speak on my experience with oppression and how it has affected me as a person. Being the nice racist who thinks I'm pretty for a black girl is insulting. It emphasizes the beauty standard ideology that the European frame of beauty is the standard and it's simply not true. Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner undergo surgery to get lips that I naturally have, yet she will always be seen as textbook pretty. It's a cycle. It's one that was created before us but still presents to be the norm.