The psychology and sociology of oppression
It may see as if the journey to end oppression, including the oppression based on race, has, in recent years, taken two steps or even more backward in this and other countries. Certainly, following the election of Barack Obama even the casual observer had to be aware that many became more fearful and, once again, picked up the tools of oppression to do all they could to discredit him and the steps he took to correct age old wrongs. By the end of his presidency it was obvious that in some areas such as instilling hope in some of the oppressed, the rights of the LGBT community and protection of the environment progress had been made. In other areas such as immigration, if we look closely at the record, no progress or negative movement seemed to happen. His presidency fueled the fear of many who had learned to believe their worth was, in part, based on being better than, more powerful then, and deserving of more rights and privileges than the descendants of slaves or more precisely descendants of those who appeared to have some ancestors who were descendants of slaves.
Perhaps it is time to revisit what I recall learning about the psychology and sociology of oppression from the late Dr. James Cone some 50 years ago. (This is purely my understanding with apologies to the memory of Dr. Cone if I have misrepresented his analysis.
If one wants to oppresses some person or group of people one must:
1.Have a perceived need to feel worth while. Decide this will at the expense of some person or group of people.
2.Create a myth which one then may internalize and come to believe about the person or group of people which justifies treating them as less then.
3.Incorporate that myth into one’s current moral or religious beliefs, I. e. “Because they are incapable of taking care of themselves I will take charge of them. They do not want or need the same benefits I enjoy. God intended men to be the head of the family.
4.Use existing laws or create new laws to legitimize these myths and subsequent action.
5.Take charge of the person or group of people.
6.Let them know that because one knows that they are less capable and less able that one is going to take care of them.
7.In return allow the new victims of enslavement to live in some sort of housing and the privilege of earning a meager existence.
8.Do not make them feel bad by allowing them to attend school or otherwise learning the skills which would allow them to compete in one’s economic, cultural or social world. (One may sing for one’s supper but not as an equal who can stay in the hotels or eat in the restaurants of the ruling group.)
9.Restrict access to health care or other rights of the ruling group by denying health insurance or other benefits. Create the illusion of health care by creating programs which only or mainly treat those under that program, i.e. Medicaid, Snap, etc.
10.Isolate them by not allowing friends outside of their enslaved worlds to prevent them from feeling bad by having their heads filled with opposing thoughts.
11.Publicly punish them or their children if they step outside the lines of thoughts or behavior which have been dictated.
12.Demand that they now be appreciative for all one does for them. The goal is to have them gratefully say, “Thank you master”
13.If a significant group rebels be sure to label them as the criminals, the insane, the out of control people determined to destroy the material possessions of the innocent ruling group of people.
There is always that individual or small group of individuals who do not get the memo. There is a long list (not included in most history books) who step outside the box. Some of those will become another sub group who has “made it in the larger society” and who will work to protect their rights using the same myths to help ensure the enslaved stay enslaved. Some will be those who are the very vocal prophets who will help move the community two steps forward. It is then imperative that the larger society take decisive action to silence or discredit the voices of those prophets. Another tactic is to praise the prophets for not being like “them”.
Whether the oppression myth is based on race, color, culture, gender, sexual orientations, age, immigrant status, economic status or some other construct does not matter. The basic psychology and sociology are the same
If we are going to move two steps forward and one back with a net gain of one step it is imperative that we understand and correct the myths and quit looking at isolated symptoms of the oppression. Sadly, we are very fond in our culture of substituting symptoms for diagnosis. This is inaccurate, immoral and dangerous.
Written June 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
ere to edit.
It may see as if the journey to end oppression, including the oppression based on race, has, in recent years, taken two steps or even more backward in this and other countries. Certainly, following the election of Barack Obama even the casual observer had to be aware that many became more fearful and, once again, picked up the tools of oppression to do all they could to discredit him and the steps he took to correct age old wrongs. By the end of his presidency it was obvious that in some areas such as instilling hope in some of the oppressed, the rights of the LGBT community and protection of the environment progress had been made. In other areas such as immigration, if we look closely at the record, no progress or negative movement seemed to happen. His presidency fueled the fear of many who had learned to believe their worth was, in part, based on being better than, more powerful then, and deserving of more rights and privileges than the descendants of slaves or more precisely descendants of those who appeared to have some ancestors who were descendants of slaves.
Perhaps it is time to revisit what I recall learning about the psychology and sociology of oppression from the late Dr. James Cone some 50 years ago. (This is purely my understanding with apologies to the memory of Dr. Cone if I have misrepresented his analysis.
If one wants to oppresses some person or group of people one must:
1.Have a perceived need to feel worth while. Decide this will at the expense of some person or group of people.
2.Create a myth which one then may internalize and come to believe about the person or group of people which justifies treating them as less then.
3.Incorporate that myth into one’s current moral or religious beliefs, I. e. “Because they are incapable of taking care of themselves I will take charge of them. They do not want or need the same benefits I enjoy. God intended men to be the head of the family.
4.Use existing laws or create new laws to legitimize these myths and subsequent action.
5.Take charge of the person or group of people.
6.Let them know that because one knows that they are less capable and less able that one is going to take care of them.
7.In return allow the new victims of enslavement to live in some sort of housing and the privilege of earning a meager existence.
8.Do not make them feel bad by allowing them to attend school or otherwise learning the skills which would allow them to compete in one’s economic, cultural or social world. (One may sing for one’s supper but not as an equal who can stay in the hotels or eat in the restaurants of the ruling group.)
9.Restrict access to health care or other rights of the ruling group by denying health insurance or other benefits. Create the illusion of health care by creating programs which only or mainly treat those under that program, i.e. Medicaid, Snap, etc.
10.Isolate them by not allowing friends outside of their enslaved worlds to prevent them from feeling bad by having their heads filled with opposing thoughts.
11.Publicly punish them or their children if they step outside the lines of thoughts or behavior which have been dictated.
12.Demand that they now be appreciative for all one does for them. The goal is to have them gratefully say, “Thank you master”
13.If a significant group rebels be sure to label them as the criminals, the insane, the out of control people determined to destroy the material possessions of the innocent ruling group of people.
There is always that individual or small group of individuals who do not get the memo. There is a long list (not included in most history books) who step outside the box. Some of those will become another sub group who has “made it in the larger society” and who will work to protect their rights using the same myths to help ensure the enslaved stay enslaved. Some will be those who are the very vocal prophets who will help move the community two steps forward. It is then imperative that the larger society take decisive action to silence or discredit the voices of those prophets. Another tactic is to praise the prophets for not being like “them”.
Whether the oppression myth is based on race, color, culture, gender, sexual orientations, age, immigrant status, economic status or some other construct does not matter. The basic psychology and sociology are the same
If we are going to move two steps forward and one back with a net gain of one step it is imperative that we understand and correct the myths and quit looking at isolated symptoms of the oppression. Sadly, we are very fond in our culture of substituting symptoms for diagnosis. This is inaccurate, immoral and dangerous.
Written June 2, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
ere to edit.
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