School of Human Resource Management- Faculty of

Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

Course: HRM 3450- Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity

Week 2 - Chapter Two- Forms of Oppression

Instructor: Ahmed Mohamed

 Main Points
- Oppression
- Critical Social Theory (Understanding
forms of
oppression)
Chapter - Key Components of Critical Social Theory
Two- -
-
Five Faces of Oppression
Power and Oppression
Forms of - Stereotypes
- Prejudice
Oppressi - Types of “Isms”
- Prejudice and Discrimination
on - Examples and Types of Discrimination
- How do we end all forms of oppression?

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 •In 1916 the women’s suffrage movement in Canada
arose as a response to oppression.

• The goal of this movement was to address equity,

justice, and human rights issues to improve lives in
Canada.

Oppressio • This social movement was also concerned about

women’s access to education, improvements in
n healthcare, and the end of violence against
women and children
• Until 1918 women in Canada did not have the right
to vote in federal elections

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 Despite all the efforts, violence against women remains a
significant issue, including emerging forms like cyber
violence (e.g., online stalking and harassment).

•Oppression is dynamic, multidimensional, and context-

dependent, requiring nuanced explanations and
solutions.

•Example: Think about someone working long hours in a

garment factory with poor pay and unsafe conditions.
Oppression This reflects exploitation, a form of oppression.

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 -Analyzing and understanding society with the aim of
identifying and addressing forms of oppression,
inequality, and domination.

Critical -Is grounded in the belief that social structures and

Social systems of power shape human behavior and interactions
Theory in ways that often perpetuate injustice.
(Understand
-The goal of critical social theory is to promote social
ing forms of transformation and liberation for oppressed groups.
oppression)

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 1.Awareness of Oppression:
o Understanding current forms of oppression to
envision a future free from domination and
exploitation.
o E.g recognizing that women, on average, earn less
than men for performing the same or equivalent
work. (gender-based oppression in labor markets.)

2.Recognition of Structural Oppression:

o Identifying oppression as a structural
phenomenon affecting daily lives, perpetuated by
Key internalized dominant-subordinate
relationships.
Components o E.g . Women are often overrepresented in lower-
of Critical paying jobs and underrepresented in leadership
roles due to structural barriers.
Social Theory
3.Empowerment through Agency:
o Utilizing individual and collective agency to drive
social change, making individuals responsible for
their liberation.
o E.g Workers forming unions to demand fair wages
and better working conditions.
4.Liberation Without Oppression:
o Ensuring that liberation is achieved without
oppressing others, including former oppressors.
o E.g instead of penalizing men, policies can promote
fair evaluations and reward structures that benefit all
employees equitably. 1-7
 Oppression in Liberal Societies:
o Embedded in everyday practices of liberal societies.
o Both oppressed and oppressors are often unaware of the dynamics
of domination.
o Oppression arises from systemic constraints rather than deliberate
intent through unquestioned norms, behaviors, and institutional
assumptions.

• Exploitation:
o Unfair use of people's time or labor without fair compensation.
o E.g. Factory workers in developing countries are paid extremely low
wages for long hours of labor while their employers profit significantly.

Five Faces • Marginalization:

o Exclusion pushes minority groups to the fringes of society.
o E.g . Indigenous communities are excluded from political decision-
of making and face barriers to accessing healthcare and education.

Oppressio • Powerlessness:
o Denial of rights and privileges to subordinate groups.

n o This leads to a “culture of silence” where subordinates accept their

treatment.
o E.g . Refugees in host countries are denied the right to vote or work,
leaving them dependent on aid and unable to advocate for themselves.

• Cultural Imperialism:
o Dominant group's beliefs and values become societal norms.
o Media and education systems promote Western beauty standards,
causing other cultural traditions and identities to be devalued or
erased.

• Violence:
o Includes physical attacks, fear of violence, harassment, ridicule,
and intimidation.
o E.g . Members of the LGBTQ+ community face physical attacks and
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harassment, creating a constant fear of violence in public spaces.
 1. Power manifests at all societal levels,
creating dominant and subordinate
groups.
2. It can result in unfair and inhumane
treatment, such as:
o Individual Power: A bully exploiting
a weaker individual.
o Group Power: A dominant culture
imposing its values (e.g., Celebrating
certain religious holidays and
Power and excluding other religions).
Oppressio 3. Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination
arise from the unequal distribution of
n power, leading to subjugation(under
domination or control).

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 1. Overgeneralized ideas about the behaviors and
characteristics associated with members of those categories.
• E.g. A common stereotype is that all elderly people are
bad with technology, despite many older adults being tech-
savvy.

2. Media is a source of stereotypes (Disney movies reinforcing

gender roles and stereotypes)

o Disney’s Male Character (E.g Aladdin or John Smith):

o Show emotions through physical actions.
o Struggle to restrain sexual responses.
o Portrayed as naturally strong and heroic.
o Do not perform domestic work.
o Overweight males are shown as slow and unintelligent.

Stereotyp o Disney’s Female Characters (E.g Cinderella or Snow

White) :
es o Valued for beauty over intellect.
o Depicted as helpless and needing male protection.
o Focused on household chores.
o Goals revolve around marriage.
o Overweight females are shown as mean, ugly, and
unattached.
3. Impact
o Reinforce societal norms and limit individual diversity.
o Create harmful expectations for men (e.g., strength,
heroism) and women (e.g., beauty, domestic roles).

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 • Definition: Negative feelings or attitudes based
on preconceived notions about a group’s
physical, cultural, or social characteristics.
• Example: assuming that all teenagers are
irresponsible and reckless without knowing
anything about their individual behavior or
character.
• Relation to Stereotypes:
o Involves prejudging based on stereotypes,
often leading to discrimination.
o Example: Judging someone based on
Prejudice religion, gender or ethnicity that can be a
form or prejudice.
• Ethnocentrism:
o Belief that one’s culture is superior to others
(e.g., Speaking only English is the "normal"
way to communicate, disregarding the value of
other languages.).
• "Isms":
o Negative attitudes like racism, sexism,
ageism, ableism, Ethnocentrism, etc.,
stemming from stereotypes and prejudice.

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 o Injustices done by the powerful to the powerless can be
seen as rays of light through the lens of a prism
o Social characteristics (e.g., age, class, race, gender) are
refracted into “isms” (e.g., ageism, classism, racism) through
societal norms, biases, and power relations.
o Dominant groups use these “isms” to marginalize non-
dominant groups.

The 'Ism'
Prism

• Example: Lack of ramps in public buildings excludes

wheelchair users, illustrating ableism.
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 Types of “Isms”
1. Ableism:
o Discrimination against individuals with physical, emotional,
psychiatric, or developmental disabilities.
o Example: Workers with disabilities (e.g., mental illness, epilepsy) face
hiring and promotion discrimination.
2. Ageism:
o Prejudice or stereotyping based on age.
o Example: Viewing seniors as fragile and young people as
undisciplined.
3. Classism:
o Systematic oppression of lower classes by dominant groups.
o Example: Belief that poor people are lazy or less intelligent.

4. Heterosexism:
Types of o Belief in the superiority of heterosexuality, leading to oppression of
non-heterosexual identities.
“Isms” o Example: Anti-gay bullying causing mental health struggles or
suicides.

5. Racism:
o Discrimination based on race or ethnicity, giving power to one
group while disadvantaging others.
o Examples: "Whitewashing" dark-skinned models in advertising.

6. Sexism:
o Belief in the superiority of one gender, often resulting in
discrimination against women.
o Example: Identical resumes with male and female names show men
rated as more competent and offered higher salaries.

7. Sizeism:
o Prejudice against individuals based on their body size or weight.
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o Example: A fitness company rejecting an applicant for not having a
"fit appearance."
 1. Prejudice:
o An attitude that often leads to discrimination,
involving harmful actions or practices by dominant
group members.
o Results in unequal treatment of individuals or
groups based on characteristics or behaviors.
2. Discrimination:
o Includes denying goods, services, jobs, or
accommodations, unfair workplace practices, unequal
pay for equal work, harassment, and retaliation

Prejudice against human rights complaints

Examples of Discrimination
and 3. Race/Ethnic Origin:
o A bank's lending rules making it difficult for
Discriminati immigrants to get loans.
2. Color:
on o Systematic referrals to secondary airport screening
based on skin color.
3. Religion:
o Employees being assigned shifts without consideration
of religious observances.
4. Age:
o Physical fitness requirements based on a 25-year-old’s
capabilities rather than job needs.
5. Sex:
o A pregnant employee being dismissed under false
performance issues. 14
 o Intentional vs. Unintentional:
• Intentional: Conscious discriminatory actions.
o A landlord refusing to rent an apartment to an
Indigenous person because of racial bias.
• Unintentional: Policies or practices with
discriminatory effects
o An older building lacks a wheelchair ramp,
unintentionally excluding individuals with
mobility impairments.

o Direct vs. Indirect:

Types of
Discriminati • Direct: Unequal treatment of individuals based on
characteristics (e.g., A woman is fired after announcing

on •
her pregnancy, despite her strong performance record).
Indirect: Neutral rules or policies that disadvantage
certain groups (e.g., dress codes that conflict with
religious attire).

o Systemic Discrimination:
• Institutionalized practices that disadvantage
groups based on protected characteristics.
• Complex and difficult to identify especially if it is
unintentional and deeply ingrained in the
institutional culture
• Example: Resumes with English-sounding names
receiving more callbacks than foreign-sounding names,
which is illegal under Ontario Human Rights Code. 15
 • It begins with breaking the silence,
ending the shame and sharing our
concerns and feelings.
Storytelling leads to analysis,
where we figure out together what
is happening to us and why, and
who benefits. Analysis leads to
Discrimination strategy, when we decide what to
do about it. Strategy leads to
action, together, to change the
injustices we suffer. Action leads
to another round of reflection,
analysis, strategy, action. This is
the process of liberation. (Bishop,
2015, p. 100)
Copyright © 2019 by Nelson Education Ltd. 16
 1. Anti-Oppressive Practice:
o Tackling oppression at personal, cultural, and structural
levels simultaneously to create meaningful change.
o Example: A company implements a mentorship program to
support underrepresented employees in leadership roles.
2. Breaking Oppression:
o Recognizing privilege, ending silence, and engaging in
collective action to address injustices.
o Example: A student group organizes a protest against
campus policies that exclude disabled students from
How do we participating in sports.
3. Role of Allies:
end all o Allies acknowledge their privilege and actively work to
challenge patterns of injustice.
forms of o Example: An ally speaks out at a town hall meeting to
advocate for accessible transportation for individuals with

oppression? 4.
disabilities.
Transformative Change:
o Reflecting on biases, unmasking misinformation, and
making inclusive decisions to challenge privilege and
oppression.
o Example: A teacher revises their syllabus to include literature
from diverse cultural backgrounds to challenge stereotypes.
5. Storytelling and Collective Action:
o Sharing personal experiences to foster understanding and
inspire collaborative solutions.
o Example: A nonprofit hosts a storytelling event where
immigrants share their challenges, leading to a petition for
policy reform.

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