In Johnson's Chapter 8, many different strategies are mentioned that the dominant group members use to deny, minimize, and erase the oppression of targeted social groups in the U.S. These include denying that the problems exist, blaming the oppressed for putting themselves in that situation, changing the terms of inequality in order to make the groups seem equal, thinking that the groups are better unequal, or saying individually that the oppression wasn't what they meant. I think that we all have seen these strategies used in everyday life, especially the example given in Chapter 8 about men opening doors for women. I found this in particular interesting, because in being a woman in society I personally like it when a guy holds the door open for me. I never had thought about the further implications which are raised in this chapter as I just think of it as the man being polite.
In order to stop this cycle of oppression all people that are privileged need to admit that they are privileged and own up to it first, before change can happen. As mentioned in this chapter, for most people, privilege is something that is there and assumed; it's invisible. People need to open their eyes to what is truly happening in society and make an effort to speak out against privilege and oppression. I think that it will take a long time for big changes to take place, as much of the society in the U.S. may used strategies mentioned before in order to deny any type of oppression happening in the current day.
I also found it interesting that a guy opening a door for a woman could be considered oppressive. My fiancé always opens doors for me, and I know its just because his Mother raised him to be polite like that. Although I can see other women's opinions on how it may be insulting..I dont necessarily agree with it. I think it is a polite gesture that both genders should do.
ReplyDeleteI feel that because, in my personal life, doors do not get opened for me a lot, I appreciate it when someone does it. I work with the public so I am constantly the one having to hold the door open.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy when people hold doors for me. Male or female, I think it is a good gesture for human kind. People should help people, ya know. I feel like men sometimes do it for the wrong reasons. I don't know if you know who Jesse McCartney is but he has a song called Shake in which he sings of running across the street to grab a door for a girl who he thought what was to "hot" for him. It's like men will go the extra mile for girls they find attractive even if they will never see them again. Overall, I hold doors when I see people coming. I also find that a lot of women feel entitled to have the door held for them. Most men are very polite about it. Sorry for writing a novel.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you, most men just are being polite when they open doors for women. I don't think many men open a door for women with "she is lesser than me and weak so I have to do this for her", I think, as you said Samantha, it was how they were raised to be polite.
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