The Different Types of Oppression

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The Theories of Different Types of Oppression that Restricts Our Society’s Growth Iris Marion Young author of the “Five Faces of Oppression” explores the different types of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. Young acknowledges the meanings of oppression that defines what oppression is in his theory. She also implies that each of these five forms overlap with each other and that each is related to phobias that exist in our society. Many people in society experience or hold one or more of these forms of oppression at some point in their lives. Young proves that exploitation is a common type of oppression in our society. Exploitation has to do with the difference between the wealth that workers create through their labor power and the actual wages that workers get paid. It is built into the market economy such as bosses wanting to increase profit by lowering wages. This shows the difference between what hard working laborers make and how much money the employer is receiving. Marginalization refers to being left out of the labor market regarding those who are unable to get and keep steady employment due to disabilities, conditions, or poverty. This form of oppression means that this population of people are unable to make an income and support themselves. He demonstrates people who are unfortunate and unable to work as a sign of oppression in a way that employers are unable to hire them because of little reasons. Powerlessness refers to the way in which workers are divided into jobs with authority and self-governed and jobs with little or nothing. Many lower status jobs experience powerlessness than workers with professional jobs. For example immigrants are unable to demand for a hire raised or workers who work “under the table.” Cultural Imperialism refers to that of a cultural expression and history
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