America’s history transcending to contemporary times amplifies oppression subjected upon specific groups, magnified by traits such as racism, discrimination, and classism. Various underlying elements facilitated the three, such as the societal culture, lack of formidable legal structures, and capitalism. Revamping the legal system and departmental structures and authoritative entities will handle the problem.
The Traits of Oppression
Firstly, racism conceptualizes oppression propagated by different races clustered according to prominence over others. Racism is “the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another” (Kanter et al., 2017). It involves advancing hostile acts against individuals who do not resemble the source of the oppressive behavior owing to differences in ethnicity. The affected sometimes bear the unfortunate aspects subjected to them owing to perceptions concerning biological differences between persons, which can adopt the form of social actions, practices, or political structures. The premise of the mentioned misguided views involves ranking, whereby different races take clusters of inherent superiority against inferiority against each other. Presumed shared, and inheritable characters, abilities, or qualities advance the differences that facilitate racism. It is an issue that challenges America.
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A formidable example of racism in the U.S. historical timeline is the drug war. According to Lehman et al. (2018), it “produced profoundly unequal outcomes across racial groups, manifested through racial discrimination by law enforcement and disproportionate misery suffered by communities of color.” Communities of the latter bear the burden with the most egregious cases involving African Americans and Latinos, whereby they have the highest arrests and incarceration for drug possession law violations and low-level sales. It magnifies a matter of ignorance concerning universality concerning drug dependency and their appeal to all ethnic groups. The mass criminalization of people of color, especially African American youth, is a system of racial control that amplifies racism as an act of oppression.
Secondly, discrimination conceptualizes oppression propagated by perceptions of belonging, creating distinctions among people. It is “the act of making distinctions between human beings based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they are perceived to belong” (Kerr, 2019). Some of the aspects that can facilitate the adversity include “the basis of age, caste, criminal record, height, weight, physical appearance, disability, family status, gender identity, gender expression, generation, and genetic characteristics” (Kerr, 2019). Other premises include “marital status, nationality, Profession, color, race and ethnicity, religion, sex and sex characteristics, sexual orientation, political ideology, social class, and personality” (Kerr, 2019). The vast components that propagate discrimination magnify the broadness of the element with individuals or groups treating others (those discriminated upon) in terrible ways, which is the opposite of typical and humane treatment. It may involve restricting victims of the act from suitable opportunities accompanied by privileges therein, availing them to members of different clusters. It conceptualizes the exclusion of individuals or entities expanding irrational behavior towards the affected.
A suitable example of discrimination in America involves the civil rights era in which minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community incurred the harsh act due to their ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, respectively. During the early 1900s, discrimination was a common trait in American society with different social groups suffering from discriminative acts (Lehman et al., 2018). For the minorities, their rights were infringed upon with unequal treatment concerning access to social amenities like specific schools or neighborhoods. A distinction existed between the treatment of white Americans and minorities like African Americans, amplifying the inequality. Women equally faced similar infringements, further magnifying the unequal treatment based on clustering with common oppression involving the barring of their right to vote. It explains the patriarchal society whereby women incurred discriminatory acts in their places of work with unequal pay and promotion opportunities. Lastly, the LGBTQ community faced abuses and threats owing to their affiliations showing how society ill-treated the group (Lehman et al., 2018). The civil rights era is an ideal example of discrimination in the historical timeline of America.
Thirdly, classism conceptualizes oppression in the history of the United States of America amplified by class differences. According to Thu et al. (2017), classism (class discrimination) is “prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class whereby their differences propagate discriminatory acts.” It contextualizes the ideology of different sets of groups (classes) clustered according to their endowments, creating a set of hierarchical social categories. The most common components of the latter include upper, middle, and lower classes. Apart from wealth, other underlying or associating factors that contextualize the clustering include disposable income, level of education, type of job, and social network (familiar associates). The existence of the hierarchal structure of classes informs adverse attitudes, perceptions, or practices that benefit the upper class with the lower compatriots bearing the costs of the inequality. Such unequal measures can take hold of national systems magnified by resulting policies beneficial to the former group at the expense of the latter. Such frameworks conceptualize exclusionary criteria and irrational societal structures.
A suitable example of class discrimination in American history involves the civil rights era where hierarchal classes existed, propagating oppression meted against individuals within the lower class. During the 1900s following the Great Depression, the U.S. enjoyed sustained economic expansion accompanied by rapid population growth, creating a mass of the wealth against the poor (Lehman et al., 2018). The adoption of capitalist policies facilitated the differences creating a distinction magnified by endowments, level of education, and social networks, among others. It promoted segregation amplifying the different social classes with the upper class enjoying publicly provided goods and favors with ease of access to capital, such as through loans and schools with a sufficient teaching fraternity. The poor (lower class), on the other hand, suffered at the expense of the privileged lacking access to capital, good education, with differences in neighborhoods where they broadly encompassed “ghettoes.” They faced tribulations like insecurity, police brutality, and lack of recognition in policymaking, among others. Such oppressive measures exist in contemporary society owing to the mentioned distinctions.
The Cause of Oppression
The first cause of oppression in America was colonialization and inheritance of colonial structures following the end of the era with “efficient” production as the premise. European settlements, prevalently the British, owing to the agrarian revolution required efficient production means leading to taking Africans captives to toil their colonial lands. It propagated the institution of slavery with slaves acting as a viable option owing to cheap labor with an increase of input without costs facilitating sufficient produce. The transatlantic slave trade became common with a growing population facilitating an increase in demand for increased production. Following independence, Americans (predominantly White Americans) inherited the spoils from the European settlers. Highly profitable plantations of the cotton crop used in industries facilitated the failure to drop the structures of slavery, leading to a continuation of the oppressive measures against Blacks (Lash,2019). It facilitated oppression through racism with the endowed treating Blacks inhumanely with lack of freedoms of rights. Cheap labor as a premise for efficient and sufficient production propagated oppression in American history.
The second cause of oppression in America was the lack of well-formed structures like legal frameworks and policies to curtail adverse acts. According to Lash (2019), following the independence and election of the first American president under a new constitution, in 1808, the federal government enacted laws that criminalized the international slave trade. Efforts by President Abraham Lincoln in the aftermath of the civil war, that is, the reconstruction era, attempted resolving the issue of racial discrimination propagated by the framework of slavery (Lash,2019). He facilitated constitutional amendments like the Thirteenth Amendment prohibiting slavery with his assassination, destroying his attempts (Lash, 2019). The lack of a well-structured system facilitated the failure to uphold the reforms initiated to curb the institution of slavery. Various states, especially the south, resorted to disenfranchising Blacks and the poor whites under Jim Crow laws, which mirrors the racial control system amplified by the drug war (Lash, 2019). The lack of proper frameworks to support legal provisions and policies facilitated oppression in America.
The third cause of oppression in America involved societal structures with presumptions of “normalcy” and patriarchy advanced by the culture. Firstly, the perception of what is “normal” and “what is not,” dogged the American society amplifying the fundamental issues concerning sexuality (Lash,2019). The lack of comprehension concerning a different grouping (non-binary) propagated discriminatory acts against the LGBTQ community. American culture with underlying elements like religious structures recognized the union of man and woman therein recognizing any other union as demonic or “abnormal.” It facilitated castigation of the LGBTQ community with members fearing to identify with the group or informing close relations like family concerning their sexuality. Despite the gains, such oppressive structures against the community exist in our contemporary society. Secondly, the American patriarchal society facilitated harsh measures meted against women. Culture is the underlying element that propagated the mentioned framework, with males benefiting at the expense of females. Discriminatory trends against women equally occur today, causing a continuous struggle for gender equality. “Normalcy” and “patriarchy” created/causes oppression in America.
The final cause of oppression in America involves the adoption of capitalism that created different economic classes with the structures set to benefit the privileged at the expense of those who lack. According to Syverson (2018), capitalism regards “an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit.” The framework involves private property accompanied by its rights, accumulation of capital, and wage labor. The American capitalist structure facilitated the existence of two distinct groups, that is, the wealthy against the poor. According to Syverson (2018), “In a capitalist market economy, decision-making and investments are determined by every owner of wealth.” Such structures facilitated skewed decisions regarding policies and other matters to benefit the wealthy (upper class) in American society at the expense of the poor (lower class). The former acted rationally supporting their interests, which continues to dog the American social structure amplified by the rising income inequality today, with the rich getting more fruitful as the poor get poorer due to policymaking.
Dismantling Oppression
The first recommendation, which I believe would dismantle oppression in America, is enacting sound policies to strengthen the contemporary ones. Indeed, policymakers enacted and continue enacting various policies to discourage discriminatory acts therein encourage diversity and inclusivity. The structures work to some extent, but there is always room for improvement. I recommend bolstering the current policies using stringent measures entailing harsh punitive measures to reinforce the pre-existing ones. Such enactments would discourage the adversity given a large percentage of human beings are rational, thereby act in recognition of their well-being. Enacting stringent measures to curb oppression in the American society will communicate a steadfast approach to reducing such adversities therein send a tough message to “would-be” oppressors. Sound legal structures will indeed curb the dire concern of oppression in America and place structures for further achievements in managing the adversity.
The second recommendation, which I believe would dismantle oppression in America, regards enacting reforms to various institutions attached to handling oppressive acts. Various watchdog authorities that have a direct or indirect influence concerning handling discrimination include security departments and court officials. The recent developments involving police brutality and the drug laws misguided application magnified the gaps between those mandated to offer American citizens protection services. The police department requires reforms such as restructuring the recruitment processes and revamping the guiding principles for the entity to place persons of steadfast integrity. Other establishments such as the judicial system equally require overhauling by placing individuals bold enough to chat the way forward for accurate measures against oppression in American society. Strengthening affiliated establishments that act as a watchdog to foul acts concerning prejudice will communicate an integrated approach to handling the adversity and clear the tainted image of institutions like the police unit. Reforms to specific institutions would dismantle oppression, or at least deconstruct the ideology perpetrating such heinous acts.
The final recommendation, which I believe would eradicate oppression in America, regards revamping specific departmental structures to factor inclusivity. Income disparities and gender inequality continue shrouding American society. Adopting various policies to upgrade poverty-stricken areas would benefit the country towards reducing the growing levels of income inequality for the poor and the rich. Furthermore, the decision-making processes should exhibit bolstering economic growth for the entire American community regardless of wealth endowment. Apart from such measures, departments such as education and defense, should encourage inclusivity by placing frameworks that do not propagate segregation. It would require making the cost of education affordable to all or revamping the system to show equality. Lastly, governments should encourage the hiring of women, thereby offering equal opportunities to show gender consideration, which includes promotions and remuneration for jobs. Such moves by the federal government will discourage inequality, therein curb oppression. Adopting suitable reforms will mitigate oppression, or at least eradicate the ideology perpetrating the adversity.
Oppression, magnified by elements like racism, discrimination, and classism, is an issue that faced and continues to face the American society with causes such as societal culture, lack of formidable legal structures, and capitalism. The legal system, departmental structures, and authoritative entities require adequate reforms to discourage the problem. Handling systemic oppression and gaps in the drug war should be a priority for the government and policymakers.
References
Kanter, J. W., Williams, M. T., Kuczynski, A. M., Manbeck, K. E., Debreaux, M., & Rosen, D. C. (2017). A preliminary report on the relationship between microaggressions against black people and racism among white college students. Race and Social Problems, 9 (4), 291-299.
Kerr, C. (2019). A market test for ethnic discrimination in major league soccer. International Journal of Sport Finance, 14 (1), 24-42.
Lash, K. T. (2019). FEDERALISM AND THE ORIGINAL FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT. Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, 42 (1), 69-79.am
Lehman, C. R., Hammond, T., & Agyemang, G. (2018). Accounting for crime in the US: Race, class and the spectacle of fear. Critical Perspectives on Accounting , 56 , 63-75.
Syverson, C. (2018). What's new about capitalism?: A review article on capitalism without capital: The rise of the intangible economy. International Productivity Monitor, (34), 118-123.
Thu, K. M., Schuller, M., Huggins, T., & Redmond, V. (2017). "Being heard, not only seen": Intersections of tea partyism, racism, and classism in a low-income housing struggle in dekalb, illinois. Human Organization, 76 (4), 348-357.
