The Oppressor and the Oppressed

Source: Free_Palestine_Anti-Israel_protest_(53588603678)

Everyone today knows about the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine which has been in the news since October, 2023. The conflict between Israel and Hamas had been going on for the last seven decades and escalated to the level of a genocide when Israel started bombing Palestine in hopes of exterminating Hamas.

This genocide is not the only one that’s in the news. Sudan is another victim of such wars and has faced tremendous damage since the early 2000s. And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened to certain ethnic groups in history.

There are multiple events in history where one group has overpowered another because of certain reasons. And all of these are worth our attention and analysis. As we study more about such events, we will understand how these come to be.  

Who are the Oppressors? Who are the Oppressed?

The words seem to define themselves. But let’s talk about their meanings still.

An Oppressor is a person or a group who uses power and influence to exert dominance over others. These others are groups who can’t challenge this authority and have no power to overshadow the former’s domination.

Contrary to popular belief, Oppression doesn’t always take on the form of a cruel tyrant who doesn’t want others to live peacefully. Many time, it can manifest in the form of a well-intentioned society which places constraints on how a particular group chooses to live. It can also take the form of societal rules and pressure which create a restrictive environment for certain sections in society.

It can be of many forms and each of these has persisted over the years to become an integral part of the society we live in today. These issues haven’t gone away- we can see examples of different forms of oppression in the news every now and then.

Different types of Oppression

Oppression is of different types and themes. There are five observed types of oppression- exploitation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, violence, and marginalization. Another important factor is the field in which it is experienced. Let’s discuss them all.

1. We can first talk about ‘exploitation’. Exploitation involves making people work to produce profits only to compensate them unfairly- they might get paid less or not get paid at all. This type of oppression relies on capitalism.
2. Next, we have ‘powerlessness’ which is linked to another theory- the theory of socialism. According to this theory put forward by Marx, some people ‘have’ power while others ‘have-not’. This means that there is a ruling class which uses its ‘power’ to dominate the powerless. This dominance gives rise to injustice in the form of a lack of development, access to resources, lack of decision-making power, and disrespect.
3. Cultural Imperialism is when the ruling class takes their culture and makes it the norm- the culture in power. The ruling class then decides what the others will do, communicate, and work- all according to their own culture.
4. The most visible type amongst the five we are going to count down in this list is violence. The oppressed always live in fear of facing violence at the hands of the oppressors. The attacks can be retaliations but unprovoked as well.
5. And the final type is Marginalization where members of the oppressed class are confined to the lowest level of social standing. They are excluded from every major decision and work- many marginalized communities aren’t even employed for menial labor.

These are the types of oppression. What of the themes of oppression? By this, we mean that oppression can be seen in numerous social themes and appear in the form of racial oppression, gender oppression, class oppression, religious, and economic oppression.

See? Oppression is extremely complex and has seeped into so many areas. There’s hardly any place left where oppression can not be observed!

Oppression and its history

Like we discussed before, this isn’t something recent or new. Numerous examples of oppression can be studied to illustrate the framework of Oppression.

Colonization is one of the finest examples of oppression. The British Empire was once a worldwide network of colonies controlled by its ruler. These had been conquered over the span of some three centuries. It has been estimated that 60 out of 195 of the total countries in the world have been formed out of the British Empire. It has also been calculated that a nation celebrates its Independence Day every seven days!

We should also use the example of racial discrimination. The marginalization of the African American community in the US, caste discrimination in India, Anti-Romani sentiments in Europe, Antisemitism, and discrimination against Burakumin in Japan are all examples of this.

In short, oppression has never stopped. It has always been churning hatred between two different communities in some corner of the world. The relationship between the oppressor and oppressed has seen several enmities play out and has become so complex that it becomes difficult to pinpoint what goes wrong and where. In such situations, it becomes important for the younger generations to keep an eye on what goes on in the world and learn to questions what’s wrong.

Resources

Who are the Oppressors? Who are the Oppressed?

1. Café Noir Design, & Smith, S. (2024). Home – Colours of Resistance Archive. Colours of Resistance Archive. https://www.coloursofresistance.org/definitions/oppressor-oppressed-oppression/
2. Reuters. (2023, October 11). What’s the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start? Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-palestinian-dispute-hinges-statehood-land-jerusalem-refugees-2023-10-10/
3. Nimi Princewill, & Busari, S. (2024, June 14). Darfur may be on the brink of another genocide. Will the world act this time? CNN; CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/14/africa/sudan-darfur-genocide-fears-explainer-intl/index.html

Different types of Oppression

1. Young, I. M. (1988). Five faces of oppression. Philosophical Forum/˜the œPhilosophical Forum, 19(4), 270–290. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203718704-50

Oppression and its history

1. British Empire | History, Countries, Map, Size, & Facts | Britannica. (2024). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Empire
2. Brighton, C. (2024, January 3). Former British Colonies. WorldAtlas; WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/history/former-british-colonies.html
3. Magazine, S. (2020, August 28). The Long, Painful History of Racial Unrest. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-racial-unrest-180975681/
4. Burakumin | Japanese Outcaste Group, Discrimination & History | Britannica. (2024). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/burakumin