1. World problems
  2. Oppression

Oppression

Nature

The use of power or coercion whether violent or nonviolent to constrain another's freedom, to violate another's rights, to exploit another, or to deny another's claims to justice. Oppression is clearly at work whenever anyone believes himself to be better than another person by virtue of his membership in a self-styled superior group.

Incidence

Obvious examples of oppression are the oppression of black people by whites, minorities by majorities, poor people by rich people and women by men. Less obvious examples include the oppression of physically handicapped people in an environment designed only for the able-bodied, the oppression of children in an adult-centred world, and the oppression of people who live on their own in a society where the family is the norm.

Counter-claim

Individuals and groups are superior to other individuals and groups. Some people are more intelligent, wealthy, politically discerning, morally upright, sensitive to the needs of others, artistic, educated, disciplined and many many other things. The simple existence of these qualities does not make an oppressive situation and if it does, oppression has little meaning.

Broader

Impropriety
Presentable

Narrower

Repression
Presentable
Exploitation
Presentable
Coercion
Presentable
Adultism
Yet to rate

Aggravates

Victimization
Presentable
Eminent domain
Presentable

Aggravated by

Abuse of power
Presentable

Strategy

Value

Oppression
Yet to rate

Reference

Metadata

Database
World problems
Type
(B) Basic universal problems
Subject
  • Societal problems » Maltreatment
  • Content quality
    Presentable
     Presentable
    Language
    English
    Last update
    Jan 30, 2025