In summarizing the view of Marilyn Frye (and one that Sandra Bartky accepts), Ch

Question

In summarizing the view of Marilyn Frye (and one that Sandra Bartky accepts), Chaffee writes,

One of the most difficulty aspects of psychological oppression is that it hides in plain sight – this is what is meant by the claim that oppressive norms are seen as natural. A psychologically oppressed woman takes for granted that the way society is arranged is the way it should be arranged. She does not challenge social norms that limit her freedom because she unknowingly or without reflection accepts those norms as truth.

Explain what Frye means by this view, and how it demonstrates a limit to freedom, particularly that of women. (Note, this same idea could be said to be true for people of any marginalized group, whether they be people of color, rural vs urban, poor vs rich, etc.)

In your answer, give an example of a social norm that you think demonstrates the claim that Frye is making.

Explanation / Answer

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Sometimes, individuals from marginalised groups tend to get acclimatised to aspects of the society that oppress them. Eventually, the group may not even begin to notice the issue or even accept it as a part of their daily lives. This is known as psychological oppression. In such cases, individuals begin to adapt to the source of oppression and may not even fight against it.

To illustrate this issue, let us consider the lower-middle class and the people of a minimum wage group. These might be people of any gender, race, ethnicity etc. As long as they earn minimum wage in order to make ends meet, they can be considered in the illustration. John Doe is an 18-year-old boy from such a lower-middle-class family. His parents earn minimum wage and are finding it difficult to save up for college. Unfortunately, John has not received a hefty scholarship for his tuition fees.

John’s aspirations are based on what society dictates. John is working hard to earn for a good college education, graduate by 25, work and earn enough for a car, buy a house when he is 35 etc. All of these expectations are based on how society describes the “American Dream.” However, John may not be able to achieve all of this as he may not be able to afford his tuition and get hired in a bid company.

John does not notice that the society that expects so much from him is the same society that does not give him the tools to fulfil his dreams. This is known as the Conflict theory and is a social norm described by Robert Merton. This is when society has expectations from a person but does not give them the tools to achieve those targets. It is a theory that is supplementary to psychological oppression. Although John is sad about his situation, he does not really notice that societal rules have made it difficult for lower-middle-class groups to prosper.

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