biology 12
Toward a New Vision: Race, Class, and Gender as Categories of Analysis
By: Patricia Hill Collins
Summary- The author writes about oppression in society and how it is full of contradictions. She states that there are no pure victims or oppressors, but rather everyone experiences a different amount of penalty and privilege based on their race and social status. She believes that if women and people of colour could find that they have common grounds in regards to class, it will eliminate racism and sexism.
Thesis is in bold.
She asks 2 questions:
1. How can we reconceptualise race, class and gender as categories of analysis?
-
analysis of oppression are based on either/or dichotomous thinking (ex. Black/white, man/woman) and these dichotomous differences are usually ranked. Therefore, men are seen as superior to women, whites to blacks, etc. (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3) this is problematic because it assumes that “oppression can be quantified, and that some groups are more oppressed more than others” (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3) she states that “we must be careful not to confuse the issue of saliency of one type of oppression in people’s lives with a theoretical stance positing the interlocking nature of oppression (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3)
Three Dimensions of Oppression: (Sandra Harding)
Institutional Dimension of Oppression- systemic relationships of domination and subordination structured through social institutions such as schools, businesses, hospitals, the workplace and government agencies.
Symbolic Dimension of Oppression- ideologies or stereotypes of race, class and gender groups Ex.
Masculine
- aggressive
- leader
- strong
Feminine
-passive
- follower
- weak
-we must realize that everyone is affected differently by their race, class and gender, and therefore the description of masculine pertaining to a black male may be different than that pertaining to a white male.
Individual Dimension of Oppression- the ways in
By: Patricia Hill Collins
Summary- The author writes about oppression in society and how it is full of contradictions. She states that there are no pure victims or oppressors, but rather everyone experiences a different amount of penalty and privilege based on their race and social status. She believes that if women and people of colour could find that they have common grounds in regards to class, it will eliminate racism and sexism.
Thesis is in bold.
She asks 2 questions:
1. How can we reconceptualise race, class and gender as categories of analysis?
-
analysis of oppression are based on either/or dichotomous thinking (ex. Black/white, man/woman) and these dichotomous differences are usually ranked. Therefore, men are seen as superior to women, whites to blacks, etc. (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3) this is problematic because it assumes that “oppression can be quantified, and that some groups are more oppressed more than others” (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3) she states that “we must be careful not to confuse the issue of saliency of one type of oppression in people’s lives with a theoretical stance positing the interlocking nature of oppression (Collins, 1993/2008, p. 3)
Three Dimensions of Oppression: (Sandra Harding)
Institutional Dimension of Oppression- systemic relationships of domination and subordination structured through social institutions such as schools, businesses, hospitals, the workplace and government agencies.
Symbolic Dimension of Oppression- ideologies or stereotypes of race, class and gender groups Ex.
Masculine
- aggressive
- leader
- strong
Feminine
-passive
- follower
- weak
-we must realize that everyone is affected differently by their race, class and gender, and therefore the description of masculine pertaining to a black male may be different than that pertaining to a white male.
Individual Dimension of Oppression- the ways in