Social Injustice in America
Social Psychology
April 15th 2012
Social Oppression in America
Social oppression is socially supported mistreatment and exploitation of a group or category of people by anyone. Oppressors usually suffer from the need to be Socially Dominant over others in order to retain power or assert power (Sidanius, Jim. Social Dominance: An Intergroup Theory of Social Hierarchy and Oppression. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.). Social dominance is commonly the root cause of social oppression. The United States has always claimed the moral high ground on human rights and equality, yet our history is fettered with situations of discrimination and oppression of many different demographics. Our American culture is greatly diverse and continuously splintering off into new groups and subcultures with many different lifestyles and beliefs. The government has always had to consider religious, cultural, and biological differences in the population when writing laws to promote health, safety and prosperity for all citizens. Currently three major groups within our society are struggling against social oppression to retain or gain their human rights and civil liberties. Many forms of Social oppression are occurring within our society today, women in many states are struggling to control their reproductive rights, while men and women are fighting for their right to marry who they love, and minorities are being racially profiled and murdered for wearing certain styles of clothes or being assumed as criminals. Lawmakers have recently begun describing the use of birth control as a silent means of abortion. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been the leading figure and spokesperson for the rights of the state to ban birth control, and abortion. The Republican Party has a strong Christian base that is known for deeply religious and conservative views on many polarizing issues. One of America's founding principles is religious tolerance which stemmed from Religious
April 15th 2012
Social Oppression in America
Social oppression is socially supported mistreatment and exploitation of a group or category of people by anyone. Oppressors usually suffer from the need to be Socially Dominant over others in order to retain power or assert power (Sidanius, Jim. Social Dominance: An Intergroup Theory of Social Hierarchy and Oppression. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.). Social dominance is commonly the root cause of social oppression. The United States has always claimed the moral high ground on human rights and equality, yet our history is fettered with situations of discrimination and oppression of many different demographics. Our American culture is greatly diverse and continuously splintering off into new groups and subcultures with many different lifestyles and beliefs. The government has always had to consider religious, cultural, and biological differences in the population when writing laws to promote health, safety and prosperity for all citizens. Currently three major groups within our society are struggling against social oppression to retain or gain their human rights and civil liberties. Many forms of Social oppression are occurring within our society today, women in many states are struggling to control their reproductive rights, while men and women are fighting for their right to marry who they love, and minorities are being racially profiled and murdered for wearing certain styles of clothes or being assumed as criminals. Lawmakers have recently begun describing the use of birth control as a silent means of abortion. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been the leading figure and spokesperson for the rights of the state to ban birth control, and abortion. The Republican Party has a strong Christian base that is known for deeply religious and conservative views on many polarizing issues. One of America's founding principles is religious tolerance which stemmed from Religious