Anti-Opressive_Practice

Today it seems that the social system and some social groups have a pecking order, with high status and some with a lower status. This is essentially linked to class, but can refer to social groups such as women, young people, elderly etc. An individual’s social class position reflects wealth, income, education, status and power; therefore, if someone has no education, job, status and power they can be pushed to the side of society and not be involved. Those at a disadvantage i.e. working class are seen to be those with less material resources, and are pushed to the edge of society because of this. ‘It has long been recognised that people can be ‘located within the social structure in terms of the intersection of different social divisions’ (Berger, 1996) Anti-Discriminatory Practice Third Edition (N.Thompson 2001 page17) The Marxist view towards education is that it benefits them in their ruling of class. The ruling class ideologies are filtered down through the hierarchy by stratified diffusion. Marxists focus on the Social system and the structuralist theory, they believe that the individual is less important than the social structure of society. They also believe that the ruling class (bourgeoisie) exploit the working class (proletariat). Marxists would claim that this occurs as the middle class hold not only the status but also the power, and keep the lower classes marginalized so that they can keep this control. As this happens and the rich become richer whilst the poor become poorer, this means that anyone who is not rich will be unable to become or get into a higher status, as they will be left without the economic power to protect their own interests. This again shows that these social groups are marginalized and excluded from a capitalist society. ‘There are those who, follow Marx, define class in relation to ownership or control of the means of production (specifically, the means of producing wealth- land, factories machinery an so on) (Giddens 1997) Anti-Discriminatory Practice Third Edition (N.Thompson 2001 page17) Thompson’s PCS model identifies three embedded and interconnected levels of oppression: Personal, Cultural and Structural. Features of Thompson’s PCS model: Personal: This would be the view that people had about themselves and about other people, but they only THINK that view that might actually be the truth. It also is to do with how you or someone else would treat people, which is based on the beliefs and attitude they may have. This also links into how that person may respond when faced with different people or situations. It is purely based on to individual actions. Cultural: This is based on people assuming consensus about what maybe ‘true, right, good or normal’. Also a person will have commonly accepted values and code of conduct that they will follow. Structural: This is the structures and institutions (media, religion and government) within society, which are there to act to continue social divisions, prejudice and discrimination. (Working with young people, J.Wood & J. Hine, 2009, page 63.) ‘The trouble comes when we become emotionally attached to a particular typification that we experience any questioning of it has become a stereotype’ ( working with children and young people, Righton.P ,1991, page 29) I feel this model can be used as an example of oppression and in particular to the working class. I think it shows that people could be getting stuck in a ‘rut’ as in why they are working class or why they are seen as working class. Culturally and structurally it could be the capitalist government that is ensuring the working class are perceived this way. Oppression is not about the misuse of personal power by an individual, or personal instances of discrimination, prejudice and inequality but about the system of deeply ingrained attitudes and practices which permeates and filters through society. It is about the collective power and ability of some groups in society to exclude, deny, control and define other groups and those people who belong to those groups’ (Young and Chouhan 2006) Working with young people, J.Wood & J. Hine, 2009, page 63.) Some people like post-modernists would argue that class is no longer significant as people can now choose their own identities that cut them across class lines. I don’t believe that this is true as I think you can still see it apparent in everyday life for example on a train you have standard seating then you have first class which is a lot more expensive, therefore it would not be used by a lower classed person. From young persons point of view, if you go to a stereotypical government high school you are perceived in a particular way i.e. a trouble maker or not very smart. However if you compared this to a private paid for school you would be perceived in a totally different way i.e posh or clever. Which may not be the case but if it came down to something like a job application, the student that went to the high school maybe disadvantaged because to the label attached to going to high school. Post-modernists say that the boundary between the working and middle class is no longer clear and they link this to globalization, where immigrants have changed the traditional class structure. Willis (77) saw that class was being based around a shared sense of culture: He saw the working class doing-Manual work, Traditional gender roles, Boys followed in their fathers’ footsteps, there was a strong sense of community, Linked with the Labour Party and Trade Unions, Immediate gratification (no saving),Council housing. However, Goldthorpe (69) found that the working class was changing: More privatized, less community minded, in the service sector and in non-manual jobs, have more equal gender roles in the home, own their own houses and have money to spend on consumer goods, are more socially mobile and do not necessarily vote Labour or belong to a trade union. These changes are all a consequence of the shift from industrial society and the growth in the service sector. In addition, changes in educational opportunities and social changes in attitudes – allowing more freedom of choice. Goldthorpe & Lockwood (69) tested out the embourgeoisement thesis – the idea that the working class are all becoming middle class. Goldthorpe & Lockwood also found that this was not the case – the working class culture remained with strong community ties (disproved the EMB thesis). Devine (97) argued that class is a significant source of identity for working class people. Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) The beliefs of Marxists are apparent in education. Althusser (1972) is a French Marxist. He believes that the main function of education is not the transmission of common values, but the existence as an ideological state apparatus. He believes that the Education institution justifies and reproduces class inequalities through the hidden curriculum. These inequalities include t through socialisation to he opinions of capitalists and the norms and values of the bourgeoisie. Proletariat children are taught through socialisation to Marxists believe that in a society that worships money and power, the lower class only have labour power and thus the bourgeoisie can exploit this for little money, taking the profits for themselves as they hold the power to do this and therefore, the proletariat are marginalized. It is because of stereotypes that the working class is so frowned upon today. Although I do feel there is a lot of ways this could be prevented, using an interview for a job as an example, I feel that if mangers, or business people went into a high school and explain to the students what they are looking for in an interview and what would be acceptable, unacceptable, what to wear, what they could maybe say, then this would give the lower classes more of chance and not to be typically stereotyped and judged, it also gives the students the chance to make the choice of whether they want to work towards a higher class or a lower class. ‘In order to guard against the oppressive use of stereotypes, it is necessary to become sensitive to stereotypical assumptions, to become aware of how they can shape our interaction’ (Anti-Discriminatory Practice Third Edition (N.Thompson 2001 page84) I guess, someone can be working class but doesn’t have to be seen that way by the rest of the world. I think other people as the working class because of stereotypes only notice the working class. If these stereotypes didn’t exist and the working class didn’t always live in ‘rough areas’ and wear ‘tracksuits’ and commit crimes, people from the middle and upper class wouldn’t see that they were in fact from the working class. With some sociologists saying that class doesn’t exist anymore, this is NOT true. With the new government, capitalists, they seem to be making it impossible for the working class to get out of their rut and make something of their lives. For example, by making the tuition fees for university up to £9000. No working class people are going to be able to afford this and not all people will be allowed to take out loans and even if they did, it’s a lot of money to have to pay back. So with University out of the question, they will not be able to get the higher paid jobs that people with a degree, will be able to get. Which leaves the working class, back to scratch one. The new government seem to want to have a class structure, and enjoy the rich staying rich and the poor staying poor. But this means that there will always be a class structure, and there isn’t really any way for the working class to stop being the working class. I feel that it is very clear to me that from the working class and below are still being politically, economically and socially marginalized by society, and that this does not appear to be changing, or even anything being done to be trying to change society’s views. I don’t feel that working class is given the opportunity to show the potential that some of them may have. I think that the way society is at the minute and the its been in the past, so unevenly spread with wealth, that it will stay this way, those who are in power i.e. Marxists have no intentions so changing this as the will be looking out for their own interests and not the rest of society. This module has taught me a lot and has really opened my eyes, as to what is going on around me that I may not have picked up on before hand. There are so many different shapes and forms of discrimination and oppression there are, and now I, know what to look out for in different situations as we have looked at such a wide range of topics; from classes, racism, gender, religion, disability and ageism. From looking at all these different topics it has really opened my eyes and made me think, during on of are seminar groups we did an activity called ‘that’s gay’, this really made me stop and look at myself, as I realised that I would sometimes say ‘that’s gay’ and had done in front of young people, I knew that I was not trying to be offensive but it was. Potentially I could of jeopardised a relationship between me a and a young person by saying ‘thats gay’. If they needed someone to talk to about their sexuality, and I as a youth worker was calling something gay, then they would of probably thought, well if she is a worker and that’s what she is saying then what would everyone else call me. I had never looked at it in that way before this activity, so I started to think about other stuff I could be saying and how it could be negatively affecting the young people. So I think this module is not only for you to look at other people and situations, but also yourself, which I had never really thought it would be. Having been in placement throughout this module, I feel it made me understand some of the theories that we had looked at a bit more and it has enabled me to know when I need to challenge a situation. For instants one of the young peoples second name is black, she is a white female, but the young people would call her ‘blacky’, before this module i had never really thought anything of it, but after one of the racism lectures I knew that this needed to be challenge When I spoke to the young people they had never really thought of it in that way either. I think that this module has helped me a lot to gain more knowledge to put into practice. Thompson’s PCS theory really interested me. As you can use it not only in your work but also in everyday life and I feel that it can apply to most situations that you may find yourself in. To conclude, I feel that this module has been really helpful to my practice but it has also been very interesting and challenging, I have learnt a lot and will be able to put this into my practice as well as my everyday life. References: Anti-Discriminatory Practice Third Edition N.Thompson 2001 Young and Chouhan 2006) Working with young people, J.Wood & J. Hine, 2009, page 63. Working with young people, J.Wood & J. Hine, 2009, page 63. Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Devine 1997) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Goldthorpe & Lockwood 1969) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Willis 1977) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Lyon 1994) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Surridge 2007) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008) (Skeggs 1997) Sociology Themes and Perspectives M.Haralambos & M.Holborn - Collins (2008)