Reflection Paper On Oppression

Oppression In our world we experience, observe, challenge and even commit forms of oppression. Some may ask what oppression is, but when given an example the term is defined quickly. Others, know the definition as soon as the word is given. We see oppression and if comfortable, sometimes challenge it, but do we ever stop to truly think about why oppression is an issue in our society and how we can fix it? This is what I came to realize when I started to journal, ask questions, and reflect on the issue myself. As I hung out with friends, walked around campus, and went about my daily routine, I came across a variety of individuals committing forms of oppression. Some people didn’t realize that what they were saying fell in the category of …show more content…
Other people who I’m close to fell into this category by making racist and classist comments. I feel these individuals didn’t know they were committing oppression, because when I brought up my comments it made them really think. I fell into this category as well. Before I started writing down my journal responses, I hadn’t noticed how some of my thoughts and comments are labeled oppression forms too. What I noticed between me and my friend’s comments is that what was said happened to be smaller forms of …show more content…
At times it was hard for me to challenge the behaviors I had observed because I didn’t feel comfortable stating my comments. To increase my comfort level in these situations, I believe I have to increase my experiences with oppression. If I start to recognize and correctly label oppression around me I will feel more confident in my thoughts and reactions to those behaviors. By feeling more confident in my thoughts I can successfully challenge offensive behaviors, knowing my thoughts are accurate. There are times when offensive comments are going to be observed in the classroom as well. As a future educator it is my responsibility to also feel comfortable challenging the behaviors I observe in the classroom. To increase my comfort level in this situation, it is important to educate myself on the issue of oppression. By gaining further knowledge on the issue I can become more aware of how to address oppression in the