What Is Power, Oppression, And Privilege?

Power, oppression, and privilege are all complex ideologies. Throughout the semester, we have examined many forms of media including books, films, and scholarly articles that discuss these three ideologies. In particular, we watched Taiye Selasi’s Ted Talk called “Don’t Ask Where I’m From, Ask Where I’m a Local”. The main point of this ted talk was to learn something about yourself. She discusses the three R’s that shape her life: Rituals, Relationships, and Restrictions. I have learned so much and I can proudly say that this new information has made me a better person today. If I’m being honest with myself, I think before this class I used to condone a lot of sexism. But ever since I have been a part of this class, I have a much lower tolerance for sexist jokes and remarks. This class has taught me that through intersecting systems power, oppression, and …show more content…
And I think it’s something we should be grateful for everyday. For example, I think it is fair to say we live in a patriarchal society. Male privilege is a real thing today. There are certain things women have to worry about more than men. This includes sexual harassment and sexual assault (McIntosh 1). Although I realize I am privileged because of the situation I am in, I want to dive in and look on a smaller scale. Taiye Selasi’s ted talk discusses the relationships we all have with the things and “people who shape your weekly emotional experience” (Selasi). The relationships we have and the people we interact with on a daily basis shape us to who we are and who we are becoming. I will be the first one to admit my privilege and how lucky I am to attend Denison and I am grateful for all of the relationships I have made here in the past few months. I can truly say I have learned a lot about myself and have become a better person since I stepped on