Sheila Wanite Bautz
My last column addressed coercive control, which is a form of networking to achieve a goal that ensures dominance and complete control over a targeted individual with a goal to oppress, disempower and rewrite the script about who they are and what their position in society is. This week’s column briefly explores the four ‘I’ monsters of oppression, which in some cases, invariably ends up creating monsters in the least expected places.
The four forms of oppression are known as Ideological, Institutional, Interpersonal and Internalized. It is important to understand that all four I’s are instrumentally working together. This exists in any area of the superstructure, including education, which may ultimately lead some individuals – but certainly not all – to retaliate with some form of violence as a result, including suicide.
Ideological Oppression
Oppressive systems share the ideological beliefs that they are superior to those they target, who are viewed as inferior. The individuals aligning with the ideological belief have a self and group perception that they are more deserving, more advanced and that their beliefs are normal. In a predominant group, normalization of the culture occurs whether the culture is toxic or healthy.
As a result, the dominant individuals either consciously or unconscientiously enforce oppressive and degrading attributes to their targeted individuals. These attributes include, but are not limited to, labels such as being lazy, incompetent and worthless. This becomes a form of dehumanization that justifies in the minds of oppressors the right to enforce inequality and violations to human rights.
Therefore, Ideological oppression often demonstrates attributes such as a clear bias and stereo-type about the targeted individual in the eyes of outsiders looking in who quickly identify the human rights and Constitutional rights violations.
Institutional Oppression
It is all about inequality with Institutional oppression. Institutional oppression involves the superstructure in a functioning society. The superstructure consists of law, government, financial intuitions, media, education and healthcare.
However, it is important to note that it is the individuals within the institutions that are committing the crime of oppression, not the institution itself, which is an inanimate object. Individuals representing the institution will often ignore the institution’s own up-dated and amended laws, policies, procedures, rules and codes of conduct in Canada.
Interpersonal Oppression
When a collective group of individuals within an institution align with the shared mentality and cultural values of inequality, this leads to interpersonal oppression. Interpersonal oppression is the belief that one group is better than another group, which they then justify within their targeted selection of individuals as deserving of poor treatment, lack of opportunity and biased decisions that are imposed on the individual who is targeted.
However, what is not allowed by the oppressors is a retaliation from the oppressed person or group. The oppressed individuals are not allowed to criticize the oppressors or demonstrate, for instance, a developed racism against the oppressive group. Interpersonal oppression from a dominant, controlling group does not tolerate being treated the same as those who are oppressed or denied their rights, because they feel superior and that the rules do not apply to them.
Internalization
Internalization occurs for both the oppressors and their targets who become victims of the oppression. Internalization refers to the self-perceptions of an individual who is involved and having the experience. Both the perpetrator and the targeted individual will internalize the narrative about their self — particularly when the acts are repeated with the same outcomes repeatedly, like a form of conditioning that results in actions and outcomes proving the internal narrative due to exterior pressures. However, this may have a boomerang effect.
The members of the aligned dominant culture internalize a feeling of superiority with being in a position of power, which exists in their minds. The power tripping is due to the perception that they are superior, which they internalize. This leads to others aligning with the individual, either through the force of their acceptance of the individual’s demonstration of control and power or through a shared superiority of their position as a member of the dominant culture.
Inequality results with those they have targeted as inferior to them. The targets may in turn internalize the label of being inferior, which is supported by the continued inequality and bias that becomes evident.
When individuals in the professional fields assist and align with the aggressor to achieve a predetermined outcome, they do so to fulfill their agenda and ensure power imbalances remain. It leaves a message to the target about the stereo-type they must fit into. It is strategized by oppressors that the victim must accept their new identity assigned to them, as they are labelled and shown that they must submit to their position in the society as is assigned to them by the oppressors.
To be optimum in effectiveness, institutional participation is strategized to enforce maintaining power imbalances. It systematically intends to reinforce the dominance of the oppressor and the degradation of the targets who are victims, including with attempts to discredit the target through blatant bias.
When it comes to abusers and their partners in the legal system enforcing coercive control, the internalized narrative is a self-belief about their superiority and how they want others to view both the targeted individual as inferior and they as superior. The goal is to chisel away at the self-worth of the targeted victim so that the victim also internalizes the feeling of inferiority.
As I mentioned, internalization is systematically intended to reinforce the dominance the individuals who enjoy a position of power and prestige through the power of the institution, which is often not based on their own merit in blatant cases of bias. The very existence of the targeted individual is a threat to the illusion of the dominant culture and their superiority.
When oppressed people internalize the ideology of inferiority appointed to them by their oppressors, they also witness it reflected in the institutions the oppressors represent. They experience the disrespect from members of the dominant group, and they may eventually come to internalize the negative messages about themselves if they have been successfully isolated by the oppressor.
Individuals who are successfully oppressed internalize a low self-worth while the institution chisels away at their resources to defend themselves, including financially. A sense of injustice begins to take hold with the repeated abuse that forces victims to face the false illusion that the dominant group will never be held accountable. When the victim does attempt to exercise their rights, the oppressors are ready to punish the oppressed further for the legal retaliatiin. This leads to two options that remain for the target to express their feelings, either towards themself or towards the group of oppressors. This can result in positive social outcomes and humanitarian progress or spiral into toxic consequences.
As the Chinook Fund from Parents Defending Education eloquently explain, there is a real risk that “Acting out internalized oppression runs the gamut from passive powerlessness to violent aggression” in those who have been targeted and expected to endure the weight of oppression for long periods of time. The real solution is through self-care, aligning with healthy individuals and contributing to change in a non-violent way while exposing the truth.
Every Friday, Sheila Wanite Bautz addresses various Sociological issues in laymen’s terms. Sheila has dual Honour BAs with Majors in Sociology and English through the University of Saskatchewan. In Sociology, she specialized in Indigenous history, law, addictions and criminology.
