Privilege, Oppression & Intersectionality

Someone with privilege experiences particular advantages due to their belonging to a ‘dominant‘ social group/s. Privileged groups include people who are;

• men

• Anglosaxon

• heterosexual

• cisgender

• able bodied/ non-disabled

• young

Oppression, on the other hand, is the opposite of privilege and describes the disadvantage experienced by people belonging to social groups considered ‘minority‘ or marginalised. Oppressed groups include people who are;

• women

• culturally and/or linguistically diverse

• people of colour

• LGBTIQASB+

• disabled people

• older people

You’ve probably heard us talking about ‘marginalised identity’ a bit- this is what we mean. Those who do not belong to the main, dominant group that our wider society is often set up for. Those of us for whom the world is not always accessible, inclusive or safe. Marginalised identities are, in some ways, the ‘other’, different to what may be seen as the ‘status quo’ or ‘norm’.

All the identities we hold, both privileged and oppressed, are interconnected. Intersectionality refers to the different identities someone may hold, exposing them to experiences of unearned power and/or discrimination. Some people may have co-existing, simultaneous experiences of both privilege and oppression in different areas.

If you’re interested in learning more about these kinds of topics, we recommend checking out the book Promoting Diversity & Social Justice: Educating Privileged Groups by Diane J. Goodman and reflecting on a privilege and oppression wheel similar to the one on the image accompanying this blogpost, as a starting point.