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4: Oppression

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    285982
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    Introduction and Professor Chin's Take

    This chapter examines how oppression operates through prejudice, discrimination, and racism at individual, institutional, and structural levels. While many people think racism is simply about personal attitudes or overt hatred, this chapter shows how inequality is also embedded in policies, social systems, and historical patterns that continue to shape opportunities today. From stereotypes and implicit bias to wealth gaps, health disparities, and criminal justice inequities, we explore how racial inequality is produced and maintained over time.

    At the same time, this chapter reminds us that change is possible. Understanding oppression is not about assigning guilt, but about recognizing patterns and asking how systems can be improved. By examining concepts such as structural racism, intergroup contact, and anti-racist action, students are encouraged to think critically about both the persistence of inequality and the responsibility we share in creating a more just society.

    Learning Objectives
    • Differentiate between stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, and racism at both individual and institutional levels. 
    • Explain how modern forms of racism (such as color-blind racism and symbolic racism) differ from overt, Jim Crow–era racism.
    • Analyze how structural and institutional factors contribute to racial and ethnic inequalities in areas such as wealth, health, housing, and criminal justice.
    • Describe the psychological and physiological effects of racism, including implicit bias, stereotype threat, and chronic stress.
    • Evaluate strategies for reducing prejudice and addressing systemic racism, including intergroup contact, policy change, and community-based action.


    This page titled 4: Oppression was last modified on Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:38:12 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Laura Chin.

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