Background:
An ideology is a set of beliefs that serve the interests of a particular group. The dominant ideology is the set of beliefs that serve the interests of dominant groups (white people, wealthy people, men, heterosexual people, and so forth). Dominant groups have the power to make their view of reality seem “natural” or “normal” because they control social institutions and the socialization process. To summarize, the dominant ideology (which is the perspective of dominant groups) is a belief system that supports the system of privilege which gives dominant groups major advantages in all social institutions.
Our readings explain how the system of oppression is internalized through the acceptance of the dominant ideology. For example, people in all social classes internalize the (false) belief that poor people are responsible for their own poverty and that anyone who works hard in the U.S. can succeed economically. This belief system (which is the dominant ideology) diverts attention from the economic system which is the real cause of poverty. Internalization of the dominant ideology thus maintains the economic system as it is, which benefits the very wealthy and severely disadvantages low-income people.
Hardiman, Jackson, and Griffin (2013) explain that our socialization into acceptance of oppressive systems, though our interactions with individuals, institutions, and cultural norms and values, constitutes a cycle of business as usual until we are able to interrupt it with information or experience that call into question the truth of what we have learned about the power relationships among different social groups and our own position vis-à-vis these dynamics (p. 28).
In this discussion we will focus on liberation from internalized views that maintain oppression; Specifically:
- Identify one belief or assumption that you internalized that maintained your own or others’ oppression based on race, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, language, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
Be sure to identify
-
- The belief
- Whose oppression is maintained by the belief (that is, which social group)
- Explain how this belief was first challenged in your worldview and how it changed. What idea or process described by Harro in the “waking up” and “getting ready” phases of the cycle of liberation are most relevant to your experience? Be specific in linking your experience to one or more points in these two sections of the Harro reading. Use quotes and in-text citations appropriately.