Category: Oppression

Introduction

Ruth Almog is an Israelite woman, who loved literature as she grew up. She wrote mostly on women and justice. In one of her books, Invisible mending she based her focus on a girl, Hefzibah who grew in an exploitive society.

This essay will discuss oppression and liberation as covered in the story by Ruth Almog. In Hebrew, the words I delight in her are Hefzibah (Glazer 34); the pain enacted in Almogs story has been invisibly mended by the healing power of the Bible. She is strong all through when she read Gods word which comforts her in her problems. The essay will also discuss the remedy to this oppression based on leadership, gender and religion.

Oppression

The story of a young girl growing up in the midst of problems is a good platform for Ruth Almogs explanation and emphasis on the many ways of oppression. The rules and laws are a heavy burden in her life. The exercise of religious laws is unjust and she is depicted as a victim of circumstances; she is suffering physically and psychologically. The loss of her father at a young age is one form of psychological torture she has to bear with.

Hefzibah Ruth Almogs  Invisible Mending , growing up in Palestine and faced at once with her fathers death and her own dawning sexuality, is an intermeshing of ancient texts, as well as social political, economic, sexual, Psychological, familial, artistic and religious tension. (Glazer 33)

The murder of Hefzibahs father by Hitler subjects the family to further exploitation. Hefzibahs grandmother has to engage in the cleaning other peoples houses to earn a living. The girl and her family suffer severely from the death of her father in a foreign country. Being a woman subjects all of them, grandmother, the mother and daughter Hefzibah, to exploitation.

Though these children distinguish between themselves and the ultra orthodox whose young men attend Yeshivot in Jerusalem, they nevertheless use the fine points of religious law as a way to torment her, while her harassed mother argues,  But you have nothing to wear&and winter clothes are awfully expensive. (Glazer 34)

Her grandmother is over worked at an old age; they also became very poor to the extent that her mother gave her jumper for an invisible mending which is double edged. This invisible mending was not acceptable in the Jewish culture as it was a sign of mourning.

There is misuse of religious law in this society which makes this girl to suffer in vain because the punishments does not help her and neither does it help the punishers. Instead the girl is just subjected to pain:

In school, Hefzibah is also oppressed by her teacher who, blind to her love of drawing, relentlessly carps at her for inattentiveness. He demands that she copy out psalm 82 a hundred times as punishment.

Particularly because his name, Mr. Lev, identifies him as a Levite that is as a descendant of the priestly tribe singled out by the Torah&Hefzibah serve as bitterly ironic narrative comment on the misuse of authority in the name of religion. This passage demonstrates clearer exploitation on basis of her origin. Why did this teacher choose to give such punishment to a pupil? (Glazer 34)

Almog argued that people should go beyond gender and all forms of divisions so as to be free and bring about growth. New ideas and art were the ones that could set humanity free and nothing else. Hefzibah experienced oppression in school where she is punished for no reason. Her religion practices subject her to thorough beatings that are inhuman. This caused her to be always alert and afraid in suspicion of some dangers around her as captured from this text:

And while she was still absorbed in the Bible, memorizing the passage, she was suffused by the fear that a dangerous presence was approaching, throbbing in the air, spinning towards her and crying, Ho! Ya! Ho! Ya!  She tried to feel off the feeling of oppression and went back to the text: Just after a short time, She felt a full force of an open hand strike her cheek. She has to be punished!Cried Bracha Shvili, but Esther Strauss insisted, Thats enough (Glazer 46).

This girl was punished for mending a tear. Even when Leah Katz tries to stop Bracha Shvili from striking her cheeks because of sympathy Shula Reisser got hold of her and supported that Hefzibah deserved a beating. This shows a character that has taken its roots in the society. Leah Katz complains that this man could even punish her to death.

Women are subjected to sexual harassment, for example, Hefzibah was harassed by a man who forcefully kissed her;

He grabbed hold of her with his course, heavy hands, murmuring,Hefzi, my beauty, the joy of my life. Ive caught you! Mother mother! Hefzibah screamed but his moist lips were already on her face, his hands red hot tongs piercing the flesh of her arms.(Glazer 45)

Liberty

Despite all the exploitive experiences this girl goes through, her innermost being is strong and she finds her hope in the Bible, Gods word. She is hopeful and her mind is at Liberty. She has trusted in Gods word regardless of the circumstances around her. She believed that God was on her side and was watching over her even when every other person was against her.

In the midst of despair she read, O Lord, will dispute with Thee, for thou art just; Yes, I will plead my case before thee. Why do the wicked prosper and traitors live at ease? Thou hast planted them and their roots strike deep (Glazer 46).

She believed that these people who were doing wrong were very prosperous without problems and that God was not being fair to her. She had one conviction that God soon will work things out for her and she kept on reading the Bible.

She tried to ward off the feeling of oppression and went back to the text: Thou art ever on their lips, yet far from their hearts. But thou know me, O Lord, thou hast seen me; though has tried my heart toward thee to thyself& (Glazer 46)

Liberty was associated with men; in this sense the married women were shielded from heavy exploitation. Thus a father plays an important role in the family. He is seen as the provider of family needs. She argues it in this excerpt: &that if it hadnt been for Hitler, her grandmother would have servants of her own and wouldnt have to clean house for other people and may be her father would still be alive. It is this country that killed him, she thought and maybe it is true that mother shouldnt have given my jumper to invisible mending. (Glazer 33)

The role of men as protectors also came out clearly in an incidence when Hefzibah was almost raped and her mother told her, Your father would have broken all his bones (Glazer 45). Liberty is brought by creativity. It must look beyond ones gender, class and national divisions.

Creativity is the only true freedom, Ruth Almog has said, One that transcends gender, class, and national divisions (Glazer 34). This shows that freedom should not be denied to any person on basis of their gender, economic status or nationality. Hefzibah wishes that these other people could change and stop discrimination and exploitation.

Liberty was in her heart. Though she looked oppressed, she was free in her heart and this gave her strength to go on with life. The peace in her heart was invisible and probably the use of the title, Invisible Mending since not many could see her heart.

Liberty is a hunger in every society especially for women. The misuse of authority or religion to exploit women is destructive and calls for people who can fight to promote justice for women.

Conclusion

Oppression brings suffering as it is clear from the life of the young girl in the above story. All forms of oppression occur in society. This is mostly brought especially by unjust leaders. The unjust leaders preach what they do not do to exploit the poor. This calls for strategies to free women in the society. It should treat all people equally and apply biblical principles to govern and lead the society.

Works Cited

Almog, Ruth. Jewish Womens Archive. JWA, 2011. Web. <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/almog-ruth>

Glazer, Miriyam. Dreaming the actual: contemporary fiction and poetry by Israeli women writers. New York: Suny Press. Print.

Introduction

In literature, writing back is a style where authors use their experiences and historical time lines to bring into light some of the cross cutting social issues within the context of the society of the time. Usually, the authors have the ability to point out various issues that they believe were not well addressed by the social, political and economic institutions.

This is specifically so when the issues relates directly to their lives. Typical of this style of writing is the portrayal of social groups whose voices were not considered in the mainstream society. Queer voices have been oppressed in the past and as such, most writers who have experienced this oppression have found it necessary to write back.

The oppression of social groups along the lines of gender, race, class and sexuality has been common. This paper seeks to make a comparison of Sarah Waters story, Tipping the Velvet and other British Literature texts used in this course.

Comparison of Waters works and Other Works

The story, Tipping the Velvet centers its themes on the queer voices of lesbians during the Victorian era. This period was typical discrimination of young women based on their sexual orientation. In fact, it was a criminal offense for the lesbians to come out openly due to the fear of victimization and punishment from the authorities (Waters 45).

However, this did not imply that the lesbians were non-existent. In fact, they lived within the society and could not raise their voices to appraise the social system. It is apparent therefore that the author writes back to recall the unheard voices of the lesbians in the 19^th century.

She appraises the social structures that allowed women to be victimized. Her literary work is similar to many works that authors have written to give a voice to the voiceless in the society.

In many ways, Tipping the Velvet can compare with the book, A Room of Ones Own that was written by Virginia Woolf. The latter book focuses on gender issues where women are oppressed and gives an impression of queer voices that were pertinent during the past of the British society (Wood 9).

In her book, Woolf emphasizes on the plight of women who were not allowed to participate in creative literature. Like in Tipping the Velvet, womens access to education was the main theme around which the story revolves.

Wood says that the two authors have also experienced similar woes owing to their respective sources of discrimination (26). While Woolf was never allowed an education opportunity despite her father being well able to provide for her, Waters has an experience of facing discrimination due to her sexual orientation.

In medieval British society, Woolf explicates that entry to the field of fiction writing was a challenge for women living in the Britain. The rationale was that the access to the field of writing where women could be able to own property and have sources of income was mainly a mens specialty (Kendler 36).

As an author, Woolf was a critic and she felt that her understanding of literature as a woman was not well acknowledged as compared to literature written by male authors.

For this reason, she wrote the book A Room of Ones Own where she takes the reader through her research and getting the reader to know the woman behind the many literature works she had written earlier.

Woolf, in her work, appraises the patriarchal system that only allowed men to acquire property while womens roles were to act as custodians instead of having a voice in the choice of their livelihoods (Kendler 33).

The theme that parallels both works is sexuality and lesbianism. The society condemned homosexuality and the consequent punitive measures were dire. Hence, homosexuals during this era lived in disguise. Against the existing norms, Woolf invokes lesbianism by depicting Mary Charmicheals works in her literature (Kendler 39).

She explains that the lesbians during that period lived in secrecy and their voices were suppressed. In particular, she admits that there are instances that a woman loves other women and it happened in the context of medieval British society.

Her help of other women authors to portray lesbianism as a characteristic of any society was apparent. She appraises the power structures and affirms her support for the prevalent literature works like Chloe liked Olivia that focused on the plight of the lesbians.

Similarly, Tipping the Velvet portrays Nan as a lesbian whose sexuality was in contravention of prevalent norms and values of the society. Indeed, Nans relationship with Kitty was a secret that they could not allow the society to know.

This is amplified further by Florence. Although she is a social activist, it was safe for her to remain within the societys obligation of getting married and fulfilling her gender roles (Kendler 67). As such, Florence is married and has children notwithstanding her real sexual orientation.

Nonetheless, they begin a relationship secretly with Nan. Waters highlights this theme in a more explicit manner than Woolf does. The rationale is in the different eras that the two authors were writing back.

While the former was addressing the contemporary society, the latter was targeting the early 1930s society and hence, she opted to maintain a low profile of the theme in her works.

Another literature work that depict writing back similar to Waters work is the novel, Decolonizing the mind, by Ngugi wa Thiongo. The novel give agencies and voice to community languages that have slowly become extinct as a result of the community members opting to speak English instead of their native languages.

Himself is a native African but his mastery in English has received applaud in many Western societies although he seems not proud of the achievement. Consequently, he uses this platform to appraise the power structures amongst the African societies that have imposed foreign languages on their citizens at the expense of the native languages like Gikuyu and Dholuo (Kendler 11).

Children enter into education systems where the languages of instructions have been borrowed from the colonial masters. These communities have no control of the content of what their children learn in school since the state agencies have rigid structures that remain unchanged for years.

In this sense, Ngugi compares with Waters in the manner they represent the power structures of their respective societies as ignorant of/and as a challenge to the voices of specific social groups.

However, the themes are dissimilar considering in the contexts they were addressing. Although they both utilize the style of writing back, Ngugi focus more on the effects of neo-colonialism in the African societies (Wesley 34). Wesley asserts that the novel is more of an appraising tool in which he uses subjectivity to derive the conclusion and highlight the themes (35).

Conversely, it is apparent that Waters is not appraising the power structures in the Victorian period to get back at external forces. Unlike Ngugi, she addresses a persistent problem that is embedded in the social structure of the British society.

Ngugis novel is only comparable to Tipping the Velvet in the lieu of the fact that the two writers are advocating for increased attention to the persistent queer voices of social groups. Against Ngugis notion, not all Africans wish to see a purely native approach to the longstanding social issues.

Other works by British authors are comparable to Waters work. Particularly, Waters work drew immense influence from Chris Hunts novel Street Lavender. Her intentions were to make her novel look like a female version of Street Lavender.

At the oustet, the two novels are set in the Victorian era when the Criminal Law was being amended in London. Hunt says that the major theme that comes out clearly is in the depiction of sexuality (4). As noted, Waters novel is set in the Victorian era in the late 19^th century and it focuses on sexuality.

Her novel has persistent lesbian themes, which revolve on self-discovery. In Tipping the Velvet, the characters with queer voices and sexuality differences interact with the surrounding rather than isolating themselves (Waters 87).

Besides, both writers chose to write on the Victorian era because they felt that the power structure in this era oppressed the gay and lesbian members of the community.

According to Waters, most of the things people know about this era are stereotypical and misconceptions. Waters considers herself as part of the gay and lesbian heritage since she portrays her support to homosexuality (Waters 14).

The two novels are against the infamous Section 11 of the law that re-criminalized gay behavior in London. They voice the homosexual minority in the society (Hunt 68). They speak for the queer voice of sexuality, which authorities ignore and assume at most times as though it does not exist within the social frameworks.

The novels display unapologetic celebration and open support for the gay and lesbian diversity. Gay and lesbian literatures are portrayed in the two books in a positive way. The two novels give agency to a sexuality voice that Victorian era oppressed and ignored.

It is notable that the similarity between Waters and Mary Princes work is overwhelming. Prince wished that the good people of England would hear and understand what she felt and suffered from as a slave. She felt that she and her mother were treated unfairly and hoped that one day people will understand what she went through (Prince 23).

Throughout England, it was normal for corporal punishment to be inflicted on slaves, slave owners believed that it was necessary to punish slaves because they (slaves) had a refractory nature that necessitate their punishment.

Throughout her life, she was sold to and by slave owners and spent her life serving them. Mary explains in her novel how she suffered as she was passed from one slave owner to another (Prince 44-56). Similar to Waters work, they both experienced this kind of antagonistic relationship with the members of the society.

Waters had experienced discrimination and used her voice in the book from her perspective of the broader society. It becomes apparent therefore that the two authors are hugely alike in their encounters with instances of social and political suppression.

The oppression of slaves was because of slave owner continued insistence to be superior to the oppressed. Oppression emanated from powerful men wielding power, which is inherent from their families. Hence, these people remained in power because they feel they must as it was a given right (Kendler 54).

The people holding this power are unyielding and exercise their power in oppressing others. In her work, Mary Prince sheds light on the issue of oppression that affected slaves in the Victorian era. Slaves were not allowed to own property or possess money, which made it difficult for slaves to make a living.

Mary Prince decided to voice the mistreatment that slaves experienced and felt that people of England should hear about the suffering she and other slaves underwent in a similar way like Waters.

Finally, a poem by Louis Bennett titled, Colonization in reverse is an example of a perfect writing back style. As the poet ponders, the issue of colonization comes to mind owing to the ways in which Jamaicans are shipped to go and work in England (Wood 73).

Indeed, the author points out that the roles the Jamaicans go to perform in the foreign land are demeaning yet they tend to think that good time jobs are only found in England (Kendler 12). She appraises this notion and criticizes the West of using the power structures to simplify the transport systems that are used to ferry the Jamaicans to foreign countries to work as slaves.

Indeed, she sees no difference between this kind of colonization and the conventional colonization. As a former worker in England, she uses her experience to write back and advocate for change within the power structures. The poem replicates Waters work in the manner in which the two systems are used.

Conclusion

Throughout history, power structures have acted to suppress the queer voice of the minority. Writing back has become a stylistic device to appraise the pre-existing social and power structures. In their books and literary works, authors such as Waters, Bennett, Ngugi, Prince, Woolf and Hunt are seen to support the voice of social groups.

Tipping the Velvet by Waters assesses sexuality that was criminalized in the Victorian era. In her themes, Waters explores sexuality and openly gives agency to oppressed sexuality voices. Ngugi, Prince, and Woolf have portrayed their concern of suppressed communities, slaves and women respectively.

Ngugi highlights on the effects of colonization on the communities who have adopted foreign languages as their modes of instructions in the context of an education system. After being born as a slave, Mary Prince spent most of her life serving different slave owners.

She feels that people of London should be given an opportunity to hear what she and other slaves went through and the experiences they had, thus voicing people who have been oppressed as a result of slavery.

Woolf explains the issues that affected women at the time including gender discrimination in rather skewed educational and professional systems. As such, the authors write back on the issues and experiences that have influenced their lives and assert that the stylistic device is an effective tool of addressing social disparities.

Works Cited

Hunt, Chris. Street Lavender, Austin, TX: Bookpeople, 1988. Print.

Kendler, Hyslop. Anthology of British Literature, New York: McGraw Publishers, 2001. Print.

Prince, Mary. The History of Mary Prince, Teddington, UK: The Echo Library, 2006. Print.

Waters, Sarah. Tipping the Velvet. Kendal Street, London: Virago Press Ltd, 1998. Print.

Wesley, Fannon. Collection and analysis of books by Ngugi wa Thiongo, Nairobi: McMillan Publishers, 2007. Print.

Wood, Marcus. Blind memory: visual representations of slavery in England and America in 1780-1865, Sandton City: Routledge, 2000. Print.

Introduction

Langston Hughes was a renowned icon in the world of African American literature. He wrote numerous poems, plays, novels and newspaper articles during his careers lifespan. His social activism was focused on creating a voice for the African American people.

Having lived momentarily in Harlem, he was quite familiar with the racial friction that existed at the time. He hence plays a major role in the Harlem renaissance movement of the 1920s and 1930s. The Harlem renaissance was a period in which various African American writers exploited literature to push for civil and political equality.

There is a jazzy/ blues tone in a number of his poems as they circulate around themes of racial oppression within the early American society. The main contributing factor to these chosen themes was his personal experiences. We shall thus explore how these experiences are expressed in some of his poems.

Negro

The poem speaks about the writers identity as a Negro. The tone of the poem is one of anger and, at the same time, pride. He voices the grievances of the enslaved black community throughout history by making references to their afflictions under several masters.

The poem has been written in the first persons point of view and there is repetitive use of the words Ive been (Negro).

This serves to emphasize the manner in which the black race has been subjected to various experiences in each verse. It portrays the black mans positions as a victim of these experiences. The writer also uses similes such as black as the night is black and black like the depths of Africa to create illustrations of different views of the African race (Negro).

Cross

The poem Cross voices the writers personal experiences of living in a cross racial family. He conveys the ideal of racial reconciliation amongst white and black people by showing his remorse and apologies for wishing the worst to his parents. His parents came from different races. He contemplates their contrasting fates wherein one died in a place of fortune and prosperity while the other died in an environment of poverty (Cross).

He then ponders his own fate by linking it to his mixed race. The message that is driven here is that racial background ultimately affects ones fate due to the social setups that favored one over the other. The poem uses rhymes and meters in its structure thus setting up a rhythmic flow in its narration.

The Weary Blues

This poem is written in a very sad tone. It describes the poets encounter with a blues musician who, tired of his life, was contemplating suicide. The theme of death is prominent in this piece as it is featured in several lines. The song Weary blues contains the line And I wish I had died which captures the theme of death (The Weary Blues).

The final line He slept like a rock or a man thats dead clearly presents another instance of this theme. The message that the reader is left with is that the singer discussed in the poem had died deep down because of the loneliness he has been forced to live with.

Lenox Avenue: Midnight

The setting of this poem is a high traffic street on a rainy day. This can be seen from the references of rumbling street cars and rain in the second stanza. It seems to be a poem that speaks in second person to a lady. This may be explained by the use of the term Honey in referring to the person addressed (Bass & Rampersad 32). Once again, this poem, like others mentioned before, bears a melancholic mood.

Song for a Dark Girl

Song for a dark girl is a poem about the writers lover who was hung on a tree. The tone of the poem is one of anger filled with sadness.

The writer seems to have a grudge against Jesus for letting his lover get slain despite his prayers for her protection. The theme of racial hatred is also brought out by the reference that the writer makes to white Lord Jesus (Song for a Dark Girl). There is a metaphor used to describe love as a naked shadow.

Red Silk Stockings

This poem is written in old African American dialect. The use of alternative spellings for words such as gal and incorrect grammar such as yous, which means you is, are a demonstration of this (Bass & Rampersad 105). The poem was written to ridicule African American female prostitutes who served white clients. Hence, there is an overall use of sarcasm in the poem.

This can be observed when the writer says that the girls are too pretty to find any other form of work. Langston further mocks the black women by pointing out that they need to wear red stockings to show themselves to the white boys. This implies that the girls have an inferior view of themselves

Theme for English B

The poem Theme for English B has a very rich yet unstructured rhyme structure which can be seen to flow throughout the poem. The poem is written in the first person point of view. It seeks to introduce the reader to the identity of the writer as a young black student in a class full of white students.

The writer hence responds to his English teachers assignment instruction to reveal his personality through his work. He points out that if he did, it might not be judged on the same background as other students. This idea is brought out by the symbolic reference of his work not being in the same color as that of the page he will write it on, i.e. white paper (Theme for English B).

Dinner Guest: Me

In Dinner Guest: Me, Langston explains how the powerful white personalities in the U.S civil society had been discussing the African American plight for equality during a dinner gathering. His reaction to the discussion at the dinner table where he has been invited is rather indifferent.

What he is more afraid of is the outcome of the discussion and what it will mean to the African American community. The African American community, in this case, is symbolically referred to as darkness U.S.A to show that they are looked down upon by the white race (Dinner Guest: Me).

Conclusion

Langstons jazz poems fall into two thematic categories. There are those that bear a racially conscious theme and there are those that are simply introspective and personal. Some have both a personal and a socially conscious message.

For instance, Cross reveals Langstons personal experiences in dealing with racial inequality and, at the same time, it communicates the message of racial tolerance by proposing forgiveness. Poems that have racial injustice as a central theme can be classified as either political or social.

The poem Dinner Guest: Me, for instance, is a politically influenced piece as opposed to Red Silk stocking which is dwells on the moral decay of the black community.

Works Cited

Bass and Arnold Rampersad. The Collected Works of Langston Hughes, The Poems: 1921-1940 (LH1). Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. 2001. Web.

Cross 2003. Web.>

Dinner Guest: Me 2003. Web.

Negro 2007. Web.

Song for a Dark Girl n.d. Web.

The Weary Blues 2003. Web.

Theme for English B 2003. Web.

The main theme in the story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is resistance and oppression. The book revolves around the German resistance to the Third Reich, a military body used by Hitler to carry out his atrocities against the Jews and the German people.

The story follows the lives of five young German students who in 1942, together with a University of Munich professor mounted a campaign against Hitler rule. By doing so, they risked being tortured and killed by the Gestapo, but this did not deter their resolve to fight the atrocities being committed by Hitlers regime.

Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans initially supported the Hitlers rule and were former Youth leaders for the Hitler Youth wing. After seeing, the atrocities being committed by the government they decide to form a resistance group that tried to have the German people revolt against Hitler rule.

The White Rose group rose and protested in the name of the principles Hitler tried hard to kill. In their protest, they issued six leaflets that called for the Germans to rise and face up to the atrocities that were being committed by the Nazi regime. In the first leaflet, they pointed out the reasons why the people should rise against the government.

They wrote, Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct. It is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his government.

Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes  crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure  reach the light of day (Dumbach and Newborn 186).

In the ensuing leaflets, they continued their campaigns against the regime until February 18, 1943 when Hans and Sophie were arrested while distributing the sixth leaflet on campus. The sixth and last leaflet was written by their philosophy professor, Dr. Kurt Huber.

While distributing the leaflets a janitor in the school saw Hans and his sister Scholl and called the Gestapo. Hans and Scholl in an attempt to protect their friends claimed responsibility for the leaflets and were taken into custody. Another member of the group, Christoph Probst was arrested and the three were tried after four days in custody.

The three were summoned in front of a peoples court convicted and then beheaded. The authors are able to portray oppression in the Nazi regime when they write of the ensuing beheading of Hans. In his last words, before the knife of the guillotine is released, Hans screams Long Live Freedom! (Dumbach and Newborn 161). This showed the oppression being suffered by the people and Hans death was an inspiration to many to rise and fight against the regime.

After the death of Hans, the authors continue to tell of the rise of various revolution groups including a group of people in Hamburg who were inspired by the leaflets. From the beginning to the end of the book, the story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is thrilling and the authors are able to capture the oppressions and revolution that took place during the Nazi regime.

The major falling of the book is that the authors rely heavily on the accounts of Scholl and Hans. They depend on the accounts of Hans and Sophie Scholl and the letters they wrote. The story is given on the accounts of this letters and, therefore, there is no verification on the reliability of the information.

The quote that sums up the book is the words uttered by Sophie Scholl during her trial, Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just dont dare to express themselves as we did (Dumbach and Newborn 157). The quote sums up the book in that it shows that the people had realized the oppressions caused by the regime and marked the start of resistance against the oppression.

Works Cited

Dumbach, Annette and Jud, Newborn. Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. Oxford: One world, 2007. Print.

Introduction

In the US, the concept of blackness is the key idea that defines the social, political, and cultural position of African-Americans, both in past and present periods of history. The Street is a novel that depicts the life of Lutie Johnson, a single mother with an 8-year old son, who lives in Harlem on 116th street. The life of the main character is full of challenges that include relationships with African-American men, financial issues, and hard work.

While the history and cognition of African-American women were subjected to race and gender oppression, the literary works were created to represent their struggles and address the barriers that limited their lives. This essay aims to discover the black identity of African-American women living in the 1940s based on the image of Lutie as well as the methods used by the author, including personification, naturalism, and setting.

Exploring Blackness in the Novel

The negation of humanity of African-Americans leads to various difficulties that ruin their relationships and lives. In The Street, Lutie, an ordinary woman, was married to her beloved man, but the financial issues caused by a low-paid job as well as other hardships affected negatively their interaction. When her husband cheated, the main character preferred to leave and raise her son independently. At the same time, she remains committed to the idea of the American Dream proposed by one of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. He stated that everyone who works hard can achieve success, yet the story by Petry shows that African-Americans have many barriers on their paths.

The author of the novel uses the method of personification to represent the feelings and emotions of her characters. While The Street is narrated via the voices of different persons, the one of Lutie is dominant. Accordingly, it seems to be appropriate to choose her image to associate with personification points. For example, the wind is depicted as a human being: the wind grabbed their hats, pried their scarves from around their necks, stuck its fingers inside their coat collars, blew their coats away from their bodies (3).

The fingers of the wind that touch people are related to the connection with negative emotions since some discomfort is evident. More to the point, Petry states that the wind discourages the people walking along the street, which helps the readers to assimilate with Lutie and her experience. The method of personification reflects everyday American discourse, reproducing and rooting racial ideology since it inevitably materializes both public and individual consciousness.

Along with the family issues, Luthier faces racism and sexism, which stem from not only White but predominantly African-American men. Jones, a navy veteran, becomes obsessed with Lutie, while he also has a girlfriend, min, whom he rejects believing that she not physically attractive. Smith, the bandleader of Junto, is also interested in sexual contact with the main character, promising false advantages. This sexual competition increases the novels tension.

Personification allows the author to show that her street could be any street in the city: the snow & sent people scurrying homeward, so that the street was soon deserted, empty, and quiet (182). In this case, personification does not break away from the real denotation but adds an essential characteristic, preserving all its real properties. The core meaning contextually expands due to the emergence of a new reality, which contradicts all other signs and is preserved only within this context.

The discussion of naturalism in this novel serves as the guide to understanding social reality. The Street demonstrates that the ideas about social reality are largely unconscious and built on the basis of inherited cultural stereotypes of a particular social group. The centuries of slavery inflicted a cultural trauma on African-Americans, depriving them of their human status and dignity. African-Americans had to rethink their past in order to reconstruct collective identity. Petry summarizes the complex ways of building black identities that are closely related to the consequences of racism in the US (292). In this novel, the author employs naturalism to effectively present the catastrophic and destroying reality of African-American women.

The ideological and stylistic tendencies generated by the cultural practices and the artistic method opposing realism are expressed in reproducing the phenomena of life outside their ideological socio-philosophical understanding. One of the trends in the theory and practice of the naturalistic trend was the replacement of social typing and social assessment of life phenomena with an impartial depiction of facts and events.

For instance, Petry describes small urine-strained rooms: the hallways dank with the smell of urine (). The term naturalism can also be associated with an addiction to an exaggeratedly detailed depiction of gloomy, shadowy phenomena of reality, especially scenes of cruelty, violence, and repulsive details of sexual life. Describing the reaction of Jones, the author notes that the hate an danger that still burned inside him was so great that he could not even smile (295). Not only places and events but also peoples behaviors that are given in a naturalistic style add to the deeply-rooted oppression towards African-American females.

The epoch of Jim Craw laws with its unequal approach to people whose skin color was other than white characterizes the setting of The Street. It is noteworthy to state that this literary work begins and ends with the description of 116th street in Harlem. Most importantly, the street is presented as one of the key characters of the novel, in which the author masterfully combines personification and setting methods of creating images. The following statement reveals the attitudes of Lutir towards her street: the street did more than that. It became both mother and father and trained your kid for you, and it was an evil father and a vicious mother (Petry 283).

During that time, African-American women lived in a highly oppressed society, although they were emancipated according to the law. Nevertheless, the American institutional practices made it impossible to exercise human rights for the mentioned population.

The inferiority of African-American women with regard to African-American men is another theme of the given novel. In terms of the patriarchal society, men were seen as the dominant human beings, who should have more rights and freedoms compared to females. These assumptions are reflected via the setting of The Street, where the author discusses the struggles of women and the tension placed by men. For instance, it is perceived by the novel male characters as a norm to incline women to sex by sung abusive methods.

The thoughts about the lower ability of women to create and consider were also made publicly: you know a good-looking girl like you shouldnt have to worry about money, he said softly (Petry 334). In fact, this aspect of the concept of blackness seems to be much more complicated since many challenges are intertwined, and women had to resolve them, relying only on themselves.

The presentation of the environment of Harlem allows the readers to associate with it and better understand the lives of African-American females of that time. The setting helps the author to build the links between the people involved in the story and Luthier in a way that clarifies their intentions and feelings. At the same time, these connections are not used in a direct form, yet they focus on the environment. The words dirt and dust are often included in the novel, which makes the setting unpleasant and unappealing to the readers.

The actions of the wind, for example, point to the cold and harsh weather, which indicates the violent assaults of men who want to have sex with Luthier. On the contrary, the introduction of the main character is accompanied by such words as warm and soft. This confusing environment reflects different sides of blackness in females of the period of Jim Craw laws.

Conclusion

To conclude, The Street by Ann Petry is a powerful novel that sheds light on the essence of blackness, focusing on the fate of females who lived in the 1940s and 1950s in the US. The very state of racism that was inherent to all African-Americans previously was much more complicated and severe for women who faced discrimination from African-American men. One can undoubtedly state that The Street is a significant cornerstone in understanding the concept of blackness and further improvement of the position of women in the US.

Work Cited

Petry, Ann. The Street. Library of America, 2019.

Introduction

Religion is a critical constituent of human life, which has a direct influence on all areas of interactions with other people. Sometimes, it leads to conflicts and misunderstandings; in other cases, religious differences become the ground for oppression  prolonged unjust treatment and discrimination. That said, religious oppression is unequal treatment of those, who belong to differing confessions.

In this way, regardless of living in the modern world that moves in the direction of eliminating borders between nations, the problem of religious oppression in the medical field is complicated to overcome.

Public policy debates

Except for affecting social relations, religious issues are the subject of severe public policy debates. In most cases, public policies focus on avoiding oppression and minimizing the risks of religious segregation in the health care sector.

There are different levels of public policy debates: care acts guaranteeing the freedom of religion and equal access to the medical aid at the court level; legislation protecting equity in the society and determining exemption in the health care sector at the state level; and hospital statutes at the local level (Issues for debate in American public policy, 2017). Because of the criticality of religious freedom and equality, the issue is often discussed at the highest level (for instance, President Obama paid significant attention to the problem of religious oppression in health care during his presidential debates in 2012).

Racism and religious discrimination in different areas of social relations, including medicine, is the subject of numerous international conferences organized by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and the most influential actors of the global community (United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, n.d.).

Arguments

Besides public policy debates, religious oppression has a direct influence on free access to professional care. Somehow, religious minorities are the most discriminated groups of the population when it comes to free and equal access to health care. Most issues are connected to the negative image of certain religious minorities and their lifestyles, which are acceptable in society (Aroussel & Carlbom, 2016). On the other hand, medical workers tend to ignore the individual needs of religious minorities, such as following a particular lifestyle or ignoring specific recommendations due to peculiarities of religious values, although it contradicts with the mission of a doctor or nurse, i.e. being faith-blind and oppressing patients subconsciously. Ultimately, oppression might be caused by the lack of knowledge about particular religious principles, thus leading to the failure of providing faith-acceptable care.

Nevertheless, sometimes patients themselves provoke religious oppression. In this way, discrimination is not always the cause of limiting access to medical care and professional aid. In some cases, doctors cannot help a patient because they do not understand how to respond to the faith-based refusal of conventional treatment, thus choosing to avoid similar patients in the future and oppressing them consciously (Rumun, 2014). In other cases, it is a patient that provokes a religion-based conflict and does not want to be treated by a doctor of differing religions, which still leads to oppression. After all, some patients refuse to be empowered through religious consciousness if they do not share the same religious principles, thus oppressing themselves and putting their treatment at risk (Rumun, 2014).

On the other hand, religious differences hurt access to employment. Just like some patients are oppressed in obtaining medical aid, religious minorities often suffer from discrimination while being interviewed for positions of medical workers and are limited in employment opportunities. Because of patient bias, some hospitals support the exemption of religious minorities, ignoring national legal frameworks and provisions of international legislation (for instance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promoting equal access to employment). In addition to patient bias, people of different religions are limited in employment opportunities because they are associated with a particular lifestyle and religious routines, such as prayers at a particular time of the day or missing work on particular days of the week, even if they do not follow them, i.e. without adequate grounds for refusal (Genuis & Lipp, 2013). Finally, they can be deprived of an opportunity to work at a hospital because of the belief that they are culturally incompetent, i.e. cannot deploy the patient-based approach because of their religious engagement.

Opinion and Conclusion

To sum up, religious oppression remains one of the most critical issues in health care provision. Even though it is broadly negotiated at different levels of public policy, the challenge is complicated to overcome. The problem is getting even more serious because of the unwillingness to recognize the uniqueness of other religions and accept others freedom to choosing their way in life as well as the lack of desire to change and support differing people.

Still, individual effort and focus on respecting equal freedoms and rights, as well as social and political coordination, might help to cope with this problem and establish equality.

References

Aroussel, J., & Carlbom, A. (2016). Culture and religious beliefs about reproductive health. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 32(1), 77-87.

Genuis, S. J., & Lipp, C. (2013). Ethical diversity and the role of conscience in clinical medicine. International Journal of Family Medicine, 2013(1), 1-18. Web.

Issues for debate in American public policy. (2017). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Rumun, A. J. (2014). Influence of religious beliefs on healthcare practice. International Journal of Education and Research, 2(4), 37-48.

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. (n.d.). Racism and public policy. Web.

The issue of racial discrimination is still relevant to this day, and the debates on whether the topic should be closed or not persist (Vaidyanatan, 2016). This reflection paper will focus on the scenario of Jim, a young man that unwillingly offended two African American men who were sitting in a car in the empty parking lot late in the evening.

If to reflect on Jims actions, it is quite evident that his intentions were not to insult others; on the contrary, he was worried about the occupants of the car and had no idea that they were African American. Any individual of any race and ethnic background could have been concerned about people sitting in a car in an empty parking lot. On the other hand, every person has a right to do anything as long as he or she does not cause harm to anyone, so the reaction of one African American man is understandable.

If to explore this scenario in the context of racial discrimination, the fact that Jim is a White 18-year old student played its role. More often than not, African American citizens think that the majority of White people perceive them as inferior, even in cases when they do not (Ortiz & Telles, 2012). It is quite likely that if Jim were African American or Hispanic, he would not have gotten the same reaction from the men sitting in a car. Possibly, the men have already encountered racial discrimination and became defensive without realizing that Jim had no intentions of racial profiling. Therefore, it is recommended for Jim to apologize and make sure that the men understand his intentions. To do so, he should engage in dialogue with them and find out why they reacted in such away. After all, elevating the burden of racial stereotyping is a matter of collaboration and not confrontation.

References

Ortiz, V., & Telles, E. (2012). Racial identity and racial treatment of Mexican Americans. Race and Social Problems, 4(1), 1-10.

Vaidyanatan, R. (2016). Why dont black and white Americans live together?

Identity politics has raised numerous debates on its effectiveness in tackling interlocking oppressions. In modern world societies, race, culture, and religion are recipes for an identity politics. However, politics, ethnicity, and race are intersected with femininity to form prejudiced and biased world organizations, thus, influencing life experiences. According to Crenshaw (1991), intersectionality as a system combines the concept of the multiplicity of axes of domination such as sexism, racism, and culture, as not secluded from one another to progress individuals life skills.

This established the concept of identity politics that can describe a political system belonging to a particular social background, class, race, and religion. Therefore, it is valid to argue that victimization because of race, culture, ethnicity, gender, and class leads to the formation of various distinctiveness politics. Identity politics is the cause for the formation of racialized political systems and power relations, and corporate capitalism in the contemporary world systems, and the fall of early ethnic and cultural movements.

Identity politics fractures along the lines of authority and power relation to extending the concept of discrimination. The aspect of politics of individuality has dramatically been used by various movements to claim their rights and existence (Bhambra, 2017). These movements have caused various disunities and conflicts among Americans. A modest governments fundamental principle is to move beyond discriminative boundaries to achieve unity in its jurisdiction.

However, the American civil society faces the obsessed fracturing lines of power mainly caused by the differences in race, sexuality, and ethnicity. This has made it difficult for the states to work in inclusivity and to identify with Americans as one. The claims of identity in the form of group marginalization do not approve of civil politics but continue to work against ending the critical goal of achieving opportunities to abolish marginalization. By attaining the unity, the country claims on its name, all the oppressions can be effectively admonished without categorizing a specific group.

Identity politics resulted in the collapse of the Organization of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD), an ethnic-associated movement formed in the mid-1970s. Though the movement started with strong agendas, its fall has been viewed as gender-specific oppression and discrimination of women of color (Swaby, 2014). The OWAAD, organized around black solidarity across communal partitions, contested varied forms of repression, as witnessed by women from minority ethnic societies.

According to Swaby (2014), the responsibility for determining cohesiveness among women from African-America, Caribbean American, and Asian American needed constant struggles to appraise their heterogeneity of understanding one another. However, when the movement collapsed in 1980, it was perceived to have been the result of identity politics through the act of sexism and racial discrimination. Swaby (2014) posits that the fall of the movement largely emanated from some of the women participating in the politics of specificities and disparity of hierarchies of victimization. Therefore, women should have united to structure the policies of solidarity, rather than engaging in power struggles.

Corporate capitalism manifests in identity politics through the oppression of women from minority ethnic backgrounds. For instance, in the Netherlands, the Party for Freedom, under the leadership of the renowned businessman, Greert Wilder, was position three in the overall election. Wilder achieved this goal even after proposing a policy on the prohibition of Quran and abolition of immigrants from Arabic speaking countries from entering the Netherlands (Mirza, 2013). The result indicated how,through identity politics, the whole republic united towards the oppression of people from specific ethnicity, religion, and culture.

Conversely, the same women have a political voice in their Arabic nations. For instance, in Tahrir Square, a meeting place for all types of political movements based in Cairo, Egypt, women are seen playing the political roles of leading genderless parades in opposing systemic oppressions (Mirza, 2013). In Europe, newspapers and magazines display fake news on how women from Arabic countries are either running from wars and rape cases, an assertion that they cannot justify (Mirza, 2013).

Another good example of identity politics and oppression is witnessed through cultural stereotypes. For instance, the Asian women and virginity tests indicated how women of Asian descent were subjected to the Virginity test without their consent at the UK airport in the early years of the 1970s. Consequently, the women lost their rights of expression augmented by the anti-Islamic programs and policies of culture from European counties.

In conclusion, identity politics has mainly promoted social diversity across the globe with the fall of unique movements, the formation of corporate capitalism, and power relations. The spirit of solidarity towards eradicating oppression around the world has been deviated from identity politics and most minds today are accepting the movements for identity rights. However, these movements should establish unity and solidarity to integrate the marginalized groups, thus creating a mainstream culture of togetherness, rather than creating politics of differences.

The continent is under crisis and the focus should be re-directed towards one main aim of achieving personal identity through eradication of oppression interlocked with identity politics. Considering Crenshaws argument on feminist claims, the judicial system should discharge fairness just as its name suggests but should not call for identity politics that has immensely created marginalization the world over.

References

Bhambra, G. K. (2017). Brexit, Trump, and methodological whiteness: On the misrecognition of race and class. The British Journal of Sociology, 68(1), 214-232.

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299.

Mirza, H. S. (2013). Muslim women and gender stereotypes in New Times: From Multiculturalism to Islamophobia. The State of Race, 96-117.

Swaby, N. A. (2014). Disparate in voice, sympathetic in direction: Gendered political blackness and the politics of solidarity. Feminist Review, 108(1), 11-25.

Introduction

Stigma has a substantial negative influence on peoples well-being since it is a social concept at the structural level. Despite its linkages to discrimination and bias, stigma is used within the socioeconomic and political environment as a valid form of social control with limited tools for restriction. A substantial corpus of research shows that single mothers have health inequities, including worsened psychological and physical health outcomes, and that they are stigmatized and targeted by the press and society.

In the United States, single motherhood is a rising issue, with approximately 40% of all infants born to unmarried mothers and black women having the highest rates of single motherhood at 70% (Vo & Canty, 2022). Inequitable possibilities that would enable them to achieve financial stability, educational empowerment, mental health repercussions, and professional prospects are among the systemic stigmatizations that young single moms frequently struggle to navigate.

Discussion

Stigmatization is frequently followed by discrimination, which entails further injustice done to those who continue to hold marginalized social or professional roles through laws, regulations, or institutionalized procedures. Systemic stigmas frequently connect to socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and certain medical issues. Systemic social stigma may reinforce feelings of inferiority in people, which can impact how they see themselves and make it more difficult for them to seek help and therapy. Hughes (2018) asserts that many low-income African American young single mothers may turn to religious institutions and charitable groups for assistance instead of applying for welfare benefits as a result of such sentiments of inferiority. For the most marginalized people in our society, numerous social assistance programs work requirements are unreasonable, and young single moms work ethics and productivity are frequently questioned. Hence, societal stigma places a burden on the socioeconomic advancement of young single moms by making them feel undeserving of getting the necessary support.

Even though academia has broadened the meaning of a nuclear family, the majority of individuals still view a two-parent, heterosexual household as the cultural narrative. Young mothers endure higher disadvantages than other non-traditional family types since they must simultaneously ensure their socioeconomic status in addition to dealing with a negative stigma. Due to oppression, single mothers find it challenging to secure the time to work, engage in their education, take care of their children and themselves, and actively participate in society (Hertz et al., 2020).

For instance, Briggs (2018) contends that the supply chain of childcare and other reproductive work to a different socioeconomic class, racial minority, or citizenship status is necessary for modern sole-parent women to pursue paid jobs. Additionally, Perry-Jenkins and Gerstel (2020) argue in their longitudinal review that part-time and flexible work rules among employers do nothing to ease the conflict between production and reproduction, as it affects employed single mothers. All of this is intended to imply that, in capitalist cultures, reproduction and production have a complicated relationship that impacts women of all layers of the network.

Along with financial challenges, lone mothers endure psychological suffering. Other members of society also view them as less competent caregivers and parents. According to Jones et al. (2022), when opposed to single fathers, female respondents in the USAs study revealed that single moms were regarded as being more unstable, unlucky, negligent, immoral, dishonorable, and less content with life. Such unfavorable judgments might deter many young mothers, make them feel alienated from society, give them the impression that they are straying from norms, and consequently diminish their mental health.

It is reasonable to state that initiatives in the field of social services, and specifically single parenting, have traditionally oscillated between a punishing, condemning, and stigmatizing manner and a more kind, helpful, and liberating one (Burford et al., 2019). Nevertheless, discrimination and inequality still exist for this demographic group and must be addressed by sensible social policy.

There is currently a need for improvement when it comes to this groups inclusion in education since there are not enough resources available for single mothers in that domain. To encourage college enrollment and completion among the rising number of single-student mothers, higher education institutions should offer creative initiatives and services. Along with childcare, promising treatments also include mentoring, psychological support, kid-friendly areas on campuses, and specialized financial aid. Regarding the evolution over time, there was a decline in the income difference for single moms in the USA between 1990 and 2010, going from 30% to 21% in just twenty years (Bor et al., 2017).

However, the battle against poverty and income inequality is still relevant and is essential to attaining equality and putting policies into place. The programs and social work provided to single-parent families must be substantially reconfigured based on cutting-edge ideas in order to react to new realities. Because the income single young and inexperienced mothers make still is not enough to pay the cost of daycare, giving childcare services at a lower cost would enable them to enter the workforce.

Conclusion

Stigma is a result of structural and cultural injustices connected to the creation of femininity on both a personal and societal level. As a consequence, the stigma against young single moms stems from not being married challenges the validity of justification for their stigma. The most prevalent symptoms of stigma against young single moms from a variety of origins and circumstances come in the form of stereotypes, financial inequalities, and unfair educational and employment prospects. The situation faced positive changes over the years; however, meaningful, considerate, and up-to-date social policies can assist in breaking the cycle of oppression on a larger scale.

References

Bor, J., Cohen, G. H., & Galea, S. (2017). Population health in an era of rising income inequality: USA, 19802015. The Lancet, 389(10077), 14751490. Web.

Briggs, L. (2018). How all politics became reproductive politics: From welfare reform to foreclosure to Trump. University of California Press.

Burford, G., Braithwaite, J., & Braithwaite, V. (2019). Restorative and responsive human services. Routledge.

Hertz, R., Mattes, J., & Shook, A. (2020). When paid work invades the family: Single mothers in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Issues, 42(9), 20192045. Web.

Hughes, C. C. (2018). From the long arm of the state to eyes on the street: How poor African American mothers navigate surveillance in the social safety net. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 48(3), 339376. Web.

Jones, C., Zadeh, S., Jadva, V., & Golombok, S. (2022). Solo fathers and mothers: An exploration of well-being, social support and social approval. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9236. Web.

Perry-Jenkins, M., & Gerstel, N. (2020). Work and family in the second decade of the 21st century. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 420453. Web.

Vo, T., & Canty, L. (2022). Global mental health experiences of single mothers: A mixed methods research synthesis. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Web.

Spencers main thesis

Spencers article presents the plight of social workers and the aspect of self -identification. Social workers vary depending on the sector in which they operate and the nature of their business. They undergo adequate training and acquire skills based on their work. Social workers play crucial societal roles, like improvement of lives in the disadvantaged communities. They conduct research on the society and offer life skills to people from such societies. Social workers promote fairness in terms of provision of opportunities to vulnerable populations. The community expects social workers to be committed to and responsible in their work as only in this way they will be able to gain the trust of people. According to Spencer, social workers should be morally upright in order to achieve social justice. They must be agents of change in order to influence alternative behavior aspects. Spencers main idea involves the challenges that social workers encounter under oppressive systems of power.

A critical perspective of Spencers views

Human rights bodies should work closely with the government in order to achieve social justice in the community. People in many states of the world usually undergo oppression based on their color and economic statuses. Racism is a common form of oppression in western countries. Bodies like the National Social Work Association and other relevant associations should represent and fight for the rights of marginalized people in society. The attainment of equality for all may be difficult, but social workers should try to achieve equity in the community. Governments should formulate strict legal measures to monitor activities in civil societies. Certain civil bodies do not conform to the set legal framework in terms of their operations. The government should employ auditors to verify the proper utilization of the money that civil societies use in their work. Social workers should utilize funds given to them by donors for the intended purposes. Certain bodies of civil rights involve themselves in corrupt practices. Spencer does not adequately address the evils that social workers do, such as fraudulent engagements.

Spencer points out that all people in the society are entitled to their freedom of confessing their own religion. The writer says that he benefits from his religious beliefs. He criticizes government systems that link Islam to terrorism. Social workers should fight religious discrimination in the state because the freedom of worship is a legal amendment in the US Constitution. Spencer does not afford a balanced diet due to poverty. Many poor communities usually experience poor health conditions. Spencer cannot also afford cloth due to poverty. Poor people may not appreciate the usefulness of education due to the lack of necessities. The government should subsidize the cost of basic commodities like food, shelter, and clothing to enable people of all economic classes to afford them. Spencer needs to identify the freedom that religious organizations should exercise. The government should not allow religious bodies to engage in terrorist activities.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) communities face many challenges in the contemporary setting. The group usually encounters oppression in the workplace, which often leads to suicidal acts among members of the group. For instance, in the East African country of Uganda, the GLB community faces death penalties in accordance with the laws of the state. The group cannot access job positions due to rejection by society despite its academic credentials. Human rights activists have been successful in pointing out the repressive nature of the Ugandan government towards the GLB community. As a result, donor countries and financial institutions may impose trade embargos on the Ugandan government in order to compel it to change its stand on the GLB population. The government must control the freedom of the GLB community, especially in situations in which the group encounters violent attacks from the citizens like when the community conducts mass demonstrations. Spencer also highlights the issue of sexual violence in the state. He speaks against groups that accord unfair treatment to women. Spencer says that many countries treat men as superior to women, though women play crucial roles in the development of the community. Every country should involve them in the developmental process. Governments should reinforce measures that protect women from sexual exploitation in the community.

Self-reflections on Spencers article

Social workers should be entitled to legal protection in society. The government has formed a structure that guides operations of social workers like the National Organization of Social Workers. The body formulates the code of regulations for social workers. Spencers ideas help one to conduct self-evaluation. This study recommends the adoption of regulatory measures by governments in order to reinforce justice for the oppressed people in the community. The state must conduct research on ways of improving social justice without causing conflicts between the government and the civil structures. The research requires adequate funding to cater for logistical operations and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The government should create communication structures in response to social injustice in cases of inappropriate occurrences.

People need to identify with aspects that improve society, like love and respect for others. A caring attitude towards others may enhance the development of the community through inclusiveness. The state should also enable social workers through the adequate allocation of budget. Social workers should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative dimensions in their research work in order to realize balanced research outcomes. Social workers should use methodologies that integrate environmental and demographic paradigms during data analysis in order to make accurate research findings.

How does this reflection affect future practice?

This reflection enables one to adopt a caring attitude towards others in society. This research identifies the need to incorporate the use of technology to capture the events that take place in the state. Technological aspects would help in exposing oppressive communities in the future. The use of social media would help in the alleviation of oppression in many contexts in the world. In the future, donor institutions may identify governments that oppress their people by denying them fundamental freedoms. Governments may integrate social studies into their curricula to reinforce social awareness among their citizens. They may impose penalties on people who oppress women due to the existence of legal mechanisms that safeguard the interests of marginalized groups like women and children. The government may empower marginalized groups in the state through affirmative actions and gender mainstreaming mechanisms. The state may also ensure that women access thirty percent of all government jobs. The state should also accord adequate representation of women in legislative bodies in order to help them in the agitation of their rights.