The Four I's of Oppression

    According to the Training Resources for the Environmental Community, the Four I's of Oppression is a common framework used to illustrate how systemic injustices can infiltrate our society over time. While watching and reading about the different types of oppression, we see today. The four different kinds are ideological, interpersonal, institutional, and internalized. Starting with Ideological Oppression, which, according to the article, is rooted in value systems that allow people to dehumanize, exploit, or harm other individuals or groups, this ideology is usually presented as "common sense." An excellent example that Luna mentioned in the video was considering gender stereotypes, like what it means to be a "real girl" or a "real boy." These ideologies that we have embedded into our brains shape the way we go through life. The next I would be Internalized Oppression, which is how individuals absorb belief systems that contribute to feelings of false supremacy within themselves to others, which can contribute to entitlement and exploitation. The article suggests that the antidote to internalized oppression is to participate in liberatory learning, which is education that accurately accounts for historical injustices and is rooted in anti-oppression values. It is crucial to hold yourself accountable and self-reflect on what beliefs harm others. I know we talked about this in class, but I would like to touch on it here. Checking your privilege is essential in society, but it is also necessary when becoming a future educator. The third I is Interpersonal Oppression, which is the way internalized oppression is expressed between individuals or groups both intentionally and accidentally. Everyone has different experiences of being treated differently based on an aspect of who we are. This form of oppression has a broad spectrum of expression, it could be as simple as a thoughtless comment to violence. It is almost like you are being excluded, but I have no idea why you are considered the odd one in society. Lastly, institutional oppression is a form of oppression perpetrated socially through policies, laws, and social practices. I can not even begin to recall all of the recent policies that were passed or the ones that fortunately were passed in education as recent laws regarding women's healthcare. Luna again brought up another good point in the video, that institutional oppression is sought out through funding for school systems and that some school districts receive more attention than others. 

    I thought that the guidance for using this framework page was really insightful for future educators to look back on and reflect on when dealing with certain situations in the classroom that require reflection within themselves or within students.