The dynamics of difference: oppression, cross-cultural liberation and the problems of imperialism and paternalism
- Authors: Oelofsen, Marianna Christina
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Oppression (Psychology) , Culture conflict , Multiculturalism , Political ethics , Imperialism , Paternalism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2716 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002846 , Oppression (Psychology) , Culture conflict , Multiculturalism , Political ethics , Imperialism , Paternalism
- Description: This dissertation defends an account of oppression and supports a specific means of engaging with oppression cross-culturally. The project examines whether it is defensible to interfere in other cultures at all. Both the cultural relativist and the neo-imperialist approaches are argued to be an inadequate response to the question of whether it is defensible to interfere in other cultures, as both these approaches neglect the autonomy of the agents concerned. This project has two related goals. It first advances an answer to the question ‘what is oppression?’ An account of oppression is developed which will enable oppression to be identified cross-culturally. In order to start constructing an approach which will be adequate to respond to the question of interference, it is necessary to consider a means of identifying oppression crossculturally. The second objective is to examine the possibility of non-imperialistic and nonpaternalistic cross-cultural liberation projects. The first aim (advancing an account of oppression), is executed through arguing for an ethical framework which will be helpful in this context, and arguing for an account of oppression derived from this framework. The second aim (examining the possibility of non-imperialistic and non-paternalistic liberation), is carried out in two parts. The first part responds to two standard objections from cultural relativism, which would accuse a universal account such as mine of imperialism and paternalism. The first objection claims that a universalist account neglects historical and cultural difference, while the second objection claims that it neglects autonomy. In responding to these objections, it is noted that while my responses prove, theoretically, that a universal account of oppression need not lead to imperialism or paternalism, there is a danger that the account could become imperialistic and paternalistic in its application. With the intention of dealing with this problem, I advance a methodology of cross-cultural understanding which would reduce the likelihood of imperialism and paternalism in liberation projects. This notion of cross-cultural understanding is the most important contribution of this project. The objective is not to give practical judgments on when a specific liberation project is in fact paternalistic or imperialistic, but rather to propose guidelines which would need to be applied to each particular instance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Men's repression of their emotional life as a counterpart of their oppression of women
- Authors: Hine, Grant Burnett
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3112 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004593 , Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Description: Masculinity and femininity are taken for granted as being a natural part of everyday existence forming acceptable images of what it means to be a man and a woman. It is revealed that in conforming to the sexual stereotype of what it means to be masculine and feminine, men's repression of their emotional life forms a counterpart of their oppression of women, for the repression of men's emotional life as a process, manifests itself through the oppression of women. The socioeconomic relations, being exploitative in nature, having been obscured and mystified by masculine and feminine forms of false consciousness, justify the prevalent social circumstances by portraying them as natural and inevitable, thus serving to hide the fact that men and women comprise of both, masculine and feminine characteristics. Disclosing the quality of the experience of men's repression of their emotional life as a counterpart of their oppression of women, through qualitative description and reflection, it is evident that individuality and human social relationships are restricted by the constraints of masculine and feminine stereotypes. It is clearly highlighted, that women help to perpetuate the repression of male emotional life and in turn their own oppression through supporting the successful work, status and power oriented 'macho' male. Through the recognition of the pressures, and a re-evaluation of the masculine role, men will no longer see cause to oppress women and through that there will no longer be a need to repress their own emotional life. There is a need for self-reflection in those individuals and groups restricted by the constraints of masculinity and femininity for the realization of new possibilities of enlightened social action and individuality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988