The factors of oppression
Jul 30th
In the first chapter of Animal Rights/Human Rights, David Nibert presents a model of oppression I have found helpful to work with. For me, it offers a broader context in which to make sense of my experiences. I encourage you to consider this model and test if it resonates with your own experiences of oppression.
According to this model (this is a slight modification of Nibert), the same three factors create the conditions for and perpetuate oppression of any sort:
| Function | Factor |
| Motivation | Psychological or material gain |
| Capability | Unequal power distribution |
| Justification | Ideological control (including speciesism and other isms) |
.
As an example, the use of non-human animals in zoos may be understood through this model: patrons of the zoo may be motivated by the desire for entertainment; humans, through our supremacy over non-humans, are able to force non-humans to be our captives; and we justify that imprisonment under the guise of conservation, education, and altruism (“they’re safer in zoos than in the wild”).
What I find particularly interesting about this model is that the conventional understanding of speciesism as the cause of speciesist oppression is turned around; speciesism is understood to be a natural product of speciesist oppression. This is important and worth repeating. According to this model, speciesist ideology, such as the idea that human animals are superior to non-human animals, does not cause speciesist oppression; instead, we create these ideas to justify our exploitation of non-humans for psychological or material gain.
This model considers oppression to be a systemic phenomenon, beyond mere individual prejudice. This focus on the system rather than the individual is one of the primary characteristics of the anti-oppression understanding. As well, these factors support each other, so once they are in place, they strengthen each other, creating a cycle that perpetuates oppression.
This model offers a simple structure to complement an experiential understanding of oppression and may be used to help bring clarity when analyzing situations. And so, when confronting the latest atrocity, this model can help us keep our bearings; remember that the individual is caught up in the system; and focus on the illness (the oppressive system) rather than the symptom (the individual act). By understanding the mechanics of the operation of oppression, we can better understand our own role in various systems of oppression and be more effective in our efforts to end them.
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Hi Victor,
I found Nibert’s book, which I’ve read twice, very interesting and insightful.
However, I’m still struggling with the issue of oppression being, at it’s root, a systemic phenomenon. Individual prejudice must have existed prior the systemic exploitation or that exploitation would not have occurred in the first place. Someone, or some “others”, must have been deemed inferior to set the system in motion, no? I do feel that now (or for several thousands of years) that this system of oppression is in firmly in place “we create these ideas to justify our exploitation of non-humans for psychological or material gain” but they would have had to be deemed inferior, in one way or another, by individual humans first or the idea would have never occurred to anyone to exploit and oppress them. Therefore, I have a problem understanding the *root* of oppression as a systemic phenomenon, but I do feel that the problem has evolved to be systemic phenomenon, which still makes Nibert’s analysis helpful.
I hope that all makes sense.
Thanks for posting.
about 1 year ago
Good post! I agree that motivation, capability, and justification all feed on each other to create oppression.
I think this also highlights one potential hurdle for the animal rights movement that other liberation movements have not faced. We can critique the justification: speciesism. We can undermine the motivation: by showing how a vegan life holds the key to increased personal happiness and fulfillment. But how be we undermine the capability–the unequal power distribution?
In the past, oppressed groups like people of color, women, GLBTers, and the working class have been able to reduce unequal power distributions by organizing and TAKING power for themselves. But the animal rights movement is chiefly organized by human beings–most other animals seem hard up to organize and collectively resist their oppression. Is there any way to aid animals in actually empowering THEMSELVES. . .so they are not solely dependant on the benevolence and wisdom of certain human beings for their liberation?
Please consider the previous paragraphs mere excited, insomniac, late-night speculation. Cheers!
about 1 year ago
Good post. Thanks. This seems to be a method of backtracking to determine which catergory of causes created these effects. Sadly, I think that most speciesists are merely perpetuating the beliefs and practices of their parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. It seems that much of it is learned behavior.