The 3 Differences Between Discrimination, Exclusion And Oppression

The words discrimination, exclusion and oppression are often heard a lot in moments where there is a struggle to acquire rights, denounce abuses by the most powerful and obtain social justice.

Although these terms are not seen as synonyms, their definitions do complement each other in certain aspects. Therefore below We will see the differences between discrimination, exclusion and oppression

Main differences between discrimination, exclusion and oppression

The words discrimination, exclusion and oppression are very frequently said in contexts where some type of struggle is carried out to acquire rights or criticize the power and privileges of the wealthiest classes. Although these three terms are not used interchangeably, they can sometimes cause a certain degree of confusion. To what extent is discrimination oppression? Is exclusion a consequence of discrimination?

There is a relationship between the three, which is interesting to see the main differences between discrimination, exclusion and oppression, but not without first understanding in depth what these three terms mean.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination is the different treatment of a person or a group of them based on their social identity This identity is made up of different factors, such as religion, race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, educational level, criminal record and marital status.

Although it is normally understood that discrimination means treating a person unfairly for being different, it should be said that discrimination really only involves differential treatment, which may or may not be negative (e.g., positive discrimination).

In most cases, discrimination is usually the result of prejudice Normally, this prejudice involves believing that someone is inferior or dangerous for the simple fact of having a characteristic that differentiates them from the rest, implying the possibility of being treated unfairly. This can cause rejection and exclusion, two key aspects of discrimination that, in turn, can evolve into oppression.

Discrimination can take many forms. For example, there are countries in which it is assumed that men can carry out different professions while women are only allowed to carry out very specific ones, such as nursing, child teaching or others in which they carry out the role of caregivers. Added to this, women receive lower salaries than men. Here we would be facing a case of gender discrimination, treating women differently from men and to their detriment.

Another way discrimination is racism Believing that people are better or worse depending on their race is a classic example of discrimination that, although today it has been quite reduced in the United States, until not long ago it was the main reason why African-American citizens could not use freely use the bathrooms of the establishments nor sit where they wanted on the buses.

What is exclusion?

The exclusion is the situation in which an individual or group is segregated, marginalized or separated based on some particular characteristic such as their race, religion, nationality, political ideology, disability or other aspects. This exclusion implies that certain individuals or groups of people cannot relate to the rest of society or have the same rights.

We say that a person or group of them suffer exclusion when they do not have access or have serious difficulties in accessing work, training, cultural or political opportunities in the society in which they live Exclusion can also manifest itself in the form of deprivation of basic services, such as drinking water or electricity, not having recognition in the health system or not having social protection.

Excluded groups, not having as many advantages as the rest of society, are prone to suffer poverty, be victims of stigmatization and discrimination, have a lower life expectancy due to not having access to well-paid jobs or a adequate health system that covers them. An excluded person cannot fully enjoy his or her status as a citizen nor to enjoy their rights as such.

Exclusion is deeply rooted in many societies and is nourished by cultural aspects. In most cases, excluding a certain group of people within a society responds to obedience to systems of values ​​and codes according to which those people who do not fit the idea of ​​a “perfect citizen” or “person “normal” must be rejected or set aside, in order to prevent it from contaminating others.

It should be said that exclusion does not have to be based on wanting to prevent a group of people from contaminating the rest, but rather consider that they cannot fully adapt in society and that it is necessary to make a separate one for them

An example of exclusion in this sense is special education until not long ago, in which, motivated by a certain paternalism, caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities preferred to keep them separated from the rest of the students for fear that they would not feel comfortable.

What is oppression?

We understand oppression as unfair, cruel and persistent treatment or attempted control towards a specific social category. It is a situation in which people are controlled or governed in an unfair and cruel way When oppression takes place with specific groups of people, without harming the entire society, that is when we talk about discrimination.

Oppression feeds on discrimination. Discrimination contributes to the creation of different levels of power within society.

When a group of people has power over others, this creates a profitable situation, in which the most powerful group can oppress the group that has less power. An example of this is the historical racial discrimination in the United States, which not only manifested itself in the form of hatred towards African Americans but also in the deprivation of rights that white people did possess.

When there is oppression, people are deprived of opportunities and freedom, and it can affect everyone. That is to say, it may be the case that an entire society, with the exception of those who govern it, is oppressed, as is the case in dictatorships. An authoritarian government can use oppression to subjugate its citizens and deny them their rights and privileges.

Likewise, oppression can be applied to a particular social group, such as women, poor people, homosexuals, transgender people, or Muslims.

The keys to distinguish between these concepts

Discrimination involves treating someone differently for a particular aspect, something that is also shared with exclusion. The difference is that discrimination does not necessarily mean excluding someone while exclusion does involve discriminating against someone based on their characteristics.

Discrimination can imply oppression, in the sense that people who feel more powerful within a society and consider those who are different inferior to them can apply coercive techniques and harm those who do not hold power. Nevertheless, oppression does not always imply discrimination since oppressing is the act of depriving people of rights and freedoms, which may be a specific group of people or an entire society of which one is a part.

Discrimination and exclusion can be carried out in an “innocent” way. Discrimination involves treating someone based on a characteristic that differentiates them from the rest, without necessarily being done with malice or with bad intentions (for example, speaking slowly to a person with Down syndrome). Exclusion can be done thinking what is “best” for that person or group, as is the previously mentioned case of special education until recently. Instead, oppression is intrinsically evil, being done with malice and with the intention of causing harm to the individual or people.