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Essays on Oppression

What makes a good oppression essay topics.

When it comes to writing an oppression essay, choosing the right topic is crucial. A good essay topic should be thought-provoking, relevant, and provide ample opportunity for critical analysis. Here are some recommendations on how to brainstorm and choose an essay topic, what to consider, and What Makes a Good essay topic.

When brainstorming for essay topics, consider current events, historical events, literature, and social issues. Think about what interests you and what you feel passionate about. Consider topics that are not only relevant but also have enough research material available to support your arguments.

A good essay topic should be specific and focused. It should not be too broad or too narrow, allowing for in-depth analysis and discussion. It should also be thought-provoking and challenging, encouraging the reader to think critically about the subject matter.

Consider the target audience when choosing an essay topic. Think about what would engage and interest them. Additionally, consider the purpose of the essay and what you hope to achieve with it. Are you looking to inform, persuade, or provoke critical thinking? Your essay topic should align with your goals.

A good essay topic should also be relevant and timely. It should address current issues and provoke discussion and debate. It should also be unique and original, offering a fresh perspective on the subject matter.

Best Oppression Essay Topics

When it comes to oppression essay topics, it's important to choose topics that stand out and provoke critical thinking. Here are some creative and thought-provoking essay topics that go beyond the ordinary:

• The psychological effects of systemic oppression on marginalized communities
• The role of language in perpetuating oppression
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities
• Oppression and resistance in dystopian literature
• The intersectionality of oppression and identity
• The role of media in perpetuating stereotypes and oppression
• Oppression and the criminal justice system
• The impact of economic oppression on mental health
• Oppression and the LGBTQ+ community
• The effects of oppression on mental health and well-being
• Oppression and the education system
• The role of religion in perpetuating oppression
• Oppression and environmental justice
• The impact of oppression on access to healthcare
• The role of privilege in perpetuating oppression
• Oppression and the refugee crisis
• The impact of oppression on freedom of expression
• Oppression and the arts
• The role of technology in perpetuating oppression
• The impact of oppression on access to basic needs

Oppression essay topics Prompts

If you're looking for some creative prompts to inspire your oppression essay, here are five thought-provoking ideas to get you started:

• Imagine a world without oppression. What would it look like, and how can we work towards achieving it?
• Write about a personal experience with oppression and how it has shaped your perspective on social justice.
• Choose a work of literature or film that addresses oppression and analyze its themes, characters, and message.
• Research a historical event or movement that sought to challenge oppression and discuss its impact on society.
• Consider the role of privilege in perpetuating oppression and how we can work towards creating a more equitable society.

Choosing a good oppression essay topic is essential for creating a thought-provoking and engaging essay. By considering relevance, specificity, and creativity, you can choose a topic that will inspire critical thinking and meaningful discussion. Whether it's addressing current issues, analyzing historical events, or exploring the intersectionality of oppression, there are plenty of unique and creative essay topics to choose from.

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"The Ways of Meeting Oppression": a Critical Analysis

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Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium.

Authoritarian oppression, socioeconomic, political, legal, cultural, and institutional oppression. Social oppression includes privilege, racial oppression, class oppression, gender oppression, religious persecution, domination, institutionalized oppression, economic oppression, etc.

Relevant topics

• Discrimination
• Racial Profiling
• Cultural Diversity
• Islamophobia
• Hate Speech
• Gender Discrimination

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15 Oppression Examples

In Sociology, oppression refers to the unjust use of power and authority by a group, which results in the control, exploitation or mistreatment of another group.

This means that oppression has a social dimension, and it affects whole categories of people, not just individuals.

This control and subsequent subordination happens through different mechanisms: institutional power and norms, laws, social customs and even stereotypes .

The consequence of oppression is that it creates hierarchies within the social structures, with some groups having more power, status and opportunities than others based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

As with other terms, there is not agreed definition, but oppression does have certain traits that help shed light onto this complex phenomenon.

Oppression Definition

“Oppression” names a social injustice , which is to say that it is perpetrated through social institutions , practices, and norms on social groups by social groups…In this way oppression differs from many kinds of injustices that can be done to individuals as well as to social groups. (Cudd, 2005, p.21)

Oppression is not always deliberate, but rather it is the result of a complex system that incorporates different mechanisms: institutional power, social norms, stereotypes, laws or social customs amongst others.

This results in what can be called “systems of oppression”.

These mechanisms help maintain the privilege of some groups (Taylor, 2016), which is another important aspect of oppression: it is something that is maintained overtime and thus it is an injustice that is repeated and systemic, widespread, vast and deep (Deutsch, 2006).

There are different types of oppression based on the characteristics of social groups: ethnic or religious minorities, women, people with different abilities or those on the lower socio-economic scales of society.

So, oppression has many faces and it manifests in different ways: politically, socially, economically or culturally.

Oppression Examples

• Racism , which is discriminating people based on the color of their skin or their ethnicity, is a form of oppression as it limits opportunities and life chances. It has its roots in colonialism and the slave trade, and can be endorsed by officials, as with institutional racism .
• Religious oppression happens when governments and society doesn’t allow the expression of religious beliefs through symbology, or when a religion imposes itself over others in a given territory.  This results in people not being able to freely practice their religion.
• Class oppression is the prejudice and the discrimination that occurs based on what is commonly known as social class. Also known as classism, it consists of the system discrimination and exclusion of the lower classes.
• Gender oppression is the result of sexism and the patriarcal mandate, which for years have kept women in the domestic sphere and away from the public one. This has limited their access to institutional and economic power and political decision making amongst others.
• Dictatorships are one of the most extreme examples of oppression. Under political dictatorship there is widespread oppression in pretty much every sphere of life, with many groups being discriminated and treated unfairly.
• Disability oppression , also known as albeism , means that people with disabilities are subjected to many discriminatory practices which stops then from accessing housing, employment, education and a host of other pursuits.
• Economic oppression means that certain groups see their economic opportunities restricted and reduced. An extreme example of this would be enslavement, and a more common one employment discrimination based for example on race, gender or sexual orientation. 
• Heteronormativity , is “what makes heterosexuality seem coherent, natural and privileged.It involves the assumption that…heterosexuality is an ideal, superior to homosexuality or bisexuality” [1] , which results in the oppression of all those who do not identify as heterosexual.

Case Studies and Research Basis

1 . gender oppression.

“Gender oppression is defined as oppression associated with the gender norms, relations, and stratification of a given society. Modern norms of gender in western societies consist of the dichotomous, mutually exclusive categories of masculinity and femininity ”  (Patil, 2007, p. 1)

The category of masculinity is often associated with the public sphere and power, while femininity is linked to the domestic sphere and the reproductive role (with different cultural nuances).

This gendered way of organizing society has resulted in women having less access to institutional power, leadership roles, education, economic resources resulting in greater poverty, sexual objectification and exploitation or greater risk of suffering domestic violence, amongst others.

2. Minorities and the glass ceiling

While the concepts of the glass ceiling and sticky floor is often thought of as something that affects only women, that is not completely true.

Some minorities, which include ethnic background, sexual orientation or disabilities, have been found to also experience the glass ceiling and the sticky floor .

Just hiring underrepresented minorities doesn’t make for an oppression free workplace.

The presence of these two types of discrimination means that underrepresented minorities cannot progress a the workplace, which results in a majority of minorities in the lower rank positions and none or few in the managerial and higher-level jobs.

3 . Women considered property

A very extreme case of oppression, but one that still happens nowdays, are the consideration of women as the property of men.

This can be seen in some cultures in which women are under the rule of their fathers, brothers or husbands.

This has serious implications for the lives of women in those countries, in their day to day and future prospects.

Women may not be allowed to drive cars, have bank accounts or choose how they want to dress. Education and paid employment may be off limits, and they cannot decide who they want to marry, amongst others.

4. Religious oppression

While the reality of many societies is religious pluralism, with different practices and believes co-existing alongside each other, real freedom of religion in some places is debatable.

Religious Oppression derives from the restrictions that both government and society put on the freedom to practice religions.

Examples of these are the prohibition to wear religious symbols, such as the Christian cross, the Muslim veil or the Jewish kippah or skullcap. Another example would be not providing pork-free meals for Jewish and Muslim children at schools.

Religion can be thus be source of oppression, when restrictions are put in place, or when one religion or governing body (e.g. communism ) imposes itself over others in a given territory as this doesn’t allow people to practice freely and fully their religion.

5. Racial oppression

Racial oppression in the modern work has its origins in colonialism and the slave trade and can be considered a bi-product, or a consequence, of racism.

Racism can be considered the root of oppression because “is more than just prejudice in thought or action. It occurs when this prejudice – whether individual or institutional – is accompanied by the power to discriminate against, oppress or limit the rights of others”.

Racial oppression means that those who are discriminated against see their life chances diminish, due to less access to economic or educational resources, less influence at the political level and a general exclusion from society.

Oppression is a complex phenomenon that channels itself through a complex system, made up of institutional power, social norms and customs, laws and stereotypes. All these contribute, sometimes in a non-deliberate way, to oppress groups of people, because of certain traits (which are in themselves the cause of oppression).

Oppression maintains the privilege of some groups over others, and this happens in a sustained way, which makes it systemic and widespread. It is a phenomenon that affects many different groups and also that manifests itself in a variety of ways: politically, socially, economically or culturally.

Oppression can be considered a form of social injustice.

Bibliography

Abberly, P. (1987) The Concept of Oppression and the Development of a Social Theory of Disability. Disability, Handicap & Society, 2 (1).

Berberoglu, B. (1994). Class, Race and Gender: The Triangle of Oppression. Race, Sex & Class , 2 (1), 69–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41680097

Cudd, A.E. (2005) How to Explain Oppression: Criteria of Adequacy for Normative Explanatory Theories. Philosophy of the Social Sciences 35 ,1: 20 DOI: 10.1177/0048393104271923

Deutsch, M. (2006). A Framework for Thinking About Oppression and Its Change. Social Justice Research, 19(1), 7–41. doi:10.1007/s11211-006-9998-3 

Taylor, E. (2016). Groups and Oppression, Hypatia , 31 (3): 520–536, doi: 10.1111/hypa.12252.

Patil, V. (2007) Gender Oppresion in George, R. (ed).  The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology . New York: Blackwell. 

Somasundram, S., Sirag, A., Rasiah, V., Ratneswary, R. & Habibullah, S. (2017). Religious Oppression: Government Regulations and Social Hostilities. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business. 4 . 39-49.

Rosa Panades (PhD)

Dr. Panades is a multifaceted sociologist with experience working in a variety of fields, from familiy relations, to teenage pregnancy, housing, women in science or social innvovation. She has worked in international, european and local projects, both in the UK and in Spain. She has an inquisitive and analytical mind and a passion for knowledge, cultural and social issues.

Rosa holds a PhD in Sociology on the topic of young fatherhood from the University of Greenwich, London.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

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105 Oppression Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best oppression topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ interesting topics to write about oppression, ✅ simple & easy oppression essay titles, ❓ questions about oppression.

• Women’s Inequality, Oppression and Well-Being From the perspective of natural and applied sciences, women’s equality and oppression are relevant to the issue of establishing gender equality in the sciences, which is a research-based challenge that has not been addressed yet.
• “On Psychological Oppression” by Sandra Bartky Psychological oppression is to have a harsh dominion exercised over your self-esteem and make the victims their own oppressors. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Five Faces of Oppression But if there is a way to break the culture and language barrier it is easier to have compassion on them and learn that they are not different from the members of the majority group.
• Struggle and Oppression of an African-American Woman in Ann Petry’s Novel “The Street“ 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.
• Different Examples of Oppression Oppression is not a new term in the country. This paper serves as an informant, showing that oppression is prevalent in many parts of the world.
• “The Color Purple”: Oppression and Pain of an African American Woman Adapted from Alice Walker’s novel by the same name, the movie delves into the life of a girl who was sexually abused by her father before being sold off to an irresponsible and cruel husband.
• Athlete (Roller Derby) Women and Oppression In the modern world, women can build networks and mobilize their resources to sustain the creativity, production, distribution, and promotion of rewards in efforts to transform traditional gender relations.
• Using of Oppression for Crushing Tutsis and Women Writers Among the strategies of oppression, Gourevitch singles out the Hutu Power group, which engaged in terrorist attacks and massacres. However, there is the problem of the extent to which the oppressor has control and how […]
• The Older Population’s Disparities and Oppression The relationships between the younger and the older populations introduce a problem of abuse and disparities between the two. To conclude, it is clear that the problem of oppression and abuse of the elderly population […]
• Privileges and Oppression Within Subordinate and Dominant Groups The Whites were “more devoted to order than to justice” and opted for “a negative peace, which is the absence of tension, to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice”.
• Being an Upstander in the Face of Oppression In this respect, the writer is emphasizing the fact that there is so much inaction and silence in the face of fundamental rights violations in every corner of the world.
• Oppression of Black and Chicana Women The only job they could get was in the kitchen of the white man. Generally, black and Chicana women faced a lot of discrimination and oppression before the mid-twentieth century.
• The Five Forces of Oppression in “Philadelphia” The central theme of Philadelphia is discrimination against the LGBT community and people who had HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Breaking Oppression Barriers in Maya Angelou’s “Champion of the World” and Amy Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” Although it is not the initial goal of the author to specify the impact of family relationships, she still mentions that the store is the uncle’s property.
• Views on Female Oppression in Christianity Letter One of the reasons for female subordination in Christianity is the protection that is to be provided by fathers, brothers, and husbands.
• Systemic Oppression & Traditional Counseling Ethics My response in the past would be in favor of the law because I was not fully aware of the cultural aspects of counseling.
• Slave and Free Laborers: Advantages and Oppression The workers were obliged to work for the wages “the Company may fit to pay”; according to the contract they allowed the Company to deduct some per cent of the weekly wages “for the benefit […]
• Western Feminism as Fighters Against Oppression For postmodern feminists and post-colonial feminists, the second component of the new women’s ideology is the idea of the responsibility of the state to rule and administer both genders on the basis of their interpretation […]
• Intersectionality Oppression and Discrimination in Latin America One of the major reasons for the intersectionality is lack of awareness. Class intersectionality means discrimination based on the class of the people.
• Sweatshop Warriors Fighting Against Oppression The analysis will aim to answer several questions regarding the gains from the book from a historian’s perspective, the events on which the work shed light, the point of view on the events, the accuracy […]
• Masculinity as a Gender Oppression and Inequality Consequently, men address their aggression as a means to demonstrate their contradictions, and women believe that their aggressive behaviors can provide them with the necessary powers.
• Female Body Conceptions and Cultural Oppression The failure to conform to the expectations of a male or female in terms of behavior and expression of identity often attracts social sanctions.
• Black Women’s Oppression and Portrayal in Media This tone is less prominent for Group 3, who offers a more optimistic approach, exploring various attempts at mitigation of this situation and their successes, such as changes to the law, and extols the heroics […]
• Religious Oppression in Multicultural Curriculum Multicultural education encompasses such critical issues the consideration of which is crucial for the harmonious life of society. Table 1 reviews a diversity curriculum aimed at investigating the topic of religious oppression.
• Religious Oppression in the Medical Field 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.
• African Americans’ Oppression and Stereotypes Moreover, the paper will provide insight into the role of social workers in the process of handling these challenges and determine the benefits of this experience for the further professional activities.
• Systemic Oppression and Racial Inequality The purpose of the present paper is to review and evaluate the arguments presented by the authors writing about the concepts of racial inequality and oppression.
• Oppression From Anne Bishop’s Perspective In their book, Bishop identifies some of the root causes of the biases that lead to the oppression perpetrated against some people in society.
• Misogyny and Homophobia as Oppression Tools In the US, Black Americans are exemplified by relatively high levels of misogyny and homophobia for the reason that they promote their own oppression, which is mainly attributed to their failure to study their history.
• Multicultural Education: Freedom or Oppression It is apparent that the level of school dropouts in the education system is still affecting the minority in the society.
• Themes of Racial Oppression in Langston Hughes’s Works The tone of the poem is one of anger and, at the same time, pride. The message that the reader is left with is that the singer discussed in the poem had died deep down […]
• Oppression, Sexual Harassment, and Employment Also one always have a guilt conscience and his or her social and sexual life is usually affected as most of the victims may opt never to be involved in sexual acts or develop phobia.
• The Oppression of Social Groups in British Literature 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 […]
• The Oppression and Seclusion of Muslim Women According to them, the Quran and Sharia laws provide parameters on the behavior of the men and women in marriage institutions.
• Ethnicity: Oppression and Racism Some of the instances that can be compared to the bars of the cage include scenarios where the people who are oppressed assume that nothing is happening, and participate in their oppression either directly or […]
• Oppression of Women’s Rights Affects the Economy of the Middle East For instance in Iceland, the high level of quality of life and health is one of the factors that lead to a GDP per capita of $54,291 On the contrary, there are situations where women […]
• Ruth Almog on Oppression and Liberty The story of a young girl growing up in the midst of problems is a good platform for Ruth Almog’s explanation and emphasis on the many ways of oppression.
• Resisting the Oppression: “Sophie Scholl and the White Rose” The main theme in the story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is resistance and oppression. They depend on the accounts of Hans and Sophie Scholl and the letters they wrote.
• Liberation and Oppression in Ruth Almog’s Writing In the work of Jewish writers Ruth Almog and David Fogel the themes of liberation and oppression take the forefront. As an oppressed child, the daughter of immigrants whose life has already been touched by […]
• Three Ways of Meeting Oppression While it is true that a certain degree of healthy competition encourages people to be more proactive and diligent however the fact remains that the current type of societal competition that is currently being advocated […]
• The Relationship Between Historical Oppression and Perceptions of Police
• British Oppression: The Cause of the American Revolution
• Oppression and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons
• Identity and Altruism: The Moral Basis of Prosperity and Oppression
• Legal and Social Equality: The Struggle Against Oppression and Bigotry
• Change Against Racial Oppression and Martin Luther King
• Anti-semitic Violence and Oppression, Jewish Men and Women
• Internet Freedom and Political Oppression
• Human Rights and Justice: Forms and Mechanisms of Oppression
• Female Stereotypes the Cause of Women’s Oppression
• Ethnocentrism, Oppression, and Discrimination
• Altruism, Other-Regarding Behavior, and Identity: The Moral Basis of Prosperity and Oppression
• Freedom, Patriarchy, and Racial Oppression
• African American Community, Important Theories of Psychology, and the Causes and Effects of Neglect and Oppression
• Educational Public Policies and the Systematic Oppression of Minories in the US
• Liberty, Property, Security, and Resistance to Oppression
• Feminism and Institutional Oppression
• Body Image and Women’s Oppression
• Adult Education Choices and Oppression of Muslim Women
• Identity and Oppression: Issues and Struggles
• Personal Choices: Immigrants Desperately Running Away From Conflict or Oppression
• Nonviolent Resistance: Best Way of Dealing With Oppression
• Capitalism, Globalization and the Perpetuation of Women’s Oppression: A Vicious Cycle
• Education Oppression and Social Intervention
• Apartheid: Systematic and Intention Oppression
• Mental Health Therapy and Social Oppression
• Liberation Theology: Saving People of Color From Oppression
• Citizen Journalism and Government Oppression
• Discrimination and Oppression Throughout History: Motifs and Reasons
• Oppression: Psychological Abuse and Nonviolent Resistance
• Cultural Oppression and Economic Exploitation
• Class Oppression: The Key to Social Control
• Church Oppression and the Heliocentric Theory of Galileo
• Economic and Sexual Oppression of Female Slaves
• Religious Oppression and Religious Persecution
• Social Class Discrimination and Economic Oppression
• Gender, Ethnicity, and Class as Parts of Systems of Oppression
• Critical Pedagogy: The Study of Oppression in Education
• Metaphorical and Literal Prison: The Concept of Oppression
• Gender Identity and Gender Oppression
• What Oppression Means?
• How Do Women Fight Inequality and Oppression?
• What Are the Types of Oppression?
• Did Colonialism Contribute Oppression?
• What Are Some Examples of Oppression in Education?
• How Did Black Oppression Begin in America?
• Who Is an Oppressed Person?
• What Was the Oppression of Slavery in the 19th Century?
• What Is Oppressive Behavior?
• How Gerda Weissman Klein Faced Oppression in the Holocaust?
• How Can Oppression Be Stopped?
• What Are the Side Effects of Oppression?
• What Are the Ways to Meet Oppression?
• How Can Childcare Workers Deal With the Effects of Oppression?
• What Is the Goal of Oppression?
• What Is Exploitation Oppression?
• Who Are the Targets of Oppression?
• What Are the Tactics of Oppression?
• How Can One Break the Cycle of Oppression?
• How Does Oppression Occur in Society?
• What Are the Privileges of Victims of Oppression?
• What Are the Key Elements of Oppression?
• Who Are the Victims of Oppression?
• What Is Differential Oppression?
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Beyond Intractability

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By Morton Deutsch

Originally published in March 2005, Current Implications added by Heidi Burgess in July 2020.  

Current Implications

This essay, which was written by one of the conflict resolution field's early and most distinguished scholars, explains the historical origins of oppression.

It is interesting, though not surprising, how much the oppression that has characterized human society for centuries still plagues the the contemporary world. Clearly, it is an extraordinarily complex problem that we have yet to solve.   More...

What is Oppression?

Oppression is the experience of repeated, widespread, systemic injustice. It need not be extreme and involve the legal system (as in slavery, apartheid, or the lack of right to vote) nor violent (as in tyrannical societies). Harvey has used the term "civilized oppression" to characterize the everyday processes of oppression in normal life.[1] Civilized oppression "is embedded in unquestioned norms, habits, and symbols, in the assumptions underlying institutions and rules, and the collective consequences of following those rules. It refers to the vast and deep injustices some groups suffer as a consequence of often unconscious assumptions and reactions of well-meaning people in ordinary interactions which are supported by the media and cultural stereotypes as well as by the structural features of bureaucratic hierarchies and market mechanisms."[2]

We cannot eliminate this structural oppression by getting rid of the rulers or by making some new laws, because oppressions are systematically reproduced in the major economic, political and cultural institutions. While specific privileged groups are the beneficiaries of the oppression of other groups, and thus have an interest in the continuation of the status quo, they do not typically understand themselves to be agents of oppression.

What are the Origins of Oppression?

Prior to the development of agriculture, the hunting-gathering-fishing societies were mainly egalitarian and cooperative. Since these very early nomadic societies generally did not accumulate and preserve food, all of the physically able members of such societies had to participate in securing the basic necessities of life. Whatever divisions occurred within these groups was mainly based upon sex, age, and individual physical and social abilities. The distribution of food, work products, and services tended to be egalitarian except during extreme scarcity, when survival of the group required giving priority to those who could contribute most to its survival. The aged and infirm would often have low priority.

Levels of conflict and oppression within such societies appeared to be low. Conflicts with other similar societies mainly occurred as a result of one group's encroachment on another group's territory. Such conflict resulted from the need to expand one's territory as a result of population growth or because one's territory was no longer productive of food and the other resources needed for group survival.

The simple technologies of hunting-gathering-fishing societies did not allow them to accumulate a surplus of food. As such groups experienced a growth in their populations, the balance between them and their environment was upset. To overcome the threats to their survival, about 12,000 years ago, some of these societies developed agriculture and animal husbandry.

This development led to two revolutionary consequences, which fostered social inequality and oppression: differentiation within societies and warfare between societies.[3] The accumulation of a surplus of food led to the emergence of new occupations -- such as traders, merchants, administrators, artisans, soldiers, and rulers; not all the members of the society were required to be involved in the production of food. One can speculate that social hierarchies developed as some food growers were more successful than others because of skill or luck. To obtain food, the unsuccessful peasants became dependent upon the successful ones and had to offer their land and services -- often as a worker, priest, or soldier -- to the more successful ones. For the successful ones, the result was increased wealth, increased godliness, support from the priests, and increased support from soldiers with the resulting power to appropriate the land and control the services of those who were weaker. Contests among the powerful would increase the power of the winners to exploit those who were weaker, as would alliances among the more powerful.

Another way of increasing power was through successful warfare against weaker societies. Success would lead to the expropriation of much of the wealth of the weaker society as well as enslavement of some of its population.

In summary, one can speculate that the need for the relatively egalitarian hunting-gathering-fishing societies to have stable sources of food led to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Small inequalities in luck or skills among the peasants within an agricultural society, or between societies, could lead to social inequalities and power differences that, in turn, could lead to increased power, social inequalities, and oppression of the weak by the strong.

Note: This was originally one long article on oppression, which we have broken up to post on Beyond Intractability . The next article in the series is: Forms of Oppression .

It is interesting, though not surprising, how much the oppression that has characterized human society for centuries still plagues the the contemporary world. Clearly, it is an extraordinarily complex problem that we have yet to solve.  

In the summer of 2020, in the wake of a widely-circulated video of yet another killing of an unarmed Black man by police, oppression is again the focus of much public attention. The protests and the narrative that followed have emphasized that this was not a one-time event.  Rather, this happens often and is part of a much larger story. Blacks have been systemically oppressed ever since slavery ended.  (They were even more oppressed, of course, during slavery, but my point is that oppression did not end when the slaves were freed, nor has it ended anytime since, despite efforts legal efforts to do so (such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act). (See a newly-added and very useful BI  history  of what went wrong during the "Reconstruction Era" to cement this oppression in place.)

Indeed, just as Deustch says, the "unconscious assumptions and reactions of well-meaning people in ordinary situations which are supported by the media and cultural stereotypes as well as by the structural features of bureaucratic hierarchies and market mechanisms" has led to Blacks' widespread inability to join the middle class. For instance,  Brookings reported in February of 2020 that in 2016 (the last year for which they had data), net worth of a typical white family was $171,000, while that of a typical black family was $17,150.[4] According to Wikipedia , Blacks receive lower grades in school than do whites, more drop out, and fewer go to or graduate from college, [5] which means that the jobs available to them are not as good as the jobs available to the average white youth or young adult. In addition, disparate treatment in the justice system (from policing to sentencing to treatment in prison) favors whites over blacks, resulting in a highly disproportionate number of black men being incarcerated, harming their own life chances permanently, as well as the chances of their families. And while the focus in the summer of 2020 is primarily on Blacks, the same is true for many other people of color, religious minorities, and other minority groups. 

Back to Essay Top

[1] Harvey, J. (1999). Civilized Oppression. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

[2] Young, M.I. (1990). Justice and the Politics of Difference . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, p. 41.

[3] Gil, D.G. (1998). Confronting Injustice and Oppression . New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

[4] McIntosh, Kriston, Emily Moss, Ryan Nunn, and Jan Shambaugh. "Examining the Black-White Wealth Gap." Brookings Up Front. Feb. 27, 2020.  https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/ . Accessed July 2, 2020.

[5] "Racial achievement gap in the United States" Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_achievement_gap_in_the_United_States . Accessed July 2, 2020.

Use the following to cite this article: Deutsch, Morton. "The Nature and Origins of Oppression." Beyond Intractability . Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Information Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: March 2005 < http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/nature-origins-oppression >.

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The Oppression of Women Worldwide

This essay will discuss the various forms of oppression women face globally, examining cultural, social, and economic factors, and the ongoing fight for gender equality. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Discrimination.

How it works

Women have fought to be treated equal for many years and deserve same pay as men. Men receive better treatment, jobs, and better pay than women, which shows discrimination towards them. Women continue to fight against the discrimination worldwide. The oppression of women getting defined equality creates a form of intolerance . Women not having the rights they deserve can lead to uncertainty within oneself. Education affects woman and low poverty areas. The Sisters of Mercy focus on woman as a critical concern mandating women rights and education.

In history, women did not have equality rights which connects to why some still face sexist discrimination against men. For example, Women couldn’t own property before the 1800s. Women constantly encounter inconveniences, with only being wage difference. For example, “Women make up to 40 percent of the global workforce, yet make less than their male counterparts in every country on earth” ( Women 1). In the workforce, “ Despite the tremendous progress made in the struggle for gender equality, women still face violence, discrimination, and institutional barriers to equal participation in society” ( 1). In the economic women are just as important. They contribute a lot to society even more than men. “ Women makeup a vital part of the economic and social fabric that hold hold their communities together” ( International 1). Women are treated less than men because of gender inequality, this show how women are not looked on the same social status. It should be equal pay for equal work, but unfortunately women are looked as less than men.

Gender inequality in today’s society and eliminating gender stereotypes could help ensure this. One stereotype is woman shouldn’t be paid the same amount men are paid in the workforce. Those in that mindset are sprung to belittle women in divergent ways. Double standards of women compared to men make it significant that women have the ability to work twice as hard as men and should be treated equal to men and receive half the recognition. “Studies show that women make 78 cents for every dollar men make (Women 1), intro to quote “ Black women make 64 cents for every dollar a white man makes” (1), “Latina women make 54 cents for every dollar a white man makes” (1). “ In some cases, women are forced from a workplace when they become pregnant” (1). These quotes express the different races are paid less than men and white women from other races.

Within recent years criminal justice for girls and women has drastically changed. The number has increased within the past few years. “Over the past 30 years, the number of women and girls caught in the criminal justice system has increased” (Women 1). Because the amount of girls caught in the system, it shows that women need work to stay out of criminal activity. “Many of these women struggle with substance abuse, mental illness, and histories of physical and sexual abuse” (Women 1). Women have the responsibilities of taking care of families which sometimes gets in the way. “Over incarnation and over conviction of women has had devastating effects on their families” (Women 1 ). Although change is coming for women it won’t be until later in the future. We are stepping in the right direction though. “At the rate of change between 1960 and 2025, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059” (Simple Truth).

Many countries do not give women the right to education because they believe women should not be educated. Many poor women can not afford to pay for education, limiting them to receiving it. Many times it is not an option because governments prevent women from achieving their goal of education. Those countries such as Afghanistan, believe that men are superior to women and impact the society more. “ Education is often not an option for many women and girls in Afghanistan” (In Afghanistan 1), “Attacks by insurgents who oppose women’s education lead to regular closures of girls’ schools” (In Afghanistan 1 ), “Among school age, 38 percent of the population do not have access to schools, most of which are girls” (In Afghanistan 1 ), “12 percent of the women’s population is illiterate”(In Afghanistan 1 )

Teen pregnancy is an scourge that has took over our nation for many years. It can change the lives of teens in a extreme measures. In our society it is almost normal to see a teenager with a baby. Getting pregnant while your a teen cause a massive Change in the teens life. Teen pregnancy will have negative effects on education because it forces you to be 100 percent committed to the concerns of their child. “ Women education rights in the United States- pregnant and parenting students face enormous challenges in accomplishing their education goals” (Pregnant 1), “Approximately 70 percent of teenage girls who give birth leave school and evidence suggest that illegal discrimination is a major contributing factor to this high dropout rate” (Pregnant 1), “Girls around the country tell their stories- when they got pregnant or had a child, school administrations told them they had to leave”(Pregnant 1)

In closing, unjust treatment towards women had an damaging effect on women. The women in these unfair predicaments do not want to continue living like this. Unfair rights against women has always been gender inequality needs to be eliminated. Women in the work industry are extremely discriminated against. The pay for a women is lower than the same job a male would have. A big problem especially at work is sexual harassment. Women have always struggled to become “equal” to a males work performance. Furthermore, education plays a big role in women life affecting in multiple ways, education affects women that are less fortnite, and teen pregnancy affects women at all young age with education.

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114 Oppression Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Oppression is a prevalent issue in society that affects individuals and groups in various ways. It can manifest in different forms such as discrimination, marginalization, and prejudice, and can have long-lasting effects on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of those who experience it. To raise awareness and spark conversations about this important topic, here are 114 oppression essay topic ideas and examples:

• The impact of systemic racism on marginalized communities
• Gender inequality in the workplace and its effects on women
• The role of media in perpetuating stereotypes and bias
• Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in society
• Ableism and the challenges faced by people with disabilities
• Ageism and its effects on older adults in society
• The intersectionality of oppression and how different forms of discrimination intersect
• The history of oppression and colonialism in indigenous communities
• Socioeconomic inequality and its impact on marginalized groups
• The role of privilege in perpetuating oppression in society
• The effects of colorism on individuals with darker skin tones
• Discrimination against immigrants and refugees in society
• Religious oppression and its impact on minority religious groups
• The criminalization of poverty and its effects on marginalized communities
• Environmental racism and its impact on communities of color
• The role of education in challenging oppressive systems
• Mental health stigma and its effects on individuals seeking help
• The impact of mass incarceration on communities of color
• The effects of police brutality on marginalized communities
• The role of activism in challenging oppressive systems
• The impact of cultural appropriation on marginalized communities
• The effects of gender-based violence on individuals
• Discrimination in healthcare and its effects on marginalized populations
• The role of language in perpetuating oppression and discrimination
• The effects of colonialism on indigenous languages and cultures
• The impact of gentrification on low-income communities
• The role of privilege in access to resources and opportunities
• The effects of discrimination on mental health and well-being
• The role of social media in raising awareness about oppression
• The impact of discrimination on educational outcomes for marginalized students
• The effects of microaggressions on individuals' mental health
• Discrimination in the criminal justice system and its effects on marginalized communities
• The role of allyship in challenging oppressive systems
• The impact of environmental injustice on marginalized communities
• The effects of food insecurity on low-income populations
• Discrimination against individuals with mental illnesses
• The role of housing discrimination in perpetuating inequality
• The impact of workplace discrimination on marginalized employees
• The effects of colorblindness in perpetuating racism
• Discrimination against individuals with HIV/AIDS
• The role of intersectional feminism in challenging oppressive systems
• The impact of ableism in healthcare settings
• Discrimination against individuals with substance use disorders
• The effects of xenophobia on immigrant communities
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' worldviews
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' self-esteem and self-worth
• The effects of religious intolerance on minority groups
• Discrimination against individuals with different body types
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating inequality
• The impact of discrimination on access to housing and employment
• The effects of environmental degradation on marginalized communities
• Discrimination against individuals with different sexual orientations
• The role of cultural appropriation in erasing marginalized cultures
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of belonging
• The effects of ableism in educational settings
• Discrimination against individuals with different political beliefs
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' experiences
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' physical health
• The effects of religious discrimination on individuals' mental health
• Discrimination against individuals with different religious beliefs
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating stereotypes
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of identity
• The effects of colorism in dating and relationships
• Discrimination against individuals with different cultural backgrounds
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' opportunities
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' access to healthcare
• The effects of ableism in interpersonal relationships
• Discrimination against individuals with different communication styles
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' access to education
• The effects of religious discrimination in the workplace
• Discrimination against individuals with different physical abilities
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' social networks
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' mental well-being
• The effects of colorism in media representation
• Discrimination against individuals with different educational backgrounds
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating bias
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' economic opportunities
• The effects of ableism in public spaces
• Discrimination against individuals with different family structures
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' access to resources
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' emotional health
• The effects of religious discrimination in social settings
• Discrimination against individuals with different career paths
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating prejudice
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' social connections
• The effects of colorism in beauty standards
• Discrimination against individuals with different creative talents
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' perceptions of the world
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of community
• The effects of ableism in recreational activities
• Discrimination against individuals with different relationship statuses
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating discrimination
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of safety
• The effects of religious discrimination in educational settings
• Discrimination against individuals with different hobbies
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' aspirations
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of justice
• The effects of colorism in fashion industries
• Discrimination against individuals with different political affiliations
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating marginalization
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of empowerment
• The effects of ableism in social gatherings
• Discrimination against individuals with different dietary preferences
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' perspectives on diversity
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of worth
• The effects of religious discrimination in legal systems
• Discrimination against individuals with different artistic abilities
• The role of tokenism in perpetuating exclusion
• The impact of discrimination on individuals' sense of purpose
• The effects of colorism in entertainment industries
• Discrimination against individuals with different technological skills
• The role of privilege in shaping individuals' understanding of justice

These oppression essay topics and examples are just a starting point for exploring the complexities of oppression in society. By delving into these issues and sharing stories of individuals who have experienced oppression, we can work towards creating a more just and equitable world for all.

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Fighting Racial Oppression, Essay Example

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Introduction

The United States has suffered years of racial injustice and discrimination since years and years passed. There is documented evidence of persons who have died because of their link to the fight against racism and racial prejudice in America. Many are the times when human rights violations were committed against the racially discriminated [people of America. This discrimination took several forms. Though initially against the African Americans, Latin Americans and Native Americans, the tense hatred that developed soon spanned the whole society strata. And those races that were discriminated against now turned against the discriminative white Americans n an anti white anti racism movement. And this fracas cost lives form both sides of the struggle against racial equality or prejudice. We all know the Rev Dr.Martin Luther King Junior, the vocal provost of the Baptist church who lost his life because of fight against black oppression in America. We all know of the famous Olympic sports men who lost their medals because of gesticulating in support of there black fans. We all have heard of the lady who would not stand in the bus and give seat to a white and the consequences that befell her. And many more. These are the icons of the fight against racial discrimination and oppression of the lowly rated non white American in the yester years. But we still know of certain individuals who have been in the anti racist and civil rights activism and have lived to see the present day success (has there been any really) of the fight against racism. We k know of Jesse Jackson and the bitterness has suffered when the American people could not vote him for president in the late eighties. And we all saw him shed tears during the acceptance speech of the present day president of the united state, barrack obama, himself a black American and a victim of racial prejudice. We have all heard of the extent to which the past administration has gone in the fight against racial oppression. And we all have an idea of the ‘black spot’ or ‘melting points’ of racial oppression battles. A mention of Alabama almost always reverberates with the racial equality struggle. but there have been individual who contributed to the fight against racial oppression, even to the extent of losing their jobs, their freedom, their human rights and even went ahead to lose their lives in the cause of justice to all Americans, but whose names may not have risen to the level of immortality with which martin Luther king is remembered. And in this piece of writing we will explore such a case. The fight against racial oppression was not fought, and won, by the minority non white American alone. There were those whites who were committed to the fight against this vice even to the extent of falling out with the administration and lose their friends because of supporting a cause that was worthy but did not augur well with their white colleagues. A case of such will also be evaluated. But all in all, the Americans have been fighting this war for eons and eons. They have won several wars and battles but this particular one against the racial prejudice just seems to have proven almost insoluble until the year 2008. This year saw the election of an African American into the highest office in American soil. The election of president barrack Obama into the white house may just be the beginning of the permanent end to the fight against racism, successfully that is.

Name of Black Resister Against the Racial Oppression of African Americans

Her name is Angela Davis. A lady who resisted the black oppression and lost lots of things on the process.  But she somewhat managed to come back a victor. Angela was born to black parents frank and sally who were teachers by profession. She was born in 1944 in the state of Alabama. Being a black, she attended the schools for the black. And as would be expected these institutions were poorly equipped, poorly staffed and poorly and poorly managed. And by extension they were poorly performing schools which did not give their students any chance of advancing to better high schools, colleges and universities. As such Angela and her friends attending this school were not expected to get on to higher places in life. But this was not the case for Angela Davis.

Angela having noted the oppression and lack of equality among the races around her neighborhood decided to voice her concerns against such an anomaly. She joined a communist movement and was able to attend conferences and finally gain education in Europe. While there she was able to acquire a document, the “Herald Tribute” detailing how the white extremist group KKK (Klu Klux Klan) had dropped bombs in her neighborhood and killed her childhood girl friends in her home area. After completing her masters degree in philosophy, Angela went back and acquired a job as a lecture in the University of California. She got engaged in the struggle against black oppression. And she started efforts to get three brothers released from prison. This had been jailed in connections with the civil rights activism and the struggle against racism (web).

As Angela did this, she knew she was risking her job her freedom and her life. Eventually, she lost her job at the university because of this activism. She was jailed on various counts. And as a result of her efforts at securing the release of the brothers, an incident in court on the day of the case hearing turned fatal and three people were killed among them a seventeen year old of the three brothers. This is the price this lady had to pay. However pressure mounted after her incarceration and she finally was released from prison.

Name of White Ally in the Fight Against the Racial Oppression of African Americans

This case study also comes from a resident of Alabama, a state we have noted above as having been the hot spot of racism and discrimination against the blacks. This is the case of a white lady. Her name was Anne Braden. Born in 1924 in Alabama, she attended the racially segregated school for the whites. She was born of middle class whites of the Alabama state. Despite the despicable hatred against the blacks that spread across the school, she was a sympathizer. She went on with her education and finally came to practice as a journalist, a career she used as a platform for her work in civil rights campaign as a white ally of the black civil rights struggle. After graduation from college, Anne joined a major journalism company where she worked. She was opposed to the effects of racism and always implored the white against racist treatment of the blacks. She was an active member of the black civil rights movement. She went ahead to marry a fellow journalist who was also a white ally of the black civil rights movement. She even assisted a black family buy a house using her name when they could not acquire one on their own because of the racist rules. Since then, she has been the most vocal anti racism complainer, among the few white that were openly opposed to the white supremacy and the racist approach against the blacks (Fosl, p120). During the years when Jesse Jackson campaigned for presidency, Anne Braden was among the chief campaigners. Eventually she died in the year 2006 but not without the recognition of her efforts with an award. In the fight against the white supremacy, Anne risked many things. She risked losing the privileges the whites enjoyed. She risked being left out of the jobs that were set for the whites. She risked being abadoned by the white friends and only associated with the blacks. And she paid the due price of this activism. She was black listed from being locally employed and all she could do now was community organization (Levin, p54-56).

In conclusion, the fight against racial oppression in amerce has had a long history. People have been murdered and opportunities lost because of the race one came from. Several were held up in prisons for years and for centuries anger, rage and hatred have thrived between the whites and the non white Americans. There was a great wakening that saw the formation of civil rights movements formed by the blacks to pressure the society to ignore the racial oppression. Mostly these activist groups were formed by the blacks who felt aggrieved. But against this back ground still, there is need to recognize that there were white allies who joined the blacks in the struggle and paid the ultimate price by going against their race, although in tandem with their conscience. The fight against racial oppression was a fight between human feelings and inhuman feelings.

Works Cited

 Angela Davis biography , Web Retrieved 16 December 2009 <http://www.jayepurplewolf.com/PASSION/ANGELADAVIS/index.html>

Levin, M. “Catherine Fosl, Subversive Southerner: Anne Braden and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Cold War South” American Studies International 41 (2003):54-56.

Fosl, C. Subversive Southerner : Anne Braden and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Cold War South. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2006

Fulton, W. Anne Braden Biography Web Retrieved 16 December 2009 <http://www.veteransofhope.org/bio.php?vid=34&p=bio>

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The Morning

Chaos and oppression.

The central question for universities responding to protests is whether to prioritize the preservation of order or the desire of students to denounce oppression.

By David Leonhardt

Arnold Kling, an economist, published a book a decade ago that offered a way to think about the core difference between progressives and conservatives. Progressives, Kling wrote , see the world as a struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed, and they try to help the oppressed. Conservatives see the world as a struggle between civilization and barbarism — between order and chaos — and they try to protect civilization.

Like many frameworks, Kling’s is a simplification, and it’s easy to find exceptions. But his book has been influential because the framework often sheds light on political arguments.

The debate over pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and other universities has become an example. If you want to understand why university leaders are finding the situation so hard to resolve, Kling’s dichotomy is useful: The central question for colleges is whether to prioritize the preservation of order or the desire of students to denounce oppression.

In today’s newsletter, I’ll lay out the cases of the dueling sides.

Confronting injustice

For the student protesters, the injustice in Gaza is so horrific that it takes precedence over almost anything else.

The death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7 is more than 30,000, the Gaza Ministry of Health reports. Entire neighborhoods are rubble. Israel has slowed the entry of basic supplies into Gaza, and many families are hungry. (My colleagues Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair profiled two families trying to find their children enough to eat .)

The protesters view this suffering as an atrocity that demands action, much as Jim Crow laws, the Vietnam War and South African apartheid did for earlier students. In a statement yesterday, a pro-Palestinian group at Columbia cited as inspiration the anti-Vietnam War demonstrators who were killed at Kent State University in 1970.

If classes must be canceled and graduation ceremonies can’t happen, all the better, the students say. The disruptions will force the world to confront what the protesters describe as a genocide. “Big picture, genocide is happening, and this is where we stand,” one Columbia graduate student told the publication Hell Gate .

Many protesters specifically call for their universities to divest from companies that do business in Israel or help produce military equipment.

Some students have framed the debate as being about free speech, and free-speech principles do play a role. But I don’t think they are as central as Kling’s frame. Both sides, after all, have tried to restrict speech. Supporters of Israel have doxxed pro-Palestinian students and tried to penalize slogans like “ From the river to the sea .” Pro-Palestinian protesters have ripped away Israeli and U.S. flags and tried to prevent pro-Israel students from speaking.

The protesters’ abiding principle is not freedom of speech. It is justice for the oppressed.

Preventing chaos

For the protesters’ critics, the breakdown of order is the central problem — because a community that descends into chaos can’t function.

Protesters have frequently violated colleges’ rules. They have erected tents in public places and overwhelmed those areas. Columbia has switched to hybrid classes because of the turmoil.

Even worse, some protests have involved harassment and violence. The University of Michigan had to cut short an honors ceremony for students. At Vanderbilt, more than 20 protesters stormed the president’s office, injuring a security guard and shattering a window. At Columbia , videos have shown protesters threatening Jewish students with antisemitic vitriol, including a sign talking about Hamas’s “next targets.”

If universities do not enforce their own rules against such behavior, the rules have no meaning, administrators fear. Other protesters, seeing their own causes as existential, could likewise halt normal life. Perhaps they would be climate activists or students outraged by China’s oppression of Uighurs — or even demonstrators with right-wing views unpopular on American campuses. If anti-abortion protesters were to take over a quad for days, would university administrators ignore their own campus rules?

Jason Riley, a Wall Street Journal columnist, has compared the protesters’ tactics to those of the white residents of Arkansas who tried to use physical intimidation to prevent the enforcement of a law they didn’t like: school desegregation. President Dwight Eisenhower responded by proclaiming that “disorderly mobs” could not triumph, Riley noted.

College administrators are not making such analogies. Many express sympathy for the protesters’ concerns. But some insist that society can’t function if people violate rules without consequence. “We cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Minouche Shafik, Columbia’s president, wrote to the campus this week.

What’s next?

I recognize that not everybody will accept Kling’s framework for this debate. Pro-Palestinian students will say that Israel is the true source of disorder, while pro-Israel students will say that Hamas is the true oppressor.

Still, I think the Kling dichotomy captures the dilemma that university leaders face. The protests continue, and graduation season is approaching. Those leaders will have to make difficult decisions about what values to prioritize.

The latest on the protests

“Go back to class,” Speaker Mike Johnson told protesters while visiting Columbia. He suggested calling in the National Guard .

At the University of Texas, police officers in riot gear blocked protesters and arrested at least 20 of them. The protests at Columbia, and the school’s response, have galvanized demonstrations at universities across the U.S.

Columbia’s president is fighting for her job. Some professors now oppose her , but she has the support of the school’s board.

Benjamin Netanyahu called student protesters in the U.S. “antisemitic mobs.”

Trump said the demonstrations were worse than the violent 2017 white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, where a woman was killed.

Brandeis, a historically Jewish university outside Boston, extended its deadline for transfer applications , promising an environment “free of harassment and Jew-hatred.”

THE LATEST NEWS

Foreign aid bill.

President Biden signed a bill with aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, calling it “a good day for world peace.” The administration plans to send Ukraine more weapons this week .

The bill includes $1 billion in humanitarian aid. “Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay,” Biden said.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, was a linchpin in winning aid for Ukraine, pushing back against isolationists in his own party.

An Arizona grand jury charged Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and others over their efforts to help Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss. The indictment names Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial resumes this morning. This graphic shows the links between Trump and other figures in the case.

Biden mocked Trump for suggesting as president that disinfectant injections might treat Covid. The bleach “ all went to his hair ,” Biden said.

More on Politics

Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, is in China. Economic tensions are high .

The Supreme Court sounded divided over whether to allow doctors to perform emergency abortions in states with strict bans. Today the court will hear Trump’s claim that he’s immune from prosecution over Jan. 6.

Three Arizona Republicans voted with Democrats to repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban . The bill heads to the State Senate.

Building union leaders endorsed Biden. They plan to mobilize their members to support him in swing states, CNN reports .

Donald Payne Jr., a six-term Democratic congressman from New Jersey known for wearing bow ties, died at 65 .

International

Floods across Kenya have killed at least 32 people and displaced more than 40,000.

The U.S. secretly shipped new long-range missiles to Ukraine .

Hamas released a video showing for the first time that Hersh Goldberg-Polin , an Israeli American taken hostage on Oct. 7, remains alive.

Other Big Stories

The Justice Department is investigating the consulting firm McKinsey over its role helping drug companies sell opioids .

The Agriculture Department finalized new school meal guidelines with less salt and sugar .

To combat avian flu, the Biden administration will require tests for cows that cross state lines .

NPR is in turmoil : The broadcaster’s audience is shrinking, its sponsorship revenue is declining, and its leaders are struggling with political strife.

Trump’s criminal trials make him seem like a victim . That could help him on Election Day, Stuart Stevens , a Republican political consultant, writes.

The federal government should test people for avian flu now, before an outbreak starts, Zeynep Tufekci writes.

Here’s a column by Charles Blow on the Vietnam War and the Gaza protests.

MORNING READS

Athens: A Saharan dust cloud has turned the city orange .

Meet Cait Bailey: She’s a publicist to major celebrities, and her boyfriend is a famous chef. But she’d prefer to keep a low profile .

Diet: Could calorie restriction or intermittent fasting help you live longer? Read what scientists know .

Broods: Trillions of cicadas are emerging after more than a decade of feeding on tree roots. Get ready .

Lives Lived: Helen Vendler’s power as a poetry critic derived from her close and impassioned readings. A fellow critic called her a “colossus.” Vendler died at 90 .

Queens Park Ladies: An under-12 girls’ soccer team in England joined a boys’ league — and went undefeated . “They definitely underestimated us,” Edith Wragg, one of the players, said.

N.F.L. Draft: Four quarterbacks are expected to go in the first round tonight .

N.B.A.: The Miami Heat shocked the Boston Celtics in a 111-101 road win to even the series at 1-1.

College football: Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy was reinstated , nearly 14 years after he forfeited it during a scandal.

ARTS AND IDEAS

The Venice Biennale, the world’s best event to discover new art, opened with a Prosecco-soaked weekend. Artists, along with critics and collectors, filled the city.

The Times’s critic Jason Farago was one of them. While he loved some of the work, he didn’t love the theme, “Foreigners Everywhere,” which he felt reflects a problem in our culture. “It’s often preachy, but that’s not its biggest problem. The real problem is how it tokenizes, essentializes, minimizes and pigeonholes talented artists,” he writes. Read his review .

Related: Venice is trying to limit tourism with a small fee on busy days .

More on culture

“Challengers,” from the director Luca Guadagnino, is about love and tennis. The Times spoke with its stars, including Zendaya, about the film and life in the public eye .

The American Film Institute is giving Nicole Kidman a lifetime achievement award this week. See what makes her work singular .

The Getty Museum agreed to return an ancient bronze head to Turkey.

A long-lost Gustav Klimt painting sold for $37 million at auction.

Jimmy Kimmel dunked on Trump’s billion-dollar stock bonus .

THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …

Toss a 20-minute lemony orzo with asparagus and garlic bread crumbs.

Navigate grief with these books .

Understand the new airline refund rules .

Buy a gift for a green-thumbed friend.

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangram was topiary .

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku , Connections and Strands .

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David

P.S. Lauren Jackson — one of the Times journalists in London who update this newsletter while you’re sleeping — has been promoted to associate editor .

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox . Reach our team at [email protected] .

David Leonhardt runs The Morning , The Times’s flagship daily newsletter. Since joining The Times in 1999, he has been an economics columnist, opinion columnist, head of the Washington bureau and founding editor of the Upshot section, among other roles. More about David Leonhardt