How do people resist oppression?

Answer 1

Oppression is not just taking rights away forcefully. Oppression is the repeated use of force and trickery to limit access to resources and oppressors usually target a group in society to limit. These groups can be religious, racial or class groups.

Fighting Oppression is very difficult. Much of the time, people who are being oppressed don't even know it. So the first step in the resistance of oppression is to realize that there are structures that contribute to a lack of some resource- this resource might be living wage employment, quality education or safe housing.

The next step is to make sure that others are aware of the and have experienced the particular form of oppression that you are trying to resist. Individual forms of resistance cannot change many things. A group of people who are committed to fighting oppression can create some of the friction necessary to push for change.

As a group you should use methods that offend the oppressor to push for change. Powerful people and governments tolerate picketing, and rallies so these forms of protest are unlikely to lead to change. Just remember how many people protested what Bush was doing with the Iraq War.

You must use unacceptable means to protest- for example the threat of violence or the actual use of violence is a socially unacceptable means of protest that will get the oppressors attention- and others attention also. Using publicity is a great tool (and a much better, more realistic and probably more effective example). Publicity can be used to embarrass the oppressor, large scale sit-ins, strikes. These socially unacceptable acts of protest must be rational, consistent and repeated. A consistently high level of pressure must be lay-ed on the oppressor- this could take weeks or months or even years of work depending on what type of oppression is being fought.

Here comes the really hard part... Historically, resisters to oppression tend to be severely punished because those in power will not concede willingly. The Oppressor will use all of their resources to convince the oppressed that things will never change. So if you are doing it right, there will be arrests and threats for the resisters. Evictions, firing from employment, etc.

However, if the oppressor is pressured hard enough for long enough the oppressor will begin to negotiate- not because they support your cause but because they are tired. This negotiation is the beginning of change.