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Christin Rosado WGS 100 Assignment 08: Interlocking Oppression

Who are the “outsiders”? The outsiders are people specifically black women as stated in the work of Patricia Hill Collins who have faced various forms of oppression. The oppression they are subjected too has given them the ability to see the world through a different perspective. It has also granted them with knowledge that those who have never been subjected to oppression lack. The oppressive experiences held by many black women has greatly contributed to various fields of sociology, psychology, culture, and society. My response will focus on the oppression of black women.

The maltreatment of the “outsiders” has resulted in many black women banding together. Throughout the history of the world many African Americans have been mistreated by other groups, exploited, and ostracized. The unfair treatment they received from others brought many blacks closer together because not only were they all that they had but if they worked together it helped their chances of survival. Social mistreatment made strangers who only shared the same skin tone family and allies (Collins, 1986). Through a sociological perspective it is fascinating to see how in the face of hardship people band together and seek each other for comfort. Another reason many black women joined together was for psychological purposes (Collins, 1986). Many whites attempted to dehumanize blacks but their interactions with each other helped to reinforce that they were indeed humans. Just having someone be there for you helps to keep you mentally sane. The effects of sisterhood during this time contributed so much to psychology (Collins, 1986).

As their oppression continued the connection between many African Americans grew so strong that they became a community. A certain knowledge spread amongst them that they could stand against this oppression and if they stood against it with each other they would be strong. Again, this greatly contributed to sociology because many blacks saw the difficulties they faced in society and they developed themselves to combat these struggles. This is an example of how humans respond to society and this is what sociology is about. The sense of community between black women also helped them in their fight for their rights. They were excluded from many feminist movements held by white women (Collins, 1986). However, this did not stop them because they banded together in great numbers and created a loud voice that showed their oppressors that they are human and deserve human rights. Actions like this contribute to their culture.

The hardships African Americans have been subjected to has influenced and helped to create black culture. They are knowledgeable and saw how their oppression was unfair so they acted in different ways. Presently, you still hear in their music the activism against their abuse. Music is a way that they can speak to an array of people belonging to different groups and help to open their eyes to the injustices they are blind to. Another way is how they hit the streets to campaign against discrimination. They help us to better understand how society can influence the actions of people and how what we face in society can help create a culture. The “outsiders” have shown sociologists that when facing difficult times people seek the comfort of those they experience it with even if they did not know them before (Collins, 1986). They show sociologist that when faced with a common issue in society people band together to help make change in a society. The “outsiders” show psychologist that human interactions are extremely important and can even help someone survive. Lastly, the outsiders show us that a culture can be created through the shared experiences of people, the common goal they possess to make change, and through their strength.

Collins, P. H. (1986). Learning from the Outsider Within: The Sociological

Significance of Black Feminist Thought. University of California Press.