Context
Oppression is a systemic dynamic that gives advantages, access and opportunity to select social groups based on their identity and disenfranchises others of the same advantages and opportunities solely based on their membership in a certain social group.
The different life experiences of people can be highlighted along several dividing lines (race, gender, ability status, religion, etc.). Socioeconomic status, or class, is a social identity we’ll explore in this module to unpack how the socioeconomic status of the family one is born into directly affects their life chances. We’ll go further and explore how philanthropy intersects with these divisions among class, both in terms of individual experiences as well as the influence these divisions have on entire communities.