sociology paper

Surname 4

Oppression of the Minority Black Women

From time immemorial, every society has had a ruling class that comprises of the majority members of a particular race. Conversely, there is also the minority group that is most disadvantaged in the community. In the United States, superiority and inferiority is not a new topic. This is because it has lingered on from the colonial era, before independence. Fortunately, oppression of the minority has declined over time with every individual black or white having equal rights.

Max Weber came up with a three-component stratification theory. He argues that class, status and power were factors that socially differentiated people within the same community. Women were despised and discriminate as incapable of being productive in formal employment. Therefore, they had no class, or power in the eyes of the white community. Additionally, they had no right to voice their opinion in public. However, if women were not socially discriminated and given equal opportunities in the employment sector that men had in the colonial era would America be more developed than it is today? The black woman was the most vulnerable to gender discrimination and oppression. There are two categories of the black woman. The first is the ‘welfare mother’ who is responsible for drawing the moral capital affiliated with the American mother. The second is the ‘welfare queen’ whose drive in life is material possession and is characterized by being a working class. The welfare queen, which consisted of working class Black women, was seen as a threat to the state’s economy (p. 251). This means that America had socially undermined the capability of Black women by judging them with the color of their skin.

Another category of the Black women emerged, the “Black lady”. This lady represented the Black women that worked hard in school to climb the social and class ladder. However, the society saw it differently. Instead, it linked the Black lady to a classy version of mammies who work twice as harder than the rest of the people. Additionally, it also was linked to matriarchy thesis-Black ladies working hard and forgets to be feminine especially due to their assertive nature. Black men felt threatened by the Black lady mainly because they felt that jobs were reserved for them and not the women. Matriarch black women were named ‘Jezebel’ due to their controlling nature. As if not enough, they were labeled as ‘whores’ and ‘hoochies’ due to the sexual appetite and aggressiveness (p. 252). Nevertheless, as much as the Black women tried their best to fit in the White community by working harder, the society was not so welcoming.

Both the welfare queen and Black lady were held responsible for the bad image that the Black women had, that is of the poor class and prostitution. This is because of their controlling nature and hard work to join the top class, acquires status and power. Nevertheless, as hard as they worked, the whites had a different picture of their aggressiveness; they saw it as high sexual appetite. During the colonial period, white men sexual assaulted Black women because they believed that they were sexually aggressive and had a larger sexual appetite. One thing the whites were worried about is the increase in population of African- Americans that would increase their network ties (p. 253). Another question that comes to mind is; if the Black minority managed to reproduce and increase their population and strengthen the Black community would they improved their social status, power and class?

The hoochie was made a topic of discussion across the media. This was because of two live crew’s song ‘hoochie mama (p. 254). This song portrayed the sexual assertive and appetite that is linked to Black women. However, contrary to societal expectation, the Black society did not feel offended by the song’s accusation rather some used it to climb the ladder to good life. This was by women working as prostitutes just so they are socially recognized. (p. 255).

The song brought to light freakiness of the matriarch women. This means that they engage in sex with men for money and are open minded to oral and anal sex, which was socially unacceptable. To add, in the song there is also another group of matriarch women who are heterosexual- engage in sex with other women. In contrast, the mammy is not sexually attractive in the eyes of white men. This is because of their big bodied and black appearance was not sexually pleasing and that is why white men would not socialize with them. At the long end, the Black women especially the matriarch and welfare group remain stigmatized by the society (p.255).

With this in mind, the Black society has responsibility to change the usual image that has been there for years. Simply because a small group of Black women use sexual advances for money does not describe the whole race as inappropriate. Therefore, with united effort, the Black people can by-pass the stigma that has lived on since slavery time. Change starts with one individual that influences the rest of the community.

Work cited

Kenneth A. Gould and Tammy L.lewis. Thirty Readings in Introductory Sociology. Oxoford Publishers, September 11 2012.