I agree that there are complex intricacies of power and
\nhow those who are oppressed become numb (or accepting)
\nof what is happening to them, to see it as ‘normal’ and
\nto even self-regulate and peer-regulate continued
\noppression.<\/p>\n
Too often, these days, I think I blame the ‘rich
\npowerful white guys,’ but I think Foucault’s ideas you
\nmentioned (via Gerrie, 2003) of focusing on the very
\npower structures themselves, we can better recognize the
\nroles all of us play in oppressive structures: I would
\nrather think, like Foucault, that those at every level
\nof society are complicit in the inequalities and everyone
\ncan gain awareness, and with effort, directed action..<\/p>\n
His ideas seem related to the educator Paulo Freire’s in
\nthat when fighting one’s oppressor, one cannot do so
\nhealthily or entirely until one becomes aware of the
\nrole one’s self plays in the power game
\n(“Conscientization”).<\/p>\n
Also, he makes the apt observation that many so-called
\n“revolutions of the people” end up behaving exactly like
\ntheir oppressors, with the same propaganda tactics used
\nto influence the masses, resulting in intolerance for
\nprotest and the fattened cats on the top.<\/p>\n
You comment peaks my curiosity about how some workers in
\nthese corporate factories must be fighting\/resisting the
\nsystems.<\/p>\n
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. NY: Herder
\nand Herder.<\/p>\n