> Interesting to contrast the ideas of oppression and marginalization. I'll
> have to think about that. Wouldn't we have to grant the role of structures
> of power in "marginalization" also, though? And if power is structured in
> ways that make individual responses less than effective (as commented on in
> a recent letter by Mike Mascolo), won't we have to give some attention to
> the social causes of the shared construct of "margins" and "?mainstream"?
"Marginalization", as a metaphor, does not require me to think in terms of
individual human "oppressors", it seems to me, because our different
metaphorical choices lead us, so to speak, into different gardens of
discourse where people act differently towards each other and precipitate
different chains of action. Isn't this what is involved in our "living in
language"?
To me, "oppression" carries the connotation of "blame". Anyone can be
"marginalized" at any time. "Oppressors" are "evil people".
"Marginalization" is the result of our conforming to anonymously
introduced and institutional practices -- and so forth. Does your ear hear
these distintions? Or am I responding idiosyncratically here?
..Lois Shawver
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