Oppressed Worker

Oppressed Worker

During the initial stage of brainstorming my group and I worked together to develop a list of the strongest categories of power that are used to oppress workers. We focused mainly on the three approaches to the topic of power as outlined by Conrad and Ryan (1985). These three approaches are the traditional approach, the symbological approach, and the radical-critical approach. These approaches would help to discern the structural and interactional sources of power, and the ways that workers may contribute to the dominant power relationship.

First, we wanted to develop an understanding of the structural powers that could oppress a worker so we looked at the traditional approach in exploring the concept of power. The traditional approach considers power to be a relatively stable entity that people or groups possess (Conrad and Ryan 1985). In analyzing this approach we concluded that a top-down power structure aligned with formal authority would create the strongest environment for oppressing workers. Second, we wanted to develop an understanding of the interactional power that could oppress a worker so we looked at the symbological approach in exploring the concept of power. The symbological approach views power as a product of communicative interactions and relationships (Conrad and Ryan 1985). In analyzing this approach we concluded that organizations that restrict decision making processes, use a heavy dose of regulatory materials, and are swamped in gossip and stories would create the strongest environment for oppressing workers.

Third, we wanted to develop an understanding of how a worker may contribute to the dominant power relationships so we looked at the radical-critical approach in exploring the concept of power. The radical-critical approach is concerned with the “deep structures” that produce and reproduce relationships in organizational life (Conrad and Ryan 1985). In analyzing this approach we concluded that organizations with a lot of uncertainty, interpersonal alliances, and hegemony would create the strongest environment for oppressing workers. Hegemony, as developed by Gramsci (1971), refers to a process in which a dominant group leads another group to accept subordination as the norm. After reviewing all three of these approaches, and thinking about who would be free for an interview this weekend, we deciding on interviewing a Taco Bell employee, a vitamin shop employee, a Kaiser Permanente employee, a coffee shop employee, someone works for the state, and a politician who works at the state capitol.

After this initial stage of brainstorming we next began to focus on how we can emancipate the oppressed worker we had defined. Emancipation is “the liberation of people from unnecessarily restrictive traditions, ideologies, assumptions, power relations, identity formations, and so forth, that inhibit or distort opportunities for autonomy, clarification