The relationship between oppression and empowerment?

Last updated on August 30th, 2019 at 07:48 am

Is there a relationship between oppression and empowerment?

I am noticing that as I code my research narrative that often even within the same post, I write about an oppression but then I write about what I am doing to empower myself as a result of the oppression.

Take for example my blog post entitled How do I be an ‘engaged patient’ in a hospital gown? (September 27, 2014). In the post I describe the challenge as a patient when wearing a hospital gown. I explain how the declothing and gowning is an oppression, especially when the patient is left in the gown unnecessarily – throughout the entire consultation.

Within the same post I also describe my solution to the problem. I describe how I bring a hoodie and wear that over the gown. I have a zipper, so that it can be easily removed when it needs to be, but also can be easily put back on, so that I’m dressed throughout the interaction. I create a way to empower myself as a reaction to the oppression. 

Is empowerment needed if there is no oppression? Can there be empowerment without oppression?