Stigma and internalised oppression: does it affect us?

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Do you think this applies to ASD people? And if so, to what extent? Do you see evidence of it on WP?
Quote: (From Community Toolbox website).

"What is internalized oppression?
When people are targeted, discriminated against, or oppressed over a period of time, they often internalize (believe and make part of their self-image ? their internal view of themselves) the myths and misinformation that society communicates to them about their group. Exploited peasants might internalize the ideas that they can?t do any other kind of work, that their lives were meant to be as they are, and that they?re worth less than people with wealth or education. Women might internalize the stereotype that they are not good at math and science, or people of color might internalize the myth that they are not good workers,

When people from targeted groups internalize myths and misinformation, it can cause them to feel (often unconsciously) that in some way they are inherently not as worthy, capable, intelligent, beautiful, good, etc. as people outside their group. They turn the experience of oppression or discrimination inward. They begin to feel that the stereotypes and misinformation that society communicates are true and they act as if they were true. This is called internalized oppression.

Internalized oppression affects many groups of people: women, people of color, poor and working class people, people with disabilities, young people, elders, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, gays, and many other groups.

Not all members of groups that are discriminated against or oppressed necessarily turn stereotypes inward. Many remain proud of their heritage, or are able to take prominent places in the larger society through their exercise of effort, intelligence, talent, interpersonal skill, and self-respect. Many members of oppressed groups try to escape their situations by emigration or other means, and many succeed. Some rise up and overthrow their oppressors, although this can cause nearly as many problems as it solves.

Don't assume that just because someone is a member of a group that has experienced bias, he is suffering from the results of internal oppression. Individuals are different, and have different experiences and backgrounds. If you assume internal oppression in all cases without getting to know the individual at least a little, you may, in trying to be helpful and empathetic, find that instead you're being condescending or insulting.

There are two ways that internalized oppression functions:

Internalized oppression operates on an individual basis. A person believes that the stereotypes and misinformation that she hears are true about herself. She holds herself back from living life to her full potential or she acts in ways that reinforce the stereotypes and are ultimately self-defeating.
Internalized oppression occurs among members of the same cultural group. People in the same group believe (often unconsciously) the misinformation and stereotypes that society communicates about other members of their group.

People turn the oppression on one another, instead of addressing larger problems in society. The results are that people treat one another in ways that are less than fully respectful. Often people from the same cultural group hurt, undermine, criticize, mistrust, fight with, or isolate themselves from one another."

I've seen it happen in real life to someone else that I sincerely think was/is on the spectrum so yes, I do believe it can definitely happen.

15 years ago or so, one of my father's co-worker at his university arranged for a department faculty picnic gathering and one of the young attendees was said co-worker's on-the-spectrum son who was between 5 to 7 years old and named 'David'.

Me being the eldest at the time immediately got the duty of informal babysitter.

I was told by his mother that he had a developmental and learning disorder (where I lived at the time, the label of 'autistic' was typically reserved for those who showed severe symptoms and Aspergers wasn't even talked about though 'developmental disorders', 'learning disorders', and 'being gifted' was) and that he normally refused to talk and that when he DID talk, none of it made sense.

When I first met him, David was quiet and reserved and said not a word and since he didn't seem interested in interacting with me, I didn't really push for interaction with him, either, and more or less left him to his own devices while making sure he knew I was around.

Well, as the afternoon went on, he decided that he was getting more comfortable around me and eventually, I asked him if he would like to take a walk into the nearby hiking trail.

He suddenly got really excited and said, "Okay!" and so we went. This was the first time I heard him talk.

As we walked, I could see that he was getting more and more visibly excited about what he was seeing and taking a shot into the wind, I asked him, "Hey David, what are you thinking about?"

He looked up at me with THAT Look and just stared for a moment and it was as if I could see gears rotating about his head as he tried to process what I had asked him.

At first, I thought that maybe he wouldn't respond, but then when he asked me, "What if it doesn't make sense?" I was absolutely floored. To me, in hearing what he said, told me that he had absorbed the things that his parents - and possibly whoever else - had said to him and had internalized it.

When I told him that I didn't care if it 'made sense' or not; thoughts are thoughts and I was interested in hearing them, I was in for a real treat.

Suddenly out of nowhere, we had probably one of the most in-depth conversations about nature, trees, plants, dinosaurs (and could the dinosaurs exist in the woods?), raptors, and fish (we were beside a lake and were going to go fishing later) that I had ever had with almost anyone else (surprise, surprise, no one else was interested, either!) save for my own parents (especially my mother).

Being that I myself particularly enjoyed such conversational topics, we REALLY got into it and so when we finally emerged from the woods still carrying on the very long conversation, his parents and everyone else were staring at us STUNNED like we had both grown extra heads.

The mother opened her mouth to say something but I kind of gave a dirty look (I was still shocked that David had basically repeated to me what his mother had told me) and shook my head and she didn't say anything for the rest of the picnic.

David and I spent the rest of the picnic just roaming around, fishing, looking for flowers, and just chattering and when the picnic was over, I spoke with his parents and told them what David had told me.

In retrospect, that was an impulsive thing to do and possibly even 'wrong' thing to do, but I did it in the interest of helping them realize that David was internalizing the things that were being said about him and that in reality, he was actually very bright, detail-oriented, and was simply more interested in some topics as opposed to others (like myself in a way) and wasn't talking because he thought no one would be interested anyways.

The parents - thankfully - were more relieved than upset and though I lost touch with David since then (my family moved), I really hope he's doing well.

In my case it was about my brief period of denial as an aspie but fortunately that is no longer the case.

In this sense I have risen above internalized oppression about my asperger's.

Good for you getting above IO on the internal (inner self) level. Music to my ears!! !

On the outer level oppression works against us in 3 inter-related ways - stigma, prejudice and discrimination.
Sadly I see evidence of all three every day, even when I am not looking for it. Even given that though, I think recovery from internal oppression is the first bridge to be crossed on the journey out of oppression for all ASD people.

Wow, great story!

And I think part of what allowed it to work was that you did not push. You let David take it at his own pace. And when the time came, you took a series of medium steps, and with each step asking him in a respectful way.

And it worked out very nicely. Thank you very much for sharing this positive example.

I think it dose. All the stigmas and self revelation etc of my difference have not helped me to be me or proud of me, rather I think its attribute to my current situation and feelings and why Im seeking help because the stigmas others can have really do pull me down and make me feel worthless.

On Wrong Planet it is rampant. Let's start with the name of this website that gives the message that we are aliens and not human. Then all the posts, I hate myself, my autism etc. Then the posts that we need a separate colony because "they" will never accept us (Not Vicky's which is meant to be temporary). While there are some legitimate reasons for people diagnosed with Aspergers not to want associate with that or "Aspie" a lot of the ones like I don't want to be associated with something that sounds like "Ass burgers", everybody is going to think I am faking it or using it as an excuse or trying to be cool is internalized oppression IMHO.


In support groups I attend the above sentiments are rarely discussed.

I am not saying those thoughts should not be expressed, venting is a needed before one can move forward. Too much venting is self defeating because it reinforces negative thoughts that may be false. Where does venting become too much? I don't have a f*****g clue.

Of course on occasion I get thoughts like I think they will never hire me, unlike other minority groups they will never accept us because we have an invisible condition. While I have pushed those to some deep corner of my brain, they are still there.