Division

One of the three Weapons of Oppression, division is the pattern of inventing reasons to take things which belong together and split them apart.

 

Division manifests as organizing groups of people into "us versus them." Division shows up as "othering" and "out-groups" and rigid, narrowly-defined categories with fabricated (and often changing) criteria, such as the made-up constructs of race and binary gender.

 

The reason division is so effective as a means of oppression is that it creates targets, enemies, threats, and problems. It invents victims so that someone else can be the "winners." Without dividing us from each other, oppression has nobody to call the enemy.

 

Division is usually paired with fear.

 

 

Tidbits About Division