Cudd

Cudd presents an article on how oppression against women manifests itself in society. Cudd argues that the oppression of women stems from the institution itself, and that rational decisions do not change the fact that a woman is being oppressed. If a woman decides to stay at home instead of her husband because he earns more money than she does, this choice both rational and oppressive. Due to the institution and unequal salaries, the man automatically earns more, giving the woman no other choice than to remain in the household. By remaining in the household, the woman is choosing to continue the cycle of oppression against women. The same is true for prostitution. If a woman chooses to be a prostitute because she has no other way of earning money, she is oppressing herself by continuing the cycle of prostitution. Cudd discusses the irony in society, because oppressed people often play a key role in continuing their oppression. In class, we mentioned the idea of marriage. While the woman have the freedom to say "yes or no" to a proposal, they lack the liberty that men have to decide who they want to ask to marry them and when they want to get married. Yet the majority of women, myself included, want to be proposed to. The idea of a proposal is a romantic ideal that women would have to forgo if they were to pop the question.

There are 4 criteria that Cudd considers essential to identifying oppression. 1) physical/psychological harm is apparent 2) groups are identifiable independent of oppressed status 3) someone benefits from the oppression 4) the oppression involves coercion or force. If we apply the example of prostitution, it is evident that, regardless of rational decision, prostitution is a form of oppression. It causes physical or psychological harm to the woman, because she partakes in sexual activity against her desires. The prostitutes are identifiable from other people, because they sell their bodies. The men who hire the prostitutes benefit from the oppression of these women. Prostitutes are often forced into work, because they feel there is no other method of earning an income. Therefore, while some women choose to be prostitutes, they are oppressed and ironically contribute to their own oppression.