Oppression has been defined as the following:
• It is institutionalised power that is historically formed and perpetuated over time;
• It allows certain ‘groups’ of people to assume a dominant position over ‘other groups’ and this dominance is maintained and continued at an institutional level.
This means oppression is built into institutions like government and education systems. It gives power and positions of dominance to some groups of people over other groups of people. For example, can you think of ways that heterosexism is built into laws around marriage, property ownership and raising children where you live, both presently and historically?