Oppression is the systemic and institutional abuse of power by one group at the expense of others and the use of force to maintain this dynamic. While they are closely related, institutional oppression, systemic oppression, and structural oppression are technically distinct concepts. Institutional oppression refers to the ways in which specific institutions, such as schools, healthcare systems, workplaces, or the legal system, create, enforce, and perpetuate policies and practices that disadvantage certain groups while advantaging others. It examines the policies, procedures, and internal culture of a specific organization or sector (Braveman et al., 2022).
Systemic oppression is a broader term. It encompasses the cumulative, interconnected, and self-reinforcing nature of multiple institutions working together. It describes how these various institutional practices, along with cultural norms, stereotypes, and historical power dynamics, intertwine across society to create a comprehensive system that maintains inequality (American Public Health Association, 2020; Braveman et al., 2022).
Structural oppression is a system where public policies, institutional practices, and cultural norms work together to lock in unfair advantages for one group while blocking opportunities for another. For Black people in America, its long-range effects include severe economic wealth gaps, persistent health disparities, and unequal treatment in the justice system (American Public Health Association, 2020; National Equity Project, 2025).
