The Colonizer Within: Exploring Facets of Internalized Oppression in Palestine | ||||
| Cairo Studies in English | ||||
| Article 7, Volume 2024, Issue 2, December 2024, Page 79-98 PDF (324.62 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/cse.2024.317161.1185 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Reem Abu Hweij 
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| Private Practice Psychotherapist. Palestine. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Internalized Oppression (IO) refers to the process by which individuals from oppressed groups come to see and relate to themselves, their culture, their community, and their oppressors through the lens of the dominant, oppressing group. This phenomenon has been documented across various oppressed populations worldwide and has been linked to negative psychological outcomes such as depression, substance abuse, and interpersonal violence. In Palestine, over 76 years of Zionist settler colonialism have led to clear manifestations of IO among Palestinians in Jerusalem, a phenomenon that had not been methodically examined until this study. As part of a greater scope examination for the authors’ doctoral dissertation, ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Jerusalemite Palestinians, and the data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The analysis revealed three interrelated themes—Horizontal Hostility, Suppressed Rage, and Helplessness—that capture the pervasive impact of IO within this population. These themes are discussed in depth here and are examined in light of decolonial theories and research, which highlight the need for psychological reparation as a critical precursor to decolonization. To reclaim their humanity, oppressed individuals must first recognize their own humanity in relation to others. By identifying the ways in which colonial practices have been internalized and reenacted, interventions on both individual and community levels can aim to repair the inter- and intrapsychic relational patterns that have been distorted by colonial violence, providing a pathway for healing and resistance. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Internalized oppression; settler colonial violence; horizontal hostility; internalized helplessness; suppressed rage; Palestine; liberation; conscientization; decolonial psychology | ||||
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