Final answer:
Individuals suffering from oppression use rational coping strategies such as problem-focused coping, like seeking legal aid or learning new skills, and emotion-focused coping, like seeking social support or reinterpreting stressors positively. The perceived level of control and available social support can affect the effectiveness of these strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals suffering from oppression often employ rational coping strategies to alleviate their stress. These strategies fall into two broad categories: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping involves actions aimed at changing the stressor, such as seeking legal aid, learning new skills, or participating in organized protests for equal rights. On the other hand, emotion-focused coping involves efforts to manage the emotional distress associated with oppression, which may include seeking social support, engaging in self-help, practicing self-regulation, or reinterpreting the stressor more positively through rationalization.
Although these coping strategies can be effective in managing stressors, some situations, particularly those perceived as uncontrollable, may necessitate a greater reliance on emotion-focused coping, such as rationalizing the situation or seeking emotional support. The effectiveness of these strategies can be influenced by factors like the perceived level of control over the stressor and the availability of social support networks.