Privilege, Power, And Difference Summary

Privilege, Power, and Difference was written by Allan G. Johnson. He examines the issues of privilege, power, and difference within society, as well as the problems related to gender and race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability status, and social class (Johnson, vii). As someone who is a white, straight, abled man, he is privileged. The world we live in is considered a “man’s world,” in that power is a characteristic often associated with men, which is placed in their hands early on in life (Johnson 95). It is a heterosexual world, a white, nondisabled one. These are the categories that can place one person over another in terms of privilege and it creates gaps within society. It creates inequality.
In order to be a solution to the problem, …show more content…
She feels a sense of unworthiness, resentment, guilt, and unhappiness. Johnson makes a point that privilege can exact a cost from those who have it. When you are part of a system that results in advantages and dominance at the expense of other people, it can cause distress to those who benefit from it (Johnson 38). Francesca explains that she has worked several bad jobs, which are in the end pointless as she does not need the money. However, she has participated in volunteer activities such as working for charities, and her decision to do this could be her way of finding meaning in her life. It is her way to gain a sense of worthiness and be helpful to those who are may not be as privileged as she is. However, it does not cure her unhappiness. She suffers from anxiety attacks and depression, further deepening the feelings she has and while she is more fortunate than many to be financially stable, money can only be so helpful when you suffer from the problems that Francesca does. She is a paradox. Despite her fortune, her privilege, she is