Privilege refers to certain advantages, rights and immunities given to a select group of individuals (Privilege, Cambridge English Dictionary). It is derived “from (the) Latin (word) privilegium, meaning a law for just one person, and a benefit enjoyed by an individual or group beyond what's available to others” (Privilege - Dictionary Definition). American society has an unwritten system of privileges based on sociological hierarchy, economics and race. This unjust system generates a range of emotions from hopelessness and outrage to the other extreme of entitlement. In the article, “White Privilege on the Streets of Ferguson,” Pastor Marie explores her own connection to being privileged as a white, woman and pastor, and how it affected…
In her article, Peggy McIntosh, puts light on the unacknowledged phenomena known as “white privilege”. She carries out an analogy between male privilege and white privilege. Males in the society unconsciously deny the fact that they are overprivileged at the expense of women. Even if they might accept the fact that women are disadvantaged, they would never support the idea of lessening their own status in the society. Similarly, white people enjoy their unearned privilege as they are in a state of forgetfulness regarding its existence.…
An extreme case dealing with unfairness and racism recently was the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement that is still prevalent. In this movement, you can see several opinions in the black community about how they are not treated fairly or in the same manner compared to whites. I believe as long as this ongoing mental war between races exists, there will not be a level where everyone can be at equilibrium. It is definitely not a matter that can be solved over night, maybe not even 10 years, but addressing that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with is crucial for understanding one another. After reading this article, it made me evaluate many instances in my past where a sense of invisible privilege may have come into play.…
An issue with privilege is that most people do not recognize their privilege and how unequal people can be. The issue of wealth can also connect to race, as privilege and equity can be lost depending on an individual’s skin color.…
In his lecture "The Pathology of White Privilege", Tim Wise presents the idea of white privilege, explains its origins, and how it can be eliminated. He begins by talking about the issues of racism, discrimination, and white privilege that have been increasing rapidly, but the awareness of it is rather absent in politics and culture. According to him, these issues in the past have been frequently worshipped by many politicians in a negative manner to neglect the class issues and to gain power in certain fields. Nowadays, many political candidates in the United States talk about many issues such as poverty, housing, education, and healthcare, but rarely talk…
This article shows that people who do have privilege really do not recognize it. Moreover, when stated that they do have privilege they try to deny it and claim that someone else has…
1. The reading notes that there was a definite tendency toward “Negrophilia” in parts of northern and western Europe in the late Middle Ages, and the common presumption that dark pigmentation inspired instant revulsion of the part of light skinned Europeans is, if not completely false, at least highly misleading (Fredrickson 26). The cult of Prester John and Ethiopia was one of several signs that blacks could be represented in a positive and dignified manner in the late Middle Ages. The reading also explains how it was “wrong” to enslave other Christians, so they went for Africans and had the idea that their souls might be saved through contact with believers. I thought the most interesting thing from this article was how in the past they were tempted to see blackness as a curse signifying that Africans were designated by God himself to be a race of slaves.…
I have always viewed racism as people of other color being discriminated against. Most people view privilege as being a favored state, meaning that by birth or luck a person is at an advantage to another. McIntosh states that privilege can also be viewed as a state of dominance because of one’s race or sex. I disagree that privilege should be viewed as dominance because individuals who are privileged do not necessarily set out to intentionally control others. McIntosh discusses what can be done to bring an end to white and male privilege.…
“Understanding the persistence of privilege requires recognizing…
The human race is over 200,000 years in the making, and we still struggle with treating women as someone who is equal to men. Sexism is not hard to find look around. It is probably happening right now. Women experience some type of sexism at least once a week, if not on a daily basis. No one is born a sexist, people are taught to be sexist.…
There is no hiding that in modern society, individuals are not equal. They are criticized, neglected, and taken advantage of due to various factors such as race. Communities may say that inequality was abolished long ago, however, the truth is that inequality is still here. Leaders, assorted articles, and various events in recent history have come to prove this anti diverse world. They share their anger, their thoughts, and their fears of racial inequality, hoping that one day it will soon change however, it hasn’t.…
76). In an expanded version of “A Question of Class” acquired separately from the provided reading though the class, Dorothy Allison mentions that everything in our culture is seen by one pair of eyes and shaped by one pair of hands, and everything cooperates with this process. Even if one does not identify with what the media portrays, one is still shaped by the message the media creates. This relates back to my own personal interpretation of the readings about privilege. Even though one may be able to understand that a certain group receives privileges, identifying as a person of privilege is not such an easy task from a psychological perspective.…
The text, Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson, is a 156-page detailed account of Johnson’s views on American society and how social class, race, sexual orientation, gender, disability status, and privilege causes a “difference” in the way we view each other. Johnson’s personal views on how these factors affect the way members of the minority live and survive in current day United States is aimed at raising social awareness. The text, written by Johnson, identifies the social principles that form the belief of privilege and entitlement, often making jest at the very serious issue of inequality. This was a quick and easy read, yet was packed with valuable information and valid arguments. Johnson delves into American history,…
Sexism in Everything America has come a long way facing sexism through time. In the forties, women were expected to be a housewife, now women are taking on jobs that most people thought only men could do. Even though there have been breakthroughs, there are still some issues that should be addressed. No matter who you are or where you are from there will be a time when you will be exposed to sexism. Sexism is a category of oppression where people discriminate others based on their sex or gender.…
Power and Privilege Power and privilege is exhibited when a group of individuals have an advantage over other groups in the same circumstance. These groups often carry the power over oppressed groups and often hold power positions in society. This power and privilege can been seen in every part of society including school buildings. Power and privilege be regarding race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and/or disabilities.…