Sunday, May 20, 2012
June 11…Privilege, Power and Difference
Johnson
defines privilege in an unusual way. If, upon reading about his version of
privilege, you recognized its existence in places/situations you hadn’t
previously, please share (provided you feel comfortable sharing). Note: This
can be a situation in which you are the beneficiary of privilege or one in
which you are not.
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I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with this book. Johnson articulates almost everything I have a problem doing in a succinct way- I could run holes in a carpet trying to explain the things he has in the first three chapters. My background with the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies department (with the loving acronym of GSEX) at VCU has really prepared me well for reading this book. I was taught Peggy McIntosh’s definition of privilege and I have been thinking about these multiple systems of oppression and how they affect me since signing up with the department. I remember in my “Intro to Women’s Studies” class I had to write a paper in which I had to explore one way in which I was privileged- as defined by McIntosh- and one way I was disprivileged and how that works. I was so impressed by the ways in which Johnson defined these terms and his comfort with the constant discomfort of the acknowledgement of his privilege (if that wasn’t a mouthful). He articulated a lot of things that I just couldn’t convert from brain waves into words during Ms. Kidd’s presentation the week before last. I now really want to take this book to the professors in the GSEX department and show them the margins of my book where I noted things before reading them and recognized names and concepts. And if anyone was wondering- maintaining more than one identity simultaneously is defined as intersectionality (one of my favorite words from my gender studies background). Intersectionality explores how multiple identities interact with each other- much like how Johnson describes being privileged and “oppressed” or disprivileged as I call it simultaneously- Chapter 3 (Johnson looks at it as the Matrix of Domination/privilege – described by Pat Hill Collins and Estelle Disch).
ReplyDeleteI digress from my mini rant- but I was extremely excited to open a book that has navigated all of these issues so well, especially from an individual who has the most privilege as a white, male, heterosexual and nondisabled individual. These topics are not easy to go through and navigate, let alone tackle head on- as I believe Johnson did and I am so thrilled that this book is out there to help visualize privilege and how it works with power. I have had a lot of time to think and reflect upon this definition of privilege and it is something that I sometimes struggle with because of how, as Johnson puts it, privileges can sometimes change. If we were thinking about the Diversity Wheel (p 15), I would be talking about the things located in the outer ring. It is also something I struggle with because I have found that not only are these discussions difficult to have to have breakthroughs with some of my friends, but they are difficult to navigate with my home life. When I see privileges asserted above others, I really want to say that, but in the end I don’t because I fear that I won’t be understood or I will offend someone with what I have to say and it is a tough line to walk. I have found myself only really talking about these issues among other GSEXers and people that I have met through that major in school and I fear that it will always be that way. I have even brought up white privilege in my class at the Richmond City Jail and it was met with hostility and as one of two Black students in the class it was daunting and needed to be addressed, but at some points I still felt pretty small by the way I was being attacked, because other individuals in my class felt attacked by my bringing up the situation in the first place- I only even attempted it because my professor supported me and created a safe place to explore the issue but, again, it’s tough. A lot of this book was reaffirming a lot of the information that I had already gathered in my course study, but the books sheer existence gives me hope that I can have these conversations outside of a very sheltered environment if more people have access to the information presented.
I’ll admit when I first opened this book I was ready to face another guilt trip about how nice it is to be White, and male.(At least I didn’t’ come from the upper-class, as not to complete my perceived “evil-triad”) It’s not easy to admit that those kinds of attitudes actually contribute to the problem of privilege. However, after the first 3 chapters I didn’t feel so apprehensive, I found myself more introspective and trying to sincerely see the ways others around me are oppressed through privilege, perhaps my privilege. Johnson’s definition of privilege reminds me of a book by Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, were he focuses the reader to more critically analyze oppression outside of the typical context of those with guns, money, and power makes the rules. Instead we must examine the relationship between the oppressors and oppressed in each of our lives in a purist of mutual liberation. In this case we don’t see it necessarily as liberation in a typical sense but as progression of society to exterminate prejudice. Admittedly these lofty ideals can seem somewhat unattainable at times, because it’s no secret that people with the power don’t like to give it up. Johnson focuses on a more individual approach and in my opinion, one that’s easier for the average reader to comprehend and put into practice. We all need to more closely scrutinize the subtle privileges we are afforded each day without notice. I sincerely appreciated Johnson’s own personal acknowledgement that despite his extensive sociological study, he can never truly understand what it’s like to be a woman, or a person of color, or gay. The realization of those same limitations are likely what lead me to always feel discouraged to be a champion of social justice even though I cared so deeply. For instance, it's not uncommon for me to proudly stand up to a male white and typically more affluent "friend" who makes an tasteless comment, about gay people, or a black person, or a woman. I even privately donate to the organization freedom to marry, but I seldom will attend rallies for any of the previously mentioned groups. Why?Because something has always told me I don't deserve to be there. I haven't been affected on a scale anything like they've seen. Will they respect me as I stand beside them?After just a few chapters I realized that in fact I am addressing this so called “societal pink elephant” by acknowledging the problem and acting on it. It’s time for me to shed the apprehension and use my privilege to help erase my privilege.
ReplyDeleteLike Wenda and Derek, I found the first 3 chapters of Johnson's book to be thoughtful and well-measured. I, too, was expecting a guilt trip for being white, male, heterosexual, and without physical disability and have found that Johnson is very good at laying out these facts and conditions without assigning individual blame.
ReplyDeleteThese are conversations that I have been a part of going back to my freshman year of college (1996) – inclusion and awareness of privilege were the main topics of weekly mandatory seminars at Brown for the first semester of college. Many of the speakers and talks were conducted in a much more shrill manner than this book, and I found myself oftentimes bristling in the moment against the ideas presented. I definitely found it hard to be surrounded by people of color whose families were so much wealthier than mine and understand how I was the one with the privilege. Clearly, I needed an outlook adjustment.
Regardless of my initial push-back (I think sometimes I just like to argue), I have found myself frequently referring to those seminars in my work with CBF and especially in my time at WRIR (lots of these topics make the airwaves on our news and talk shows, should any of you be interested), and now view them as being extremely useful in interacting and coming to resolutions with people of all positions on the Diversity Wheel.
Ironically (or sadly) enough, I read these chapters on Thursday, right before heading out to play a gig in Carytown. As I was setting up, a waiter was taking the order of two young (early 20's?) Black women. As they ordered, he kept saying, “that's extra, just so you know,” in regards to their orders. It really made my hackles raise – would he be so insistent on making sure they knew it was extra if they were White? I am still unsure whether it was just some overly-heightened awareness on my part, or if I was only now viewing this in the proper context.
This book was good for me. In the past I have often felt anger towards individual manifestations of "isms". While discriminatory behaviors or comments on the part of individuals are problematic and must be objected, I see now how such behaviors are manifestations of a societal structure which institutionalizes privilege, oppression, and discrimination. Many times I have felt defensive or angry that I was am member of a oppressive group of people, namely white people. I have often felt as though I should feel guilty for being white. In reality these feelings offer little utility other than to reinforce the status quo out of defensiveness. I see now that the idea of acknowledging and understanding privilege is not to make people feel guilty, apologetic, or self defensive, but to recognize the differential treatment of various groups within our culture so as to empower oneself to be able to take an active role in dismantling the status quo. I have been trying now to pay closer attention to my own experiences with privilege and oppression and admit to myself some of the assumptions I hold about others, and it has been challenging. You don't want to believe you judge people based on their race, gender, sexuality, or physical ability, but a black lesbian handicapped woman would probably feel as though the world approaches her very differently than others. I can't imagine being followed through a store based on my race, or the threat that one may feel about speaking openly about a same sex partner, or being coddled or patronized (often with the best of intentions) because I have a disability. I can however understand what it feels like to be judged based on my gender and I try to use this as a proxy to recognize my own ways of deficit thinking.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this book I found myself continually thinking about my perspective of my father. My dad is disabled and in a wheelchair and in the past I have often grown frustrated with his attitude towards his disability. I always wished he would be more proactive, and I would grow angry when he appeared dejected or defeated. I must admit that I don't often think deeply and critically about what his everyday experience is like, and what types of messages he receives from his interactions with others. I wasn't blind to the fact that he faces difficult, sometimes grueling, challenges, but I don't know that I've considered the ways in which he is oppressed. Or at least I wasn't seeing the oppression in terms of systematic and institutionalized societal structures. I would look to people who were idealized in media who have disabilities but are making leaps and bounds in their ability to overcome them and I would become angry that no such initiative seemed too exist in my dad. I am realizing how unfair that is, to compare an out of context token feel-good story with his own life. If we can fail to see how our own loved ones are oppressed, imagine how often we fail to see how people less connected to us are oppressed.
The Johnson text has really impressed me so far. I think that his description and definition of privilege are very impressive. I appreciate the fact that he insists using the words “privilege” “white privilege” “racism” “sexism” etc. to talk about the problems our society struggles with, rather than using popular euphemisms. He claims that you cannot confront the problems and talk about them honestly if you do not call them by name, and he is right. He also makes it clear that although white privilege is not something that we should feel guilty about, because guilt will not accomplish anything, but something that we should openly acknowledge. This perspective is refreshing. I did not choose to be white, or heterosexual, and I did not choose to have the privileges associated with each, but I do have them, and I have to acknowledge that fact. I found the quote in the book by James Baldwin (p. 22) to be an accurate summation of Johnson’s description of privilege. “To be white in America means not having to think about it.” The same is true for every other “ism” that is talked about in the book. I do not have to worry about being defined in society by status as “non disabled” in the same way that a disabled person may have to worry about being defined by their own status as “disabled.”
ReplyDeleteReading the book, I became aware of privileges that I had never realized I had, most notably privileges that I am granted by being non disabled. While I had recognized that I had some privileges associated with this before, I had never really thought about it, or about what those privileges actually meant. His lists of privileges, not only for the non disabled, but also for white and heterosexual, are things that I have often simply taken for granted. I recognize when I am at a disadvantage as a woman, it is less easy to recognize when I am advantaged as a heterosexual, or because I am white, or non disabled, etc..
After reading the first three chapters of Johnson, I looked to the blog question to help me formulate my initial reactions to the reading. I tried to think of some ways in which I have been privileged based on my gender, race, class, etc., but honestly I couldn’t bring to mind any specific examples. It then dawned on me that my situation correlated perfectly with Johnson’s assertions that those who do have privilege cannot see their own benefits connected to that privilege. Making that connection is important for me, and from this point on, hopefully I will be more cognizant of the societal benefits I receive based only on my race, gender, etc. I want to be able to affect change in my day-to-day life, and hopefully Johnson will outline some ways to do this in Chapter 9.
ReplyDeleteLike Ashley stated, I respect Johnson for articulating the importance of calling these terms what they are – racism, sexism, and classism are the problems in our society, and it is best to confront them without obfuscating (you guys like that word?) them with soft synonyms. In order to really change things in society, we must be able to confront them.
I must admit... I came to this text incredibly skeptical. Even after all of the praise you gave it in class Kurt, something in me wanted to dislike this book. I really thought it was going to be a text where we just read about how different people are oppressed in different ways, and blah blah blah... same old same old.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was pleasantly surprised. Johnson really made me think about how there are SO many ways that different people are privileged. However, what I really appreciate the most is how he does his best to avoid playing the "I'm going to make everyone feel as crappy as I possibly can" card. It's because of the way that Johnson sets it up that I feel like the "privileged" will continue reading and, more importantly, CARE about the situation.
All too often, books like this are set up with the mission of making the "oppressors" feel awful about the privileges that they have... like Christina said, books like these want people to feel guilty. That is not Johnson's message. Instead, he wants us to realize that MOST if not all of us are privileged in some way or another. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL TO ME. This takes the reader's focus off of the ways they feel like they've been slighted and helps them recognize that their plight isn't the only one. As an African-American woman, this was a lesson that was a bitter pill to swallow (because I'm so used to the focus being on the problems of minorities and women, that I forget that I enjoy privileges of heterosexuality and the non-disabled), but medicine that I was happy that I took.
I really applaud Johnson thus far. He turned me from a non-believer to an engaged reader.
This text did cause me to see privilege in a different way. In the past I have often been the woman who says "i've never been oppressed as a woman," and its largely true. I have rarely been directly oppressed as a result of being female, I feel like I have always had all of the opportunities I could and I have never felt threatened, but I can certainly see how I have been operating in a system of male privilege. Part of why I didn't see myself as oppressed as a woman is that for most of my life I didn't count myself among women, because I thought it would make me weak or inferior (now where would I have gotten that idea?). I have only in the past few years been able to value, appreciate, and accept my female attributes, tendencies, etc.
ReplyDeleteI thought of my college boyfriend and how every day I would make him breakfast. I did it because I liked breakfast and I liked taking care of him. It never occurred to me that it had anything to do with gender roles or privilege, but then again he never made me breakfast, or even thought to do anything in return. I feel like it was just that we were each raised with different expectations - I received encouragement and positive reinforcement for being helpful, caring, and domestic, and he had simply never had those things expected of him. So he just didn't think of doing something in return for me making breakfast. He always thanked me. He was very sweet. He was not oppressing me directly, but he certainly was benefitting from male privilege. The kind you don't even know you have.
I've enjoyed reading this book, because, like the rest of you, it's nice to get through a chapter without having an existential crisis, asking myself what I can possibly to better to verify my acceptance of others and all of that. I think that Johnson's tone is perfect: instead of directly accusing people and informing them of what they should feel guilty, he invites us to take a step back and provides prompts for personal reflection. If truth doesn't come from within, I'm not sure where I can find it, so I'm confident that the personal inventory I have taken as a result of reading the first bit of the book is accurate and will definitely help me in the future.
ReplyDeleteI'll invite you all to read my last blog post, the one we posted in response to Pratt. Now, you all know me decently by now, and you all know that I'm not some kind of jerk or anything like that. But reading this post, I'll be damned if I don't seem like an arrogant white male. I hope it's very obvious that I did not intend this! Nonetheless, speaking for myself, I think that as a white male with a little bit of money, I should put more care into choosing written words and be more thoughtful when it comes to articulating my ideas. Even if I am unable to recognize that I'm operating on any of my various privileges, others may instantly pick up on my unstated disposition. Johnson has encouraged me to be more reflective on everyday matters, not just the "big stuff" like "don't be a bigot" or "don't hate gays" (this is just easy language to get across a point -- I don't have to convince myself to do these things).
One more thing that is interesting: my youngest brother (19) has been paralyzed from the waist down since birth. His spine wasn't formed all the way, resulting in a condition called sacral agenesis. As a kid, I used to sneer when he would ask me to grab him a glass or plate or something from the dishwasher, thinking that he could do it himself if he simply tried to do it. I always imagined that he was trying to play the crutch card. I'm sure some of this thought came from just me being a rude older brother, and I know that I was acting on a tough love principle, but what never occurred to me is that he was appealing to me not because he wasn't feeling like grabbing his own dishes, but because I am a) his brother, and he expected that I would act out of love and b) because I was already up, dammit! Being older, we've talked to one another about the mean things we did to one another as kids (he was a tattler, for sure) and ironed them out, but I think it's enlightening to know that even as a little boy, I was operating on an undiagnosed case of nondisabled privilege, which, as Emily pointed out about her college boyfriend, I didn't even know I had.
Building off of what Emily wrote....
ReplyDeleteI never considered myself oppressed as a woman, and didn't accept that my sex affects the way I'm perceived until college. Whether this is a testament to my parents, teachers, and other adults with whom I regularly interacted with growing up or a reflection of my own ignorance and unwillingness to accept the dual nature of privilege, I'm not sure. It's probably a combination of these and many other factors.
It's embarrassing that even at a supposedly progressive school like Cornell, speaking up in class firmly and aggressively was a largely male thing. People actually commented on how they were proud to have females in their class who voiced their opinions and acted like they had a right to. This totally threw me. In my upper-level science classes, I received a few "compliments" about my willingness to propose risky experiments or to ask questions - something that is "uncommon" for young females. It made me rethink every un-objective evaluation of my performance, and wonder if I was graded as "good-for-a-girl" versus just "good." (I'm still thinking through this, and hopefully will more fully articulate these feelings in the future.)
I've always been uncomfortable with "slutwalks." For my entire life, it has been so ingrained that I am largely responsible for my own safety and well-being. I know I am not alone among women in receiving talks about dressing modestly or behaving in a certain way in the name of self-defense. I would never encourage my daughter to parade around with everything on display, and I would not hold off on discouraging her from walking home alone from a club at 2am in the name of eliminating sexism. Is it right that we should have to take extra precautions that men generally do not? Is it right that we take on the responsibility to determine the outcome of male/female interactions via calculated behaviors rather than simply stating our wills? Definitely not. However, I would argue that changing the coping mechanisms and preventative behaviors women assume to deal with sexism cannot be removed until the oppression itself is fixed. I know that this is not something unique to sexism. It's inherent in all of the -isms defined in this book, and more. Looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
About a year ago I was subbing in Durham, NC which has similar demographics to Richmond. One of my students made a remark about me being from the rich part of town. In this case I felt my privilege being super exposed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with essentially all of the previous comments about this being a very good and eye-opening book. I can see how privilege isn’t something we consciously think about but it is part of our daily lives. For me, I am sure I have benefited plenty all these years from just being male, white (skin color), and non-disabled. I have often been told by the older people in my life that they wished they were my age and had my health. I didn’t really think too much about their statements and/or their reasoning behind them. The privileges we all enjoy are for the most part innate and while most of don’t look to purposefully exploit those privileges, others may perceive it as different. For example some may think that I have it easy being that I am healthy young white male, while I may think that celebrities enjoy privileges that many of us can just dream of. Am I right to assume celebrities purposefully take advantage of their privilege? I don’t know this and don’t want assume anything frankly just as I don’t want anyone to assume that I may purposefully take advantage of my own status.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how to connect all of this with my previous post about the Pratt text and racism. Could it be that many of those who purposefully look to capitalize on their privileges is a catalyst for racism and discrimination? I just find it disturbing that highly privileged people would look down upon the less privileged and even look to increase the gap between the two.
So far, the book has been interesting and enlightening. Like most of my classmates, I find that Johnson has done a fine job of handling the subject matter with the tact and sensitivity it demands. One particular idea that stuck out to me was the idea that you can't be oppressed if you don't belong to an oppressed category. I think that, at different points in my life, I've felt mildly oppressed by this or that external force, sometimes because I'm white or male or both... However, I guess I was just confusing bias for oppression. Still, a lot of these ideas still seem fairly rigid to me. Perhaps it makes sense, because I am middle class, white, straight, nondisabled, and male, that I'm still having a little trouble wrapping my head around the absolute reality of some of these concepts. I'm certainly interested to see what he has to say later in the book.
ReplyDeleteI had a professor in college who refused to check a box beside Race. He stated that there is no such thing as categorical race. Who can possibly say that they have 100% ethnic purity? Nobody. This is where social construction comes to mind. Race is simply a social construct and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the "luxury of obliviousness" struck me as interesting. Perhaps, I have not been extremely insightful in my life, but I have had the luxury of never really considering my race or gender. Never self-conscious about the aspect of my personal life. I wonder if this "luxury of obliviousness" is considered to be "destroyed" when I step into teach an all black classroom? I will surely be aware of my race, but even then I don't think it will count. I think I will be more aware of lack of experience as a teacher. Interesting to think about though.
Nobody is born a racist or aware of society's constructs, so when does this change take place? How old are we when we realize that race, and sexuality, and disability exist? Perhaps, society would be better off with a form of "colorblindness". Kids would not grow to learn social constructs.
It's Krystal
ReplyDeleteThis book helped me to see privilege and power in a different way. For most of my life, I always saw myself as being oppressed because I am black. Like Emily, I feel like I was never oppressed as a female, but now I see where this whole male privilege is occurring. When I lived at home with my family, my dad would always just leave trash everywhere in the kitchen and never clean up after himself when he ate. I would always have to clean up after him. I’m not sure if this was more of an “I am the child and obey what your dad says” or was this more of a male privilege. I think it is a little of both.
However, I also have had experiences I feel more privileged because I am a woman. In college when I was dating, my significant other would do all these nice things for me….as men should. If it was raining and I needed to go somewhere he would drive his car and come pick me up and take me where I needed to go. I don’t think I never opened a door for myself and I hardly ever paid for my own food. In these instances, I think being a woman is pretty nice.