The True Meaning of Having Privileges in Society
“Privilege” is something that will always be present in our world. How we decide to use these privileges determines how we will change the world. We can chose to use our privileges to benefit and help others, or they can be used negatively and create oppression. When most people think of racism, the disadvantages quickly come to mind because we are not taught the racism also puts some groups at an advantage.
![](https://paperap.com/wp-content/themes/theme/img-rh/star.svg")
5 (876)
“ Have been using her for a while and please believe when I tell you, she never fail. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome ”
A key question is; what will one do to lessen that privilege to create equality with all other people? In the two articles, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” and “A social Worker’s Reflections on Power, Privileged, and Oppression,” it talks further about what our privileges true mean, what being oppressed is like, and how we can use to benefit not only ourselves but others.
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” makes keys points about privileges, racism, oppression, earned strengths, and unearned power. Our privileges are based off of our cultural identity.
For example, the cultural identity of being a male has more privileges over being a female. Men may say they will work to improve women’s status in the world but they will not support the idea of lessening’s theirs. This protects male’s privilege from being fully ended. White privilege is quite similar to the male privileges.
When taught about racism, it is normal for whites to quickly think of the negative effects it has on other people because they are not taught that it puts them at an advantage. Whites are taught to not recognize the privileges, just as males are taught not to recognize theirs (McIntosh, 1990). When we do not recognize our privileges, we can unconsciously oppress others groups. There are numerous ways whites enjoy skin privileges without even realizing it. Whites are taught that they are “average” and when they work to benefit others, they are helping others become more like “them.” In this article, a listed was presented on some of the daily effects of white privilege.
Some of the examples were being sure that neighbors in their location would be pleasant towards them, turning on the television and see the white races represented, being sure that if legal or medical help was needed that the white race would not work against them, or arranging to protect their children from others who may not like them. If everything on the list is true, it leads towards the idea that our country is not really free; many doors open for only certain people solely based on the color of their skin. Yet some of the conditions were described work to over empower certain groups, other such privilege simply confers dominance because of one’s race or sex. The last thing that was pointed out in this article was the idea of earned strengths and unearned power.
Power from unearned privilege can look like strength when it is not; it is the permission to dominate. Positive advantages are ones we can work to spread, while negative advantages are ones that will reinforce our present hierarches (McIntosh, 1990). These negative advantages must be rejected, but in the example of men, many of them are not to stressed out about the unearned privileges they acquired. By only disapproving of the systems it will not change the world. Racism will not end by individuals changing their attitudes; it will lessen the problems but not bring them to a complete end. To redesign the system, we need to acknowledge the colossal unseen dimensions.
Although this will take decades, we need to answer the question what will we do with this knowledge. (McIntosh, 1990) “A social Worker’s Reflections on Power, Privilege, and Oppression,” makes key points on what our privileges truly mean and what it means for others who do not have the same ones. The author starts by stating his interests in issues of oppression, power, and privilege began with his own experience as a colored person who had experience racism. He is often placed in positions where others make assumptions about him or disrespect him. Just because of the color of his skin, he has been pulled by the arm at a restaurant and asked to bring out drinks, when in reality he was walking to the bathroom. He does, however, have the privilege of the light skin, which has allowed him to be more accepted.
Much of his culture has been lost, but he has had the benefit of pursuing a higher education and his employment at a university. His education gave him the privilege of living as a professional middle class man. He was able to choose the “right” location and the “right” schooling of his children. He would not have to feel the shame of using food stamps, but rather he spends on one meal what others spend on a weeks worth of food. As a man, he has male privileges. He will never have to worry about being sexually assaulted walking down an alleyway. One night after work, he found it inconvenient that when walking with a female, she refused to take the short cut down the alleyway.
For the female, she knows she does not have the physical safety privilege and there is a chance of a male assaulting her, as girls have been sexually assaulted there in the past. He feels another one of his privileges intensely at a Transgender Day to Remembrance, as he reads the name of a transgender that had been killed in the past year. Straight men rarely think about their gender and don’t acknowledge their privilege of not being beaten because of their gender identity, or having the police called on them for entering a male bathroom.
The author also stated how when he was growing up the worst thing someone could call him was “gay.” Gays face violence on a daily bias because of their identity (Spencer, 2008). This makes the author think twice about wearing a pink shirt. Also, when on the sidelines at a football gay, when a dad called a boy a “pussy” for not being more aggressive on the field, the author made no comment in the fear of being called “gay.” This creates oppression, because even though he did not active discriminate against anyone, he did also not do anything to stop it. The author also has privileges just from being an able-bodied person. He does not have to find a special entrance to different places, or ask for any sort of accommodations.
The author is assumed to have full cognitive abilities based off of his physical appearance, but also based on his psychical appearance people will stare at him because they are not normally around his “kind.” As a Christian, he has the privilege of not working on Christian holidays and knowing that no one would expect him to. As a social worker, the author strives to be an ally, which is someone “who rejects the dominant ideology and takes action our of belief that eliminating oppression.” Some of the characteristics are “taking responsibility for one’s own learning, acknowledging unearned privilege, and being willing to be confronted, to consider change, and to commit to action.” As an ally, despite his fears, he will task risks, make mistakes, but then learn and try again. The pursuit of critical consciousness is a lifelong process (Spencer, 2008).
Both of these articles reflect the values, skills, and ethics of a social worker. A social worker promotes social justice by engaging in activities that promote equality. Many of the situations presented in these articles would require the values of a social worker to help the people being oppressed. “Commitment to social justice is required a moral and ethical attitude toward equality and a belief in the capacity of people as agents who can transform their world” (Spencer, 2008). These articles relate to the values and ethics of a social worker because they discuss all of the different types of people in the world. You can be male or female, straight or gay, black or white, no matter the difference; social workers must be there. Social workers must value diversity; this is why cultural competence is so important.
Cultural competence is “the process by which individuals and systems responding respectfully and effectively to people of all citizens, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religious, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each (DuBois & Miley, 2014 p106). It was stated that the pursuit of critical consciousness is a lifelong process, this relates to a social workers skills and ethics because it is central to empowerment-based social work practice. (DuBois & Miley, 2014 p167).
I think that some people do have greater privileges than others. This is simply created because of the stereotypes in our world. There are stereotypes that the male is aggressive and the female is weak. This gives males greater privileges than females. Like in the article, a female can often be sexually assaulted while walking in an alleyway alone. There is a stereotype that she will be to weak to fight off the male. Males, on the other hand, have the privilege of walking down an alleyway alone, because there is not a fear of being assaulted.
Another example is a white and black man walking though airport security. The white man can walk though without any difficulties. The black man may be stopped and asked to open his bags. This is because of a stereotype in the minds of people today. They think that the black man may be carrying a weapon, when in reality it could be the white man. I think to be excluded or to be the “outsider” would feel horrible. It would make me feel as though I do not belong. It would make me feel small, powerless, and weak. I would feel as though people look down upon me and think that because of their skin color, something that one cannot control, that they are better.
There are many items in my “invisible knapsack” that have helped me to benefit from privileges that I enjoy. One of them is a school id. This item gives me the privilege to receive a higher education. Many cannot afford school; therefore no not have the privilege of education. Another item is having parents that work. This gives me the privilege of having a roof over my head and food on the table. My cell phone gives me the privilege of talking to people from across the world. My religion gives me the privilege of not attending class on Christian holidays. “Christian privilege is likely invisible to those who are Christian.” (DuBois & Miley, 183). There are many other items in my “invisible knapsack,” many that I am not consciously aware of, but they all contribute to myself enjoying different types of privileges, but also helping other people as well.
Privileges can be used in a variety of ways. Many privileges of a certain person or group can be used to benefit others. People with the privilege of being listened to, have the power to stand up for other people who are being discriminated against. In one of our class videos, a black woman was being harassed at a cash register. The cashier was giving her a hard time because of the color of her skin. A white woman stood up for her, which drawled attention to the store manger as well. When asked if there was a problem there the white women stated yes, there was. If she has not used her white privilege, the cashier would have gotten away with discriminated against the black woman.
Also, in another class video “What would you do,” many of the black people used their black privilege to stand up for a white woman, who was being discriminated by a black hairdresser. Another way privilege can help others is by giving. One who is privileged enough to have a job and money can help those less fortunate. They can give to the needy that cannot afford as much as they can.
Privileges are something that have always been present in our world and always will be. How we should to use to privilege will change the world. We must help others using our privileges and stand up for what is right. Social workers will help in the process of spreading equality and social justice on behalf of the vulnerable and oppressed populations.
The True Meaning of Having Privileges in Society. (2022, Dec 09). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-true-meaning-of-having-privileges-in-society/
