Middle class privilege will be defined as benefits enjoyed by members of middle class society that those who are not in this class, specifically lower class individuals, do not enjoy. Though this list will surely not encompass all of the privileges, it will hopeful serve to show that privilege is not only limited to a particular race or sex.
- When at the grocery store, I can make choices based on other characteristics such as nutritional value, not just cost.
• I can afford to send my children to schools that I consider the best because I can afford to pay for them.
• If my child is struggling in a class, I can afford to provide a tutor for him or her.
• If I or anyone in my family is sick, I can go to the doctor and pay for the medications that are prescribed.
• If I or anyone in my family is sick, I can afford to miss work.
• I can afford to take my family on vacations.
• I can afford to live in neighborhoods where I feel safe.
• I can afford a safe and reliable mode of transportation.
Heterosexual privilege can be defined as privilege enjoyed by members of society who engage in romantic relationships with members of the opposite sex. This list is only a fraction of the privileges enjoyed by heterosexual individuals.
- I can hold hands with my significant other in public or show other forms of PDA without fear of what those around me will say or do.
• I can bring my significant other to meet my family without worrying about if they will accept the relationship due to his/her gender.
• I can expect to learn about other people with my family structure in class.
• If I want to be married anywhere in the United States, I have that option.
• I do not have to be told that my form of sexual expression is a sin.
• My significant other can make medical decisions for me if necessary.
These lists serve to show that viewing oppression from a privilege standpoint can be enlightening for the privileged group. However, what does the privilege framework do for those who are not privileged? Should unprivileged individuals merely hope that the privileged group will out of the goodness of their hearts give up those privileges? While it is possible that some privileged individuals will elect to abandon those privileges, many will choose not to do this. Therefore, while it is important to enlighten people about the privileges they enjoy, it most certainly cannot be the only method of tackling oppression.
Ciara,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last statement that allowing the privileged to recognize their privilege cannot abolish oppression. Privilege is seen as a positive, making it hard for those with certain advantages to give them up regardless of their awareness of the issue. However, oppression is seen as a negative, and in speaking in terms of oppression, it is easier to define more specific problems to address. Privilege as a systemic problem allows it to be invisible. As a result, privilege is perpetuated as a "way of life," and most people who have privileges cannot willingly give them up for those they percieve to be outside the social norm. In addition, privilege is also masked as individual merit, making the privileged even more attached to the idea that they are special and deserve to be privileged because it is based on their own individual efforts.
This is one of the most difficult questions I have faced, in life. How do I get people to 'see the light' and 'change their ways'. The old saying, 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink', is appropriate here. But to clarify, there is one additional piece to the riddle, in my opinion. The horse will never drink the water unless it is guided to the source. Meaning, we must at least continue trying to expose the privileged to their unearned social status and benefits. But this is a major point of contestation. As Ciara and viece have pointed out, its not that easy to inspire individuals to give up their privileges; why would they? But this is where I think the paths cross. Because we have been raised and shaped by a capitalistic society that runs on cost/ benefit analysis, then we must attempt to illustrate why a system in which the undeserving privileged prevail, is not a society that we want to live in. Of course this is an extremely difficult task, but a revolution wouldn't be a success without it being a strenuous and difficult endeavor.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think it is important to keep in mind that, in our attempts to bring peace and equality to a violent and discriminatory system, we should avoid using violent forces to achieve such goals. That is, we mustn't try to "change people", but construct an environment in which those privileged individuals will be more likely to "change him/herself" and personally decide that it is more beneficial to relinquish his/her undeserved privileges, and to actively work against them.
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ReplyDeleteCiara, I really liked that you presented privileges from a socioeconomic and heterosexual point of view. I have always looked at privileges from a racial or sexual privilege standpoint; however, your blog helps to see that all aspects of our society are grounded in this privilege system. It obviously makes it harder to counteract the problem of discrimination in our system but by listing privileges we be able to understand what all we are able to give up. Going along with what Viece said, I agree with your last statement as well. There are probably other ways to help people understand more about the privileges that they have; however, I think that listing them and spelling them out in the way that you did is the most important stage in "englightening people about their privileges." I had never thought of the concept of "privilege" until I took Philosophy of Race last spring where we discussed racial privilege. I would not have been able to understand this thought of white privilege or that I didn't have such privileges unless they had been listed clearly. Therefore, I think your method of listing these privileges has a big impact in helping people understand and give up their privileges.
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