What is White Privilege? Flashcards
Group Privilege
refers to subtle cultural beliefs and inevitably, social interactions that contribute to a broader environment where members of some groups experience social advantages and others do not. Group privilege is a macro-level form of racial inequality. It pervades (spreads throughout) our culture, has a disparate impact on members of various social groups, and does not require specific “work” to keep it going.
White Privilege
a term coined by Peggy McIntosh, describing the automatic and unearned educational, social, and economic privileges that white people receive - it exists without the overt or conscious actions of any individual
Unearned Advantages
things that make a white person’s or man’s life educationally, economically, and socially easier but do not requires any work on the part of the individual
Examples of unearned advantages
- being taught by people of your race
- being taught by a curriculum that focuses on the accomplishments of people of your race
- other groups are portrayed in a negative light
Where does group privilege come from?
being part of the majority, meaning the statistically largest social group, or the group with the most social power (political representation, business ownership) - e.g. white privilege in South Africa, white is considered the “norm” in society
Group privilege means that your whiteness or maleness is considered an ____________ or _____________ part of who you are.
Although all white people have _______________ of race privilege, some have __________________.
some degree, more than others
Male Privilege
the nearly invisible set of standards we use to evaluate social behavior - e.g. emotional expressions are condemned because they are associated with women
examples of male privilege
- “woman earns 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man” - his wage becomes standard
- “ok guys” (not girls)
- ellos, one girl “taints” it
some suggest that male behavioral norms are used to judge job and promotion candidates - the 9-5, full time only model
Warren Farrell - The Myth of Male Power
- argues that men are disadvantaged because they are expected to…
- be the primary breadwinner
- fight in our nations wars
- have higher rates of suicide, alcoholism, criminal victimization
- male privilege and the aggressive male stereotype lead to this
Heteronormativity
the tendency to assume heterosexuality is the norm and to structure society in a way that reflects this assumption - also known as heterosexual privilege
Examples of heteronormativity
- “when you fight with your girlfriend or boyfriend”
- “when you get married”
- the social assumption that stable, monogamous relationships are the most desirable as are the sexual appetites and preferences of heterosexual people
- assignment of roommates to college dorms
- when doctors take sexual histories of their patients, they restrict focus to heterosexual relations (number of partners, use of contraceptives, exposure to risks)
Individuals who recognize they have privilege based on race, gender, or sexual orientation must to what two things?
1) acknowledge their unearned benefits
2) ask what they can do to end it
for example, tactfully calling out posts that seem racist or homophobic, living in a multiracial neighborhood
intersectionality
degrees of privilege - specific individuals experience different degrees of privilege depending on the totality of their social identities
Color-Blind Privilege | Charles Gallagher
Companies as diverse as Polo… have each crafted advertisements that show an integrated, multiracial cast of characters interacting and consuming their products in a ______________
post-race, color-blind world
