Post 1: Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson

 Privilege, Power, and Difference By Allan Johnson

    The topic of privilege, and what defines it, has been increasingly important in the current changing world. The book "Privilege, Power, and Difference," written by Allan Johnson, aims to spread a clear understanding of how the economic and social systems that construct our modern society have created barriers and obstacles for people that forbid certain types of people from achieving success. Below I have picked out three quotes from the reading, describing certain claims that Johnson makes.

1. "Our collective house is burning down, and we're tiptoeing around afraid to say 'fire.'"

     At this point in the reading, Johnson is describing the fear of using words like "privilege," "racism," "sexism," because they immediately evoke a defensive reaction from those with "privilege." Using these words is not an accusation. Johnson stresses that using these certain "taboo" words is vital for a discussion about discrimination. If you can hear these words without feeling that you are "being blamed for something you didn't do" then you are ready to have a real discussion about this topic.

2. "The ease of not being aware of privilege is an aspect of privilege itself..."

    Allan Johnson continues the discussion by addressing readers of the privileged class of society. People who are privileged, don't think about being privileged. In other words it is something that is taken for granted or something that is just normal in their lives that they don't recognize. On the other hand, people who have been deprived of privilege are aware of who has it and who doesn't. They are the ones that think actively about it. Johnson stresses several times throughout the article that the first major step in changing the system would be for those of privilege to accept their privilege and then use it to inspire change for those society neglects.

3. "Individuals are the ones who experience privilege or the lack of it, but individuals aren't what is actually privileged. Instead privilege is defined in relation to a group or social category."

    Johnson goes further by stating privilege is more about white people than white people. Because the social category of being white assigns people privilege, it is the fact of being white that allows people to benefit. The personality or beliefs or any psychological or moral factors of a person are not taken into account when offering privilege in this modern society. People have no control of privilege given, or not given to them based off of their race, because race is a factor that cannot be controlled or changed. Even if one feels guilty about having privilege due to being white, it is still an uncontrollable factor. 

    Lasty, a point I found very interesting was a reference Johnson made to the African American novelist James Baldwin, in which he describes race and social categories as human constructs. What were to happen if you were to strip the labeling from society, especially one with a system of privilege and oppression?