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What Does Privilege Mean?

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What does privilege mean? According to dictionary.com, the definition is “a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most.” Who are the privileged class? Furthermore, what do we do about it? How do we stop the violence regarding privilege and discrimination? Privilege is described by Peggy McIntosh as existing “when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they’ve done or failed to do” (Johnson, 2006, p. 21). She continues to describe two types of privilege. First, there is privilege known as “unearned entitlements”; things that people should have but certain groups may not have. If we did away with all …show more content…

23). Examples of this form would be men dominating over women, whites over blacks, straight individuals over gay individuals, and privilege pertaining to physical abilities. This is where we have to do the hard work of eliminating that power difference. Equality for all. Everyone is affected by privilege whether you believe it or not. I for one was (and still am) a bit on the edge of acceptance of this phenomenon. To say that I am privileged for being white did not sit well with me. If living the American dream means that I own my house (or the bank allows me to pay month to month), I have a job that I work hard in, a husband and four children, a couple vehicles and am able to continue my education, then I am living that dream. I am the first in my family to continue their education. I don’t have all the top-notch gadgets or the newest …show more content…

According to Johnson privilege exists when we allow one group to have more power than the other; when we put people in those social categories (Johnson, 2006, p. 126). Oppression can come in many forms and cause many different behaviors to show. Those who are excluded, do not weep the benefits others seem to have, and have violence shown upon them tend to be aware of privilege more than those who have it. The ones who have privilege get defensive and deny it; but it truly exists. (There is where I was prior to this class). In order to do this we need to talk about it, not seeing it as their problem but a system problem. In order to do that we all have to work

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