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White privilege does exist, but I think the OP and some others have made a good case that it's not always relevant when you consider other privileges and "handicaps" a person can have. Of course, no matter what discrimination you receive it's good to recognize what privileges you get, as well, if the goal is a more self-aware and just society.
I believe as a white woman, I receive less discrimination and judgement than a black woman of similar means. However, as a white girl growing up in a predominantly Mexican (and poor) neighborhood, I can see what being the "token minority" feels like on some level. I felt like in that community being white caused undue attention, suspicion, ridicule and stress of not fitting in or having the same background as my peers; I was told not even to go certain places without a Mexican "escort" because I would have been physically attacked for being white without someone to vouch for me. I received a lot of sexual harassment based on being white. In that situation, a lesson of "white privilege" wouldn't be very useful.
White privilege does exist, but I think the OP and some others have made a good case that it's not always relevant when you consider other privileges and "handicaps" a person can have. Of course, no matter what discrimination you receive it's good to recognize what privileges you get, as well, if the goal is a more self-aware and just society.
I believe as a white woman, I receive less discrimination and judgement than a black woman of similar means. However, as a white girl growing up in a predominantly Mexican (and poor) neighborhood, I can see what being the "token minority" feels like on some level. I felt like in that community being white caused undue attention, suspicion, ridicule and stress of not fitting in or having the same background as my peers; I was told not even to go certain places without a Mexican "escort" because I would have been physically attacked for being white without someone to vouch for me. I received a lot of sexual harassment based on being white. In that situation, a lesson of "white privilege" wouldn't be very useful.
If you receive less discrimination and judgement, now is that a "privilege"?
Its like saying that a bully is walking down the beach kicking sand on everyone and he misses kicking sand on you, so you feel "privileged"? There's no "privilege" in NOT getting sand kicked in your face.
If you are born in the USA you have rights, granted at your birth, to be whatever and whoever you want to be.
You even have the right to make excuses and place blame at others, for not becoming who you want to be.
Born in the USA is a privilege.
If you receive less discrimination and judgement, now is that a "privilege"?
Its like saying that a bully is walking down the beach kicking sand on everyone and he misses kicking sand on you, so you feel "privileged"? There's no "privilege" in NOT getting sand kicked in your face.
It wouldn't simply be that a bully missed me, it would be they deliberately didn't kick stand at me because they liked me better for whatever reason, even if I'm not aware of that reason (and they might not be fully aware of it either). I could go around thinking I'm lucky because I didn't get sand in my face, or claim that I charmed the bully so he wouldn't kick at me and profess how it's everyone else's fault they got kicked even though I did nothing in particular, or I could recognize that I had an advantage that I didn't earn and strive to create a better environment where less people get sand in their faces. I'm going for option three.
It wouldn't simply be that a bully missed me, it would be they deliberately didn't kick stand at me because they liked me better for whatever reason, even if I'm not aware of that reason (and they might not be fully aware of it either). I could go around thinking I'm lucky because I didn't get sand in my face, or claim that I charmed the bully so he wouldn't kick at me and profess how it's everyone else's fault they got kicked even though I did nothing in particular, or I could recognize that I had an advantage that I didn't earn and strive to create a better environment where less people get sand in their faces. I'm going for option three.
But that's all conjecture and there's no proof of anything, its just theories, and we all have theories and opinions. Whatever the reason you didn't get sand kicked on you, the bottom line remains that its not a privilege to NOT get the sand kicked at you, for whatever reason.
You can view it as an advantage that you didn't earn, OR you can view it as a disadvantage for someone else and that other person's disadvantage has nothing at all to do with you.
But that's all conjecture and there's no proof of anything, its just theories, and we all have theories and opinions. Whatever the reason you didn't get sand kicked on you, the bottom line remains that its not a privilege to NOT get the sand kicked at you, for whatever reason.
You can view it as an advantage that you didn't earn, OR you can view it as a disadvantage for someone else and that other person's disadvantage has nothing at all to do with you.
I see what you mean now. You are saying that privilege should be distinguished from basic rights or common decency because privilege implies an undeserved advantage instead of others having an unfair disadvantage. It gets muddy when you try to distinguish what 'rights' those would be, which are an ongoing debate. It's easy to say getting sand kicked on you by a bully is something no one deserves, but what about access to higher education, or a well-paying job? Is benefiting from another's disadvantage a 'privilege' or something else...?
White privilege analysis would profit from a closer scrutiny of types of privilege to make clear their particular relation to injustice and other moral wrong; as things currently stand, there seems to me often an implication that all forms of White privilege fall into the most morally heinous of the three categories, that of unjust enrichment. Students should learn these distinctions. Teaching them poses challenges similar to the moral asymmetries related to racial victimization – that it is morally worse to victimize members of a vulnerable racial group than a dominant one. Making that distinction can lead some students to think there is nothing whatever wrong with a race-based victimizing of a member of a dominant group, when there is, on the grounds that it is less wrong than a comparable act victimizing a member of a vulnerable group.5 Similarly, there might be a concern that distinguishing the lesser moral concern of non-injustice-related privilege from unjust enrichment privilege might lead students to deny that the former is of any concern at all. However, this challenge is not a reason to deny a genuine moral distinction but only to find a way to enable students to appreciate moral differences of degree, a challenge that arises in many contexts.
The idea of privilege serves to encourage participation of the 'dominant' group by defining their role more specifically in a system of inequality; and that is a worthwhile development. Even if you have no part in directly creating the disadvantage for someone else, you can still benefit from it, and that's the biggest problem identified through the concept. The term is definitely not a perfect characterization of a multi-faceted issue and makes a horrible buzzword, that's for sure.
I see what you mean now. You are saying that privilege should be distinguished from basic rights or common decency because privilege implies an undeserved advantage instead of others having an unfair disadvantage. It gets muddy when you try to distinguish what 'rights' those would be, which are an ongoing debate. It's easy to say getting sand kicked on you by a bully is something no one deserves, but what about access to higher education, or a well-paying job? Is benefiting from another's disadvantage a 'privilege' or something else...?
The idea of privilege serves to encourage participation of the 'dominant' group by defining their role more specifically in a system of inequality; and that is a worthwhile development. Even if you have no part in directly creating the disadvantage for someone else, you can still benefit from it, and that's the biggest problem identified through the concept. The term is definitely not a perfect characterization of a multi-faceted issue and makes a horrible buzzword, that's for sure.
Good post.
Here's another way to look at it.
If the disadvantages that minorities had were in some way the "Fault" of whites, wouldn't every minorities disadvantage be equal to everyone elses? In other words, if there's a pecking order and Whites are on top, and the disadvantage had something to do with them, everyone else would be "tied for 2nd". But, i don't think that's the case.
I'm pretty sure Asians (for example) are not viewed by society the exact same way as African Americans. So, if all white people disappeared tomorrow, there would still be a "pecking order" as far as privilege goes, whites can only be somehow at "blame" for privilege if their disappearance would mean all races would somehow be equal in the privilege department once they were gone.
The people who deny the existence of white privilege are the ones who are typically the most privileged. A white person doesn't have to fear police brutality and discrimination at the same level as a person of color. If a decent looking white woman goes missing, it will hit national news. A black or Hispanic woman? Not so much. You also don't have to worry about having your achievements dismissed because of your race as race doesn't play an integral part in your life and the way you are treated. I get sick of whites accusing blacks of getting jobs and scholarship money solely on race and not on education and work ethic and experience.
White privilege exists. To deny its existence just furthermore proves my point that whites live in a delusional fantasy and do not grasp the opportunity and certain privileges thag come with being of the majority.
The people who deny the existence of white privilege are the ones who are typically the most privileged. A white person doesn't have to fear police brutality and discrimination at the same level as a person of color. If a decent looking white woman goes missing, it will hit national news. A black or Hispanic woman? Not so much. You also don't have to worry about having your achievements dismissed because of your race as race doesn't play an integral part in your life and the way you are treated. I get sick of whites accusing blacks of getting jobs and scholarship money solely on race and not on education and work ethic and experience.
White privilege exists. To deny its existence just furthermore proves my point that whites live in a delusional fantasy and do not grasp the opportunity and certain privileges thag come with being of the majority.
But why is a white person not fearing police brutality and discrimination some sort of privilege? If a stranger comes up to you on the street and says "im going to beat you up" and then you say "please dont" and then he says "ok, i wont" are you going to say "thank you for the privilege?"
It's understandable that everyone has struggles in life, but there will always be people who are born into conditions more favorable than others. In some circumstances, sure, being white will help, but this constant complaining that seems to have kicked into high gear lately does nothing to help your own situation (those claiming white privilege).
Imagine how frustrating it would be to have worked your ass off to succeed and have someone tell you that you've had an easier time in life because of your race.
While that may or may not be true, you're only going to make enemies. This person played no part in making the world the way it is and guilt tripping people who are out in the world doing their best for their own family is counter-productive. There's too much opportunity to take advantage of to continue with this excuse. Life will never be fair and far greater people have died to help us get to where we are currently.
We have it 10x times easier today (Black Americans) then at any other point in history.
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