Reading 5: Privilege, Oppression, and Difference

1. Basically the point of this chapter is that the author believes that white males have more power and privilege than any other group of people in the United States. The first sentence is a good summary of what is to come in the rest of the chapter. It reads, “The trouble that surrounds difference is really about privilege and power- the existence of privilege and the lopsided distribution of power that keeps it going. The trouble is rooted in a legacy we all inherited, and while we’re here, it belongs to us.
2. The author starts out by saying that generally we are fearful of people who are different than us. The author gives an example of how a lady in a wheelchair saw that children became more afraid of her year by year as they became older. The author then explained how white people in the country are more privileged than people of other races. An example is used that a woman in Africa is viewed as African, but when she comes to America she is viewed as black. Another example is given as a Norwegian man sees certain privileges when he comes to the United States because he is white. After that it is explained that because a person has a disability, they are labeled with that and it affects the rest of their life. The author says that “white” people and males have more privileges than other people and that they become defensive about it. The author believes that the only way for this to change is for the people with privileges to accept it and give it up. One type of privilege people have is unearned privileges, which are things all people should have but some people don’t. The other privilege that the author describes is conferred dominance which says one group has power over another. The author then provides a long list of privileges that white people have over African-Americans and other minorities. The author goes on providing a long list of ways that men have advantages over women. After this another list is provided listing ways heterosexuals have advantages over gays. Finally another list is provided including privileges that non-disabled people have over people with disabilities. The author says that the consequences of this are that there is uneven job distribution, wealth, income, and everything that goes along with that. The author says that even though these people may not feel privileged, they still are no matter what they think. Even though many people have these privileges, sometimes they still aren’t happy because of their guilt.
3. The author his many valid points in his argument. There definitely are advantages to being of a certain race or gender. This author has made it seem like a white male pretty much has it made and doesn’t need to work hard to be successful in this country. On the other hand he makes it seem as though an African American woman has a slim chance to make something of herself. While I agree that white males may have some advantages, they are not as blatant as the author describes them to be.
4. This author brought up some interesting points in this article. Also I think this article maybe a little out of date. It seems like some things that were on his lists have been improved in the last 10 years or so. For example the author says on page 27, “Whites can reasonably expect that if they work hard and ‘play by the rules,’ they’ll get what they deserve, and they feel justified complaining if they don’t. It is something other racial groups cannot realistically expect.” I feel that a person of a race besides white can do all these things and get a good job. This was a very true article, but I think the author went a little overboard.