I Am A White, Heterosexual, Christian Female

Prior to beginning my readings on white racial identity, I did not pay much attention to my white race. If someone had asked me to describe my appearance I would have said short blond hair, blue eyes, average stature, etc. One of the last things I would have noted was the color of my skin. Growing up in overwhelmingly white communities, I never thought to use the color of my skin to differentiate myself from others. Over the course of this dialogue I have learned that my white racial identity is one of the most defining aspects of my appearance in this society. There is a certain level of privilege that I am afforded based solely on the color of my skin. According to Peggy McIntosh, “White privilege is like an invisible weightless

In the documentary A New Eden: God in America, the class was given the opportunity to explore America’s chase to religious freedom and the political challenges it took to achieve such and opportunity where people for the first time were given a chance to seek religious faith that was not imposed upon them, but one that they can personally choose to live for themselves. The problem that would come about during the arrival Catholic immigrants’ as it was thought to believe their arrival would come to oppose the very religious they worked so hard for, while from their perspective they were merely trying to live an average life in America with all it has to offer just like everyone has. The challenge was most expressed in a judicial case of public

Personal privilege is privilege one receives based on unearned qualities such as skin color, gender, socioeconomic status, demographics, or cultural characteristics (Lee, 2007). Being White and growing up in a predominately White community limited my exposure to other cultures and races. While I was limited to my exposure to other cultures and races I have become aware of White privilege and who it influences interactions with different races and cultures. Whites tend to view “their own beliefs and actions as normative and neutral” (Hays & Chang, 2003, p. 135). This action influences and limits the cultural and racial interactions Whites experience (Hays & Change, 2003). Due to working in a predominately White community it can be easy to forget the importance of establishing racial and cultural differences with clients. Continuing education is exceptionally important in continuing one’s multicultural awareness. As a supervisor this will be my duty to instill this importance into my supervisees (Hird, Cavalieri, Dulk, Felice, & Ho, 2001).

The apparent dominance of White-Europeans in America results in a common set of values, beliefs, and norms that are endorsed by Whites, leading to an America whose vision is filtered through the lens of the White-European perspective. This established vision and power creates the social construct of the ethnic “other.” As an ethnic “other” in America, my analysis incorporates my personal experiences and the experiences of those around me. In a nation that has a population so diverse in personal and collective identities, problems regarding morality and culture can arise. In the America of the past and present, the norm by which all are measured against is that of a heterosexual White-European. This norm creates a conflict with the marginalized groups who wish to gain acceptance by and into the dominant culture, but are not allowed to do so due to their

The word “God” or “Christianity” is often thrown around in the political world today. Candidates often can be seen supporting the invasions of other nations, but then claiming a strong devotion to God only a few moments later. The question is, “how has America become such a broken nation with such distorted views of the role of Christianity?” The emergent idea of America as a Christian nation is an important and relevant issue with many possible consequences. In reality, there are many cultural and religious influences in the nation, but many people have internalized the idea that the Christian religion is not solely an influential aspect of our society, but instead helps to construct the society itself. Personally, before reading

At its core, white privilege is described to be an “invisible package of unearned assets” (McIntosh, 2002, p. 33) for white people. There are many layers explaining the manifestation of white privilege and even more explanations pertaining to its dominant presence in today’s world.

White privilege embraces the behaviours, values, beliefs and practices of the dominant white culture (Puzan, 2003). There are often unnoticed advantages

Peggy McIntosh, a well known anti-racism, defined white privilege, which all caucasians can use, as “an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I am meant to remain oblivious” (McIntosh, 1988, p.1). White privilege serves several functions. First, it provides white people with “perks” that they do not earn and that people of color (POC) do not enjoy. Second, it creates real advantages for whites. White people are immune to a lot of challenges. Finally, white privilege shapes the world in which we live — the way that we navigate and interact with one another and with the world.

Shannon Sullivan reveals what white privilege looks like from someone who deals with it on a daily basis, a white woman. Sullivan discusses how white privilege in this day and age can be an invisible and sometimes unquestioned norm in our lives in America. Sullivan speaks up about her own race and the ways it has affected her life. The book discusses the delicate effects white supremacy has had on America. Sullivan also prompts white people to start standing up to the podium and discussing the issues they see when it comes to race. In Sullivan’s writing, she states how white privilege is not discussed much amongst white people and that she wants them to own up to their privilege and to go against the norms of their environments that allow these activities to happen.

We talk a lot about our social location, or identifying who we are. Before I get further into this paper I wish to identify myself. I am a white male born to two white, heterosexual Anglican parents. I grew up having mostly white friends, until graduating high school. I also have been diagnosed with clinical depression, which is a significant attribute of my identity. As a result of these intersectional attributes they create an identity that is both privileged and oppressed and these elements change depending on the situation (Curry-Steven, 2007, p.37). It is important to understand who you are, as it will shape who I am in the work I do as a social worker.

In this sense, I noticed how privileged I am because of my sexuality, socioeconomic status, and country of origin. I was raised in a European country where I had the same ethnicity as the majority. Coming from an upper-middle class family, I never suffered from poverty or the stigma associated with it. This means that I grew up in a nice house and in a nice neighborhood where my neighbors were also middle-class families. I could walk alone around my neighborhood without the concern that I could be assaulted or robbed. This means that I was part of a privileged group, but without being aware of it since, as a kid, my parents could afford healthy food, medical bills (such as dentists, dental brackets, or new glasses) but, also toys and clothes. Furthermore, I was able to participate in extracurricular activities or go to college without worrying about the financial cost. Moreover, I have not struggled with stereotypes or stigmas that come with lower socioeconomic statuses such as thinking that they are less educated. Thus, I was never questioned for being intelligent, honest, or hard-working. Overall, I never faced discrimination or racism and that makes me unaware of how it truly feels like. For that reason, I need to acknowledge my identity

This article deals with the seen and also the unseen aspects of white privilege. The article discusses how male privilege and white privilege are connected to one another. Additionally, this article give 46 examples of how an individual white woman is able to navigate her day with the unseen privileges of her being the part of the dominant group. The dominant group is taught not to see their privilege and most of the time do not even realize they benefit from such a phenomenon.

One of the fundamental rights in the U.S. constitution is guaranteed to all citizens in the first amendment. We have the right to practice any religion of our choosing, including the practice of no religion at all. The framers of the constitution even put the freedom of religion before our rights to free speech and free press (Haiman). This constitutional right allows America’s blend of naturalists, pantheists, theists, and spiritualists to practice their beliefs without interference from the government. This collection of religions adds to our diverse culture and creates an atmosphere of individuality without persecution. The Christian worldview possesses very unique qualities that separate it from the others. Christians believe that only one God exists (Timothy 2:5) and that he created mankind in his own image (Genesis 1:27). God then sent his son Jesus to die for the original sin of man and to allows us to ask forgiveness for our sins. Christian values are built off the teachings of the holy bible and are absolute with the teachings of God. In order to analyze the Christian worldview and actively practice it without persecution one must investigate the belief in God and his son Jesus, understand human nature, and accept restoration and redemption.

The religion of Christianity is a practice that has been apart of the American nation since it’s early founding, but what is the United States relationship to Christianity? In this class we have discussed three very different versions of the “Christian Nation” dialogue in the books that we have read throughout the semester. These books include John Fea’s Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?, Matthew Sutton’s American Apocalypse: A History of Evangelicalism, and Kevin Kruse’s One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America. Each book gives a different interpretation of the relationship between the United States and the religion Christianity, and how this relationship shaped the United States to the country that it

Thenature of this paper, which deals with the presence of a subconscious set ofparticularly American beliefs, inherently involves more reflection than thegathering of data. Whatsimportant is the way we live, not the historical manufacturing of facts whichis more evidence, not description, of the current Religion of the AmericanEconomy. And while most ofthese truths should be self evident (like any good preamble), some statisticswill be cited to illustrate their culmination in everyday life. To set this new dogma in context, Iwill also describe the founding principles of Christian living, with particularattention paid to the