My initial reaction to privilege is one receiving accommodations or treatment based on a right that is granted to them. I personally think that privilege is something that should be earned not given because of a certain race or gender a person is. It just does not seem right that one is just given a right based on their race, gender, or even culture. With that being said, this new type of privilege that we are discussing, male privilege; I feel the exact same way about. I don’t think it fair that a male can receive recognition for a task, or get a job, or even a position on a team just because he is male. I have heard of this privilege as it is very common and dates back into history. My thoughts are that society is trying to equal out woman
“White Privilege and Male Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh discusses about white privilege and male privilege as an invisible privilege that does not become a topic for discussion in white communities. The children of white communities are taught to not recognize what is white privilege same with male. Instead of recognizing what is white privilege or male privilege, they become ignorant of the privilege they have compared to other races without privilege. Peggy uses herself as an example to understand white privilege and the advantage of occupying a position of privilege. In addition, she lists a list of conditions that she meets as a white individual compared to her friends, who may not meet the conditions.
In 1988, Peggy McIntosh wrote an article in the book Things Are Not What They Seem: Readings in Sociology entitled “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies”. Such a long title seems humorously unnecessary, is spite of the serious nature of its subject matter. In short, when McIntosh refers to “white privilege” she means that being of white decent allows her a set of assets at birth that people of color are not afforded, simply due to the light color of her skin. McIntosh proposes that white privilege is invisible to most Caucasians because they are not taught by their parents, teachers, or society that they are any better than other people. This is a double-edged sword because, while it allows some individuals to remain humble and socially compassionate, it blinds them to the fact the being white allows to a myriad of benefits not given to those of a darker skin tone. Of the unconscious benefits of being Caucasian that McIntosh listed, the two that I found most interesting were number seventeen (“I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color”) and number forty-six (“I can choose blemish cover or bandages in ‘flesh’ color and have them more or less match my skin”). The former interested me the most because I do not associate basic table manners with someone’s racial background. If a person eats sloppily I normally put it down to them simply lacking essential etiquette
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.
Barry Deutsch’s “The Male Privilege Checklist: An Unabashed Imitation of an article by Peggy McIntosh,” was composed to be similar to the list-style essay written by Peggy McIntosh. Her piece, titled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, illustrates the unrecognized racial advantage white individuals have in society. Deutsch in turn constructs a numbered checklist to showcase the invisible privileges that men receive from people. What exactly makes the article memorable and outstanding? Is it the elegant use of syntax combined with powerful diction that makes the writing “flow?”
After reading the article by McIntosh I was in complete agreement. I feel it is uncommon for the privileged group to recognize their own privilege. I know I have had conversations with my peers about white privilege and those conversations have not lead to the agreement that there is white privilege. I think you really need to do as the author did and list things that you would otherwise take for granted, find what is in our knapsacks. I find that I am always checking myself when it comes to my interactions with others. Did I act a certain way due to the race of the people I am around? From the article by Bronson, it is discussed how children differentiate on their own. Our brains are wired to find the similarities and relate to those. It makes
Although white privilege, even privilege in mass, affects everyone in this country, white people choose to leave the topic unacknowledged and rely on their white innocence, or ignorance rather, to exhaustively ignore that there is issue. Privilege is defined in the Advanced English Dictionary as a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all. Maleness by itself is an indicator of privilege and power. When you have both whiteness and maleness in your genes, you are set for life in here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
This statement took me for a loop. I defiantly have no idea where this author is coming up with these ideas. I had to read a few lines down from this sentence to understand that this is her own feelings and seems to have no facts backing her claim. To be honest, I don’t even understand this statement “white privilege” or the statement “male privilege.” I have heard the terms before but really have never taken it seriously. So what is white privilege? "White privilege is the ability for Whites to maintain an elevated status in society that masks racial inequality." (Wikipedia) So the same goes with male privilege. I
To begin with, reverse-sexism, or sexism against cisgender men, simply does not exist. Women, non-binary people, trans-persons, and even other men cannot be sexist against men. Sexism is a form of oppression and cisgender men are not oppressed the way that women, persons who identify as non-binary, or those who are transsexual are. That is not to say that there is no prejudice or discrimination that exists toward men, because there definitely is, but it is not sexism. Sexism is part prejudice, but it is also one part power and that power is always in a man’s favor. They have always had the upper-hand against women, even in the “progressive” society that exists today.
Black males have been racially profiled for a countless amount of years. Currently it’s continuously growing all around the world’s social media. For centuries black males have been labeled and stereotyped as gang bangers, drug dealers, dead beat fathers, athletes, entertainers, democrats, lower life expectancy, raised in single parent households, criminal backgrounds, uneducated, and government assisted. Media is how the world broadcast its news for people to be informed about newly received and noteworthy information. Not only people in America but citizens in other countries are watching the news daily. Also people are on the internet everyday looking at many different websites and blogs catching up on the latest news so it’s fairly
The purpose of this intended research study is to examine the effects the media has on the understanding of masculinity experienced by Black men. Through the qualitative research methodology of Critical discourse analysis this research study will examine the media betrayal of Black men in several visual media outlets. This research study will also examine the historical characterization of black men being lazy, childlike, brutes and unintelligence. The research study attends to show the effect the media in shaping the cultural understanding of black masculinity. The examination of black masculinity will be conducted through the visual media. Literary or written word such article and books will not be analyzed. The visual media such as movies,
Much of the documentary, It Happened Here, was a perfect representation of male privilege. When girls come forward after being sexually assaulted by fellow male students their claims are often not taken seriously and the blame goes back on the victims. Many times the victims are asked what they were wearing, if they were under the influence, and worst of all if they were sure that the incident was actually rape. One police officer actually had the audacity to tell one girl to stop spreading her legs, as if she asked to be sexually assaulted. Clearly the school views these girls as unimportant compared to the male student body.
What is learned in school, be it public or private, determines, for the most part, what position an individual will find themselves in - in the future. In “White Privilege and Male Privilege,” Peggy McIntosh, an author known for doing something that is rarely done in the white community--speaking of her race--makes references to education, to her privileged education, to support her argument on white and male privilege. Sometimes I wonder what society would look like without education; would there be any norms, or rules? Education is so deeply instituted into most Americans' lives that those questions will probably never be answered. One thing is certain; some people are able to get
Freedom and equality are ideas this country has had for centuries that have evolved over time. In 1776, what Thomas Jefferson meant by “all men are created equal”, is that white males are dominant in society. Women are treated worse than men and slaves treated worse than women. People that weren’t of the “superior” race/gender of a white male were typically treated as if they were less. Women and African-Americans aren’t being treated as bad today, but they’re still being treated worse than the white males of society. Even today, when white males are typically the leaders of society, it’s not always race and gender that creates inequality; sometimes it’s money that creates the issue. Not just from past evidence, but from present
When a child is born, it does not know anything about the world. As it gets older, the child learns morals and values from the people around it. One concept children learn is the role of gender in their lives. Young boys and girls are given different messages about what they are and are not supposed do in social situations, causing them to act and dress differently from one another. Gender is not something tangible that happens; it is something perceived by American society. Only by teaching children that there is no difference between men and women can the world have true gender neutrality.
Gender inequality has been an issue since long before the 1840s, when feminists finally brought the problem to light. Most ancient cultures were societies based on gender inequality, skewed towards male-dominance. Most societies are still mostly patriarchal, in fact. Patriarchy is the root of discrimination between sexes and genders and has been for a very long time.