What 's A Status?

My racial background is important because not being part of a minority group, has opened my eyes to the opportunities that are readily available

When I think about white privilege, I see it as something I must understand to truly feel a relation to my own privileges with race. “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.” (McIntosh 1988) When comparing other privileges McIntosh sees that her life is more influenced by her skin color than class, religion, ethnic status, or geographical location. Tim Wise explains “even though there is more than one type of privilege, they can never fully eradicate white privilege.” “Understanding the persistence of privilege requires recognizing the sleight of mind that occurs on the subject of individuals as members of groups” (Wildman 2005). Early work done by African American sociologist W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) showed that studies with white workers over time came to see themselves as white unlike the developing working class with recently freed black slaves. DuBois was one of the first people to initiate the concept of white privilege.

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

We are always trying to figure out where we are in this world, or how we got where we are today. Obviously you have no choice of parents or where your born and these are two major contributing factors of who am I today. Being born white and a male society has immediately granted social advantages or white privileges. But, how privileged was I really? Being born in a highly populated city to first generations Americans without high school diplomas. I did have some advantages and I realized them growing up around my non-white friends. But compared to other white people I didn’t see my self privileged in many ways.

Moreover, to be white in the United States means that the lighter your skin, the more power, prestige, and property you have; which then results to the higher your social class is. To be white in the United States means you have easier access to the “American Dream.” The “American Dream” in which you are able to socially mobilize yourself to higher positions. According to sociologists, social mobility is the extent of which an individual can move in the class system. When you are white, you are oblivious to the systematic oppression of those beneath you. The education system, criminal justice system, and the government system are all in your favor. This white supremacy flows through our society. A few examples include the income gap between Blacks and Whites. People of color are paid less for the same efforts and level of labor compared to someone who is white. Some structural-functional sociologists believe this occurs in order to motivate those beneath the poverty line or in the working class will push forward and continue to extend efforts in order to possibly climb the social ladder. Others disagree and believe this income gap is the outcome of dominance and straining relationships due to scarce resources. Those who disagree are sociologists abiding by the conflict theory perspective. Of course, my definition and opinion on white

1. At a given time you occupy a number of statuses. These statuses make up your:

In society, race clearly affects one’s life chances. These are the chances of getting opportunities and gaining experience for progression. The social construction of race is based on privileges and availability of resources. Looking at society and the formation of race in a historical context, whites have always held some sort of delusional belief of a “white-skin privilege.” This advantage grants whites an advantage in society whether one desires it or not. This notion is often commonly referred to as reality.

The ways some of my privileges are related to race are to the fact that my mother is white. She is very educated, and a successful business owner. By having the upper hand in life, my mother was able to take care of me great.

Some examples where my white skin has awarded me unearned benefits are purchasing a home in an area I could afford and wanted to live in. When initially qualifying for a mortgage my loan officer did not question my financial credibility. At the time, I was an unmarried pregnant woman who had just started working at car dealership 3 months prior after being self employed for 3 years with no stable income. Had I been black or a different nationality, the loan officer may have felt like he was wasting his

Like Thind, I know of people who have some white in them and try to use it as a benefit to get the things that they want or need. It’s sad that we as humans have to pretend or try to be something we’re not to get ahead in life by being considered “white”. We as human beings should all be afforded the same rights, dreams, and desires no matter what our skin color is. Skin color should be what you are, but not define you as to who you

The master status is “…a status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life” (Macionis, 2013, p. 97). The master status that I most identify with as having the biggest impact in my social identity is always being physically connected with my future wife Kaisha as allowed by society either by holding hands, or other innocent ways of physically being together, and the title of this particular description of a master status is, “one who is a part of that couple that never lets go” (as labeled by others). There are many role sets that are attached to my master status such as playing the loving partner role, future husband role, caring friend role, and protective partner role. Role sets

A person's status within the family, within the religious community,

Jane’s statuses include being daughter to a mother and a father, a sister to a brother, a girlfriend, a student at the University of Mississippi, a church member, a friend, and a worker at a boutique on the square in Oxford, Mississippi. Ascribed and achieved statues can separate these statuses. Ascribed statues are ones that one is simply born into without having to do anything (work) to be in the certain status. Examples of an ascribed status in contexts of Jane’s statues would be her status of being a

To begin, I would like to examine the privilege that I inherited when I was born to a white mother and father. It is important, as a white person, to end the silence that so many white people engage in daily, regarding their privilege. It is not common to hear people speaking about the privilege they experience. This may be due to guilt. It may also be because most people wouldn’t want to willingly admit that all they were able to achieve, the stability they feel in their lives, and the pride they feel for the success that they created for themselves, in large part is due to how people in society perceive them as members of a privileged group. This isn’t to say that those who have achieved success have not earned it, but it must be said that skin color has made certain things easier for white people, and that it may have played a large role in their ability to achieve their potential. Of course I worked hard to be where I am today, but I

First of all, being in a white, Midwestern, middle class family already put me in the dominant group in