White Male Privilege Analysis

1) The article “White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack” explains that shows from a very young age, we are educated to see racism on an individual level, not only racism but oppression as well. The idea of oppression starts with the topic that women are at an disadvantage when it comes to the idea that mean are the dominant sex. The male population will always have an image that they are better than women. This ties into race because men are always in competition and we notice some men believe they're better than others due to ethnicity. McIntosh explains that white privilege using the idea of an invisible weightless knapsack. To summarize that, a white person in the United States has an invisible weightless knapsack that allows for acceptance, favors from the law, and common discrimination. This is truly an issue in the United States that should and will be addressed. We can raise awareness by simply treating everyone with the same respect, not because they share the same skin tone as you.

Peddy McIntosh highlighted various unearned white privileges in her autobiographical article “White Privilege, Color and Crime: A Personal Account.” She illustrated the white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that one white person could count on cashing in each day. White people have these privileges given to them by the society in which they live in. The same society taught them to be ignorant and unawareness of these privileges. This system of unearned privileges established by white individuals made people of color feel oppressed. In this system being white is a norm and dominant power. Caucasians, who benefit most from the white privilege system in the United States, are more likely to

In this section he describes how privilege is attached to race, gender and social class. Saying that being a white male, heterosexual, and non-disabled put you ahead of others. My question, though still in the developmentery stages of a sociologist, asks why should I be assumed to have a perfect life? And judged because of my advantages? My question merely deals with a micro situation though if I wanted it to pertain to a macro situation as well I would have to revise it to, Is it fair for oppressed groups to assume that a white, heterosexual, non-disabled male is better off then they are? I ask this question simply because I feel that I have overcome circumstances even people in oppressed groups do not have to face, and judging before knowing leads to stereotyping.

In Jeremy Dowsett’s “What My Bike Has Taught Me About White Privilege” he compares the inequality that non-white individuals experience in everyday life to that of a bicyclist. Defending this analogy, Dowsett gives a firsthand count of a bicyclist on the roadway.

White privilege is an advantage in society that is unmerited. Though it is practiced in every day life (whether it’s subtle or not), the majority views it as “absurd” and “non-existent”. It is a taboo that creates feelings of guilt, hostility and anger, but it must be addressed and understood in order to be eradicated. It is necessary for white people to acknowledge their part in maintaining and benefiting from a society that has thrived on racial hierarchy and white supremacy for centuries. White privilege is essentially the flip side of racism; racism does not only disadvantage people of colour, but grants white people power and dominance in our so-called “post-racial” society (McKintosh, 1). In this essay, I will argue that positive and widespread representation and implied acceptance are the most important features of white privilege. Widespread representation is the most important feature of white privilege because we live in an age where the media not only reflects, but also controls our real worldviews and attitudes. The second most important feature of white privilege is adequate housing opportunities and implied acceptance and respect. It is necessary to eliminate this system that puts people in power based on their skin tone and these two aspects are crucial in order to reach that.

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

As I read the required read "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" I noticed myself reflecting on it in a sense of sorrow. The sorrow I felt reading it was reflecting towards the realness in McIntosh words. In todays society it seems that "white privilege" is something that is assigned not entirely earned. As I say assigned I mean by the color of ones skin. I feel the article/journal I read illustrates that "white" receive and can say a lot of things that people of "color" can not. I got this impression when McIntosh stated things like "I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented." It seems that people think "whites" have a more advantage and get greater treatment

Many white Americans are living with the fear that they didn't really deserve their success, and that maybe luck and privilege had more to do with it, than brains and hard work. There are numerous reasons for the widespread discrimination at all levels, but the main reason for the existence of discrimination is a privilege to certain groups of people, and widespread social prejudice towards certain groups of people. Differences between people have always existed, but they gain in importance only when are different importance given to certain differences, so it creates privileges. People who are privileged in one society are often not aware of their privilege. It is very easy to be oblivious to the privilege. The problem of discrimination

In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh, the message that the author is trying to get across is that white men have privilege they have the freedom to do more than women without being coitized or judged by society. Women, and men of color are often judged as a race, an action of an individual of a different ethnicity or race whether it be positive or negative is reflected onto others of the same ethnicity. Individuals of color are constantly faced with racism and discrimination. This article connects to gender and women’s study, because we strive for equality. Only with equality can the society be fair, without privilege everyone would have the same opportunities and resources available. Women and men will be

Both of these excerpts are expressing visibility. The “White Privilege” article expressed visibility by trying to show whites about unseen racial and gender issues. One thing of the many things that frustrated me was when it was written. I looked up the publication date, which was 1988. I found that her arguments were old and seemed redundant. I feel this way because she didn’t really didn’t show way she felt the way she did. She didn’t really change my feelings on this because she only wrote her essay in one perspective, which doesn’t seem accurate to me. She tries to make a big deal about racial inequality, but she doesn’t make a firm stand on her perspective. She focuses on many different issues, and not on one. The condition she states

There are two prominent writer/scholars who have taken the issue of white privilege to heart and have shared their expert analysis on the subject; these authors/writer-scholars are Peggy McIntosh, a white feminist, and Beverly Tatum, an African American Psychologist. McIntosh, in her article "Coming to See Correspondences," makes excellent observations about the privilege that she has experienced just by being a white female in America. The two most significant points made by McIntosh

The term “white privilege” can sometimes cause defensiveness, or even an abrupt end to the conversation. This is because the term is often misinterpreted as an accusation against white people. In his essay, “What My Bike Has Taught Me About White Privilege”, Jeremy Dowsett helps his audience to understand the actual meaning of white privilege. He does this effectively by utilizing ethos, pathos, and an analogy. Dowsett is white, a fact that he makes sure to state near the beginning of the article.

In White Privilege and male privilege by Peggy McIntosh, the author compares male privilege to white privilege. It is often difficult for some to recognize this type of privilege as an advantage instead of a disadvantage of the other race. While the person may have whole-hearted intentions, not recognizing your own privilege can sometimes be frustrating for the person on the other end, as McIntosh points out: "At the very least, obliviousness of one's privileged state can make a person or group irritating to be with." (McIntosh, 2010) while it can be difficult to see racism, it is imperative that we do all we can when recognized.

In the movie, Time Wise, an antiracist and educator, explores racism and white privilege. He thoroughly brings up the phrase “white denial”, where politicians and others consistently believe that racism is in the past. In the reading in class we have also described this onset as colorblind racism (Golash-Boza 64). He also integrates living expectations and stereotypes into his video by describing his past. Tim had lived in an area where he attended a majority black school.