White Privilege And White Skin Privilege

To fully understand what white privilege is, one must first understand the origin of white privilege. White privilege actually began in the time of Britain’s struggle to conquer Ireland and control its people. Because of the dominance of Britain and the stubbornness of Ireland, a rise in cultural perception that Irish were inferior people gave rise. This did not just mean their society, but also their humanity. British people at that time perceived Irish as a different type of species, and had biological traits which was passed down that made them unequal. This allowed the British to feel no empathy and remorse for the Irish. When the British came to America, they also brought their social and cultural views of race with them. Capitalists, for example, controlled the conditions and resources of their companies, because of superiority and greediness- the less the capitalists payed for the labor and the materials, the more the capitalists got to keep. In time America became a large Agricultural country. The capitalists needed a large scale of cheap labor. They then

White privilege is a term used to describe the advantages in society that white people have over people of color. This concept is not new. It has been around, in America especially, for many years. We can see examples of white privilege in contexts such as slavery, the Civil War, and segregation. While we have overcome many racial issues in this country, racism and white privilege still exist today.

I feel Peggy McIntosh offers compelling points in her article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”. White people in our society tend to take for granted and not even realize how easily they can live their lives without the discrimination that others endure. They don’t live in fear of being a victim of racism because they are not used to that kind of treatment themselves. Being white is viewed as the norm in our society, while it is also normal to treat anyone who is non-white differently. People in our American society are quick to stereotype any race that is not white. Anybody who is non-white must continuously have their guards up for racism and are often labeled social unacceptable when they do not deserve to be.

I agree with your responses on the White Privilege article. White people do not realize they have privileges until the observe themselves. For instance, how the author did in the article. The author observed her actions and the actions of people around her, and see began to notice white privilege. I like the way you stated white privileged as an “invisible package.” I thought that was a great phrase to describe white privileged. However, while people who are not white experience white privileged daily is frustrating. I disagree with your response that white privilege is use to oppress others to their advantage. I could agree with that in the past, however today the world is changing allowing everyone to privileges not matter of race or ethnicity.

Readings assigned for module 2 focus on white privilege, a societal privilege that benefits white people over people of color. White privilege is described as an invisible knapsack by Dr.Peggy McIntosh, a white female American. She lists things she knows she has the privilege of, thanks to her skin color. Such privilege is also often seen in gender. Males tend to have more freedom and freedom than women.

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.

‘Whiteness’ is a socially constructed category of race, where people who are not ‘white’ are racially designated while ‘whites’ escape designation as if their racial category is not historically and ideologically based (Puzan, 2003). Race is socially constructed (Dyer, 1997) and it is important to acknowledge this in order to address its impact. Unless whiteness is labelled and confronted, being ‘white’ is usually considered the ‘norm’ which acquires certain social privileges, while all other socially-constructed categories of ‘race’ are considered different or, as Puzan (2003) terms it, the ‘racialised Other’.

Privilege is defined as “a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most” (Dictionary.com). If we live in a country where even the discussion of the privilege of causes controversy, we are living in a state of denial. Efforts to engage in political discussion are too often deemed as inappropriate or offensive. The only way to understand white privilege is to maturely engage in conversations about the topic. America is founded on diversity and it would not be what it

Today, the U.S. is considered a “post-racial” society, and many believe that in this day and age, equality is much more prevalent among races. However, the word “many” is mostly referring to the white population in the U.S.. Majority of white people often refuse to believe that they have more privileges, or benefits, compared to people of color. Throughout history, and even in todays society, white privilege has been an issue that many people of color have discussed. For example, research shows that white people are much less likely to be arrested and jailed compared to black people, even though blacks only make up 30% of the population, they make up 60% of the prison population. White privilege and the advantages received through colorism is very much evident even now in current times.

White privilege is a form of structural racism where whites are routinely advantaged while producing adverse outcomes for people of color such as Blacks and Hispanics. White privilege is a historically based system which still exists in the United States (US). In my view, white privilege system marked the beginning of racial inequality in the US. White privilege exists in the United States and is one of the contributing factors to the injustices people with color are facing in the US.

The term “privilege” is when a person has the right or confused with having the right to do something. For example, for someone to advance their education is not a privilege perhaps it is a right. In some cases during certain situation person can be granted the privilege. White privilege is a word greatly used in social rights that advantage individuals to be acknowledged as white in Western countries, afar what is frequently proficient by non-white individuals in the same social, political, or economic conditions (Rothenberg, 2016). However, when a certain race color is treated more superior than another race is giving the advantage or benefit to have the opportunity to do anything they want without anyone trying to stop them.

Firstly, white privilege entails wide media representation, where people of colour are consistently underrepresented. Many people don’t see this as an issue at all, but it is necessary

When discussing the issue between African-American and Caucasian the claim of is white skin privilege a myth can be debatable. Paul Kivel claims yes, from White Benefits, Middle-Class Privilege. Tim Wise claim No, from “The Absurdity (and Consistency) of White Denial: What Kind of Card Is Race?” Paul Kivel and Tim Wise both agree that African American and Caucasian have received different treatment. However, Paul Kivel states, “Privileges are the economic extras that those of us who are middle-class and wealthy gain at the expense of poor and working class people of all race.” Tim Wise believes that Caucasian is in denial that discrimination is a real problem. After reviewing both claims I believe Tim Wise made a more valid point. Wise states,

The chants of SEC SEC SEC echo across the sports world during the college football bowl season. The underlying notion in college football has been that the South Eastern Conference (SEC) is the most dominant conference and home to the best teams. This notion was placed to the ultimate test in the 2016-2017-bowl season. The long time notion of the SEC’s success has been destroyed after a horrible bowl game performance calling from this notion to be removed.

Minorities are still fighting to be seen as equals and treated as human but people still think we have achieved equality today. It really is up to educators to teach children about white privilege and how it affects people. White privilege is something that white people benefit from just because of what they look like, but they have no control over it. This can range from having more opportunities for jobs to being more likely to have enough money to go to private school. I am focusing more on the idea that white people have these benefits and have the privilege to deny that such a divide exists. Being able to dismiss the idea of white privilege shows ignorance and can minimize the experiences of those who have suffered at the hands of white privilege.