Privilege

We use the word privilege to describe special opportunities we are given that other people do not have. In many cases, we are given privileges as a reward for good behavior. When I was growing up, for example, my parents gave me more and more privileges as a result of my increasing maturity and responsibility. But sometimes, people experience privilege that is unearned. These privileges can be easily overlooked by the people that have them, but are probably much more apparent to the people who lack them. Based on the McIntosh article about privilege, I would say that I benefit from white privilege, but am adversely affected by male privilege. When I think about the many things I am blessed with, I could say almost everything is something that some people do not have. I could list any material object and say that some people aren’t privileged with it, but I’m going to try to think of as many privileges as I can that are similar to the type that McIntosh lists, things that are less concrete. Her list really made me think about the things I take for granted. Being able to walk into a store fairly certain she wouldn’t be harassed by security was one of the privileges that stuck out to me. Not once have I walked into a store feeling like the people working there would label me as a potential thief. But I have also never walked into a store thinking I was relieved not to be labeled as such. I have this privilege, but it is something that I have never really thought about before. I think that is one of the difficult things about white privilege and other unearned privilege. The people with the privileges often don’t even notice them until they really think about it. I agreed with most of the privileges that McIntosh listed, but I feel that some depend a lot on her environment. One of the privileges she lists says, “I can be reasonably sure that if I ask to talk to ‘the person in charge,’ I will be facing a person of my race.” In the small town where I grew up this would certainly be the case. But in the few weeks we have been in this class, I have already met several people in prominent positions who are not the same race as me. I wouldn’t assume this to be a “privilege” of mine in the environment I am in today. But on the other hand, maybe this is the case, generally speaking. So what are my privileges?

· I can go about my everyday life fairly sure I won’t at any point feel like I’m in the minority, whether it be because of my race, gender, or anything else.
· “I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking” (This is one of McIntosh’s privileges, but I thought it was very interesting and applicable.
· I never feel unwelcome or disliked because of my race.
· I don’t have to worry about being treated badly by police because of my race (although I think age and gender might play a part in the way I am treated by police).
· When I do get pulled over by police, I don’t worry that they might search my whole car for drugs when stopped for a minor violation like speeding.
· My parents and other people around me encouraged and expected me to excel academically and go to college.
· I’ve never worried that my race would cause me not to get into the college I wanted or get jobs that I want.
· My civil rights have never been jeopardized because of my race.
· I’ve never lived in an area or had to regularly go to places where I felt scared and unsafe.

These are the some of the privileges I came up with. I’m sure there are many more that I have never even considered. I thought the McIntosh article was very interesting because it really made me think. I think privilege is an important thing to consider because, as McIntosh indicates, being aware of the problem is the first step to correcting it.


Sources: McIntosh, Peggy. White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies.