Week 1- 1/21

On Alan Johnson’s writing– Notes and other thoughts

Beginning

Alan Johnson brought up an interesting first point early on: the “defensive barrier” people have in regards to privilege and discussing privilege. I think for many people, when discussion on privilege touches on their own class and way of life, a defensive reaction is normal. People hear descriptors such as “white privilege” and take it to heart immediately. Most people don’t want to do wrong, and the idea that a harmful race based advantage can exist– especially one manufactured by the race in question– is troubling. But does that defensive reaction come from the idea that one self is not personally responsible for privilege or harm, or the idea that one may be contributing to it by being complicit with the system?

He brings up another interesting point– class is something that can potentially be adjusted or changed, but gender, race, sex orientation is immovable from our identities. Privilege is still a factor to consider even in regards to upper and lower classes.

Middle

“We are not prisoners to some natural order that pits us hopelessly and endlessly against one another. We are prisoners to something, but it’s closer to our own making than we realize” (p.4)

I feel this quote is very strong. As humans we are apparently averse to change, to the new and unfamiliar, but such mental adversity is a creation of our own, shaped by ourselves and the people around us. How much does culture exactly play into this? Not everything unknown or unfamiliar incites fear in humans, after all.

“Privilege is always at someone else’s expense and always exacts a cost” (p. 10)

I didn’t think about this next point that Johnson had brought– to initiate change, people in privileged positions need to be willing to accept that there are things to be changed, and work together with those less privileged to identify how there can be a shift. But because those who are privileged are in a position of comfort, to meet this change there must be a step outside of this comfort zone, something that many people might be unwilling to do. Words like privilege and sexism are directly tied to pain throughout history, and acknowledging it can create pain– a necessary pain to initiate change, but again, something that many are unwilling to experience or accept.

End

“[lower-middle class working white males] lack of class privilege, however, can blind them to the fact that the cultural valuing of whiteness and maleness over color and femaleness gives them an edge in most situations that involve evaluations of credibility or competence” (p. 25-26)

The list of privileges is astonishing to read all at once– especially considering that a list seemingly so comprehensive probably isn’t even a dent in the amount of privileges certain groups hold over others.

“I’m not race privileged because of who I am as a person. Whiteness is privileged in this society, and I have access to that privilege only when people identify me as belonging to the category ‘white.’” (p. 34-35)

An interesting point– privilege is tied to these social categories, but they are not reflective of how individuals feel about other races and social categories.

Conclusion/Summary

Alan Johnson argues that to begin deconstructing privilege and create discussion around it, individuals must accept that these constructs are creations of our culture, and that only through collective action and self reflection can we ever hope to begin discussion and change. Furthermore, Johnson believes that those in privileged positions are the ones that must initiate– even if such individuals may also be in a disadvantageous position in other respects, such as those related to class.

I wasn’t sure of what I should hyperlink for this first blog post. However, the subject of privilege and race-based privilege reminded me of “The Boondocks”, a raunchy Adult Swim comedy. The show centers around a black family who experiences a class shift to a suburban white neighborhood, and the clash of culture and privilege that follows. 

The show is full of commentary and brutal satire on American culture, especially in regards to racial inequality and the African-American experience. In a way, it ties back to Johnson’s writings– while the characters do experience a beneficial class shift, they are still ultimately subject to dealing with white privilege. In this clip, the show heavily satirizes how white privilege can play into interactions.