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Privilege by Dave Mayo - WASP
As members of society, interacting with and governed by those around us, we all have certain privileges that allow us comforts that others may not have. Some of us are more privileged than others. Some privileges are earned and some are unearned. It is these unearned privileges that we must be aware of. These unearned privileges allow us to slide through our world with just a little more ease than others, overlooking them, bypassing them. This journal attempts to document the inherent, unearned privileges I hold that many, in fact, do not.
Socioeconomic Class It is difficult to imagine my life without socioeconomic privilege. My family has always been, at least as long as I can remember, middle to upper-middle class. As a young child, I vaguely remember that we had only one car, but that was quickly remedied. I also remember assuming from a very early age that I would be more successful than my father, because this is what he told me. I still believe I will be. We have always had money for food, shelter, vacations, toys and birthday presents, both for me and for all my childhood friends.
If I need to go across town, I can simply get in my car and go rather than having to first consult the schedule for the local mass-transit system. But, should I need or want to take the bus for whatever reason, I can use my cellular phone or my broadband Internet connection to quickly consult the schedule.
If I find that I actually am running out of money, and even though I have been “on my own” for almost a decade, my father will transfer funds into my bank account on the day that I phone him.
Race I believe race to be the most easily overlooked privilege fount. For a Caucasian male to actually realize he is being preferentially treated is near impossible because it happens at almost every instant of a given day. The benefits reaped simply for being white could, however, be passed along carefully to individuals of other race. I have noticed that my white privilege passes, although not directly and not without some distortion, to my other-racial friends. When we associate together, they benefit from my privilege. Likewise, in the rare situation in which they have greater privilege than I, the reverse is true. Simply being aware of racial privilege is the means to unlearning it.
If I am walking down the sidewalk toward an approaching young woman and she crosses to the other side of the street before we meet, I can be fairly certain that her reason for crossing had nothing to do with me.
If I ever have to sink to manual labor for employment, I can be sure to be in management within months if not immediately.
Under no circumstances will any government agency suddenly discover my presence and force me to leave this country.
I needn’t worry that a job for which I am interviewing will be given to someone else simply because of his or her race or gender.
Gender Of course, gender can afford enormous amounts of privilege. The obvious privileges I did not list or include images for because they are so well known. I can take a job from a female even if I am less qualified. I can secure a lower price for goods and services at a car dealership or a mechanic. I can be fairly sure to win in a political election over a woman. I can be frank with my employer about a problem I am experiencing at work without appearing weak. If I ask for a raise, I can seem confident, even bold, without offending my employer. All of these things are simple realities of being male.
I don’t have to consider the possibility that I will be asked to forgo my career to stay home with children.
Sexual Orientation • Homosexuality is gaining social standing in America and in other parts of the world. Still, there are those who would not only treat heterosexuals preferentially, but house violent animosity toward everyone else. Gay bashing was a phenomenon in the early 90’s and media coverage has dwindled, but there are still regular cases. Being heterosexual means that I can choose to ignore this altogether. Being a responsible and decent human, though, requires that I shrug off apathy.
I can be certain that my relationship partner and I can go out to any bar or restaurant or other public venue, hold hands, and even kiss without even being noticed. Further, if we decide we’re ready, we can be legally married in any state in the country.
Ultimate Privilege: All of the Above My most powerful privilege is not any one of the previously listed privileges but the combination of them all. All of these privilege sources, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, race, gender, religious affiliation, merge to form a single overpowering, supreme privilege: I am everything that is “American” and nothing that is not.
No matter who is elected in this year’s presidential race, my individual position in society will remain roughly the same.
Because of my socioeconomic class, race, gender and religion, I can be fairly certain that no matter who is in the White House, my life and my immediate surroundings will remain relatively constant. This is not to say the democratic process is not beneficial or that I do not have a preference as to who is elected. Certainly, I am not implying that the President and his supporters do not reshape the world every four years; they do. All I mean is, no President will remove my privileges … because they would be robbing themselves of the same ones.
I can be sure that, at a party, I will not overhear a joke at the expense of my race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
What If? So these privileges are unearned and constant, but what if we could unlearn our privileges? What if we could stop using them? We cannot simply stop though because our privileges require no active participation on our part, they simply exist. Throughout our daily lives we are affected by them, we do not put them into action in our favor. We can, however, recognize this phenomenon. If we intentionally reject or transfer our privilege, then we subvert the privilege system with which we are taking issue. What if we could do that?
Socioeconomic Class • What if I took the bus? • What if I drove to the bus stop, picked up a passenger there and gave them free passage along the bus route? • What if I gave money to the homeless man that asked instead of pretending I had nothing to give?
Race • What if I refused a promotion over a person of another race when I knew they were more qualified? • What if I joined my black male friend in the gas station one minute after he went in to force the cashier to re-evaluate his/her initial impression?
Gender • What if I asked a woman for help so that she felt empowered and those around her saw that she was? • What if I voted for a woman in the next political election? • What if I advocated feminism?
Sexual Orientation • What if I rallied with gay friends for gay marriage? • What if I told my patriarchal family that I won’t marry until my gay friends can? • What if I wrote my Georgia congressman? • What if I raised my opinion when I heard an anti-gay joke?
By questioning our actions and the actions of others, we can become more aware of our own privileges. By questioning ourselves about how we use or are affected by these privileges, we may be able to use them to the advantage of someone lacking privilege. Or perhaps, we need to simply refuse the benefits we receive from certain unearned privileges. However we accomplish it, rejecting, extending or transferring our privilege is a way of unlearning the everyday practice of taking advantage of our fellow human.
