Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Privilege, Power, and Difference...
Interestingly enough, a majority of the ideas Allan Johnson mentions in his article "Privilege, Power, and Difference" have been swirling around in my mind for most of my adult life. As a woman especially, it is easy to see how male privilege plays a role in my everyday existence. Whether males are being quickly being promoted or I am constantly scrutinized on my appearance, I know what it feels like to feel "Oppressed." Obviously, I fall under the upper middle class/white category as well so I know how it feels to be "privileged." I think the most important fact that Johnson mentions is that we can only imagine what it feels like to be oppressed. We can sympathize (and maybe empathize...); however, we can never truly experience what others have experienced as an oppressed group. (Not to mention fathom all the history behind their oppression.) The mentality that some of us hold that "Everything is ok...or Racism doesn't exist" is something that everyone in our American society needs to challenge. Everything is not ok; in fact, racism...and sexism...and homophobia...and a slew of other injustices still occur everyday, everywhere. It is not just being aware of their existence however; it is making a personal call to action to change whatever we can in our own...sometimes small but significant lives.
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Melissa,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up the interesting predicament that all of the women in our SED class are in: we are recipients of both privilege and oppression; more importantly, we cannot pretend to understand what all forms of oppression are like, no matter which category we fall into. We can, however, empathize. We can also teach our students about empathy, something I don't think they're taught often enough. Individualism is something this generation stresses so much, and yet, our students don't take enough time to try to understand one another and the feelings that they may have. Maybe once they learn how to do that, the conversation that needs to happen to change society can finally happen. You're right: everything is not ok, and it's our responsibility to change it.
See you tomorrow!