...Privilege and power are aspects of society that effects every individual who participates in the popular culture. These two aspects will either benefit an individual or group or cause an individual or group to undergo oppression. Privilege is defined as something an individual or group with power possesses that is denied to others simply based on groups individuals belong to (Johnson, 2006). Privilege has become a loaded word that often causes individuals or groups who belong to privileged groups to feel uncomfortable and defensive. It is common for privileged individuals and groups to deny the existence of privilege as long as the benefits of privilege continue (Johnson, 2006). By ignoring privilege, the denial protects the advantages privilege...
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...Race, White Privilege, and the Gospel Pre-Presbytery Workshop Presbytery of Chicago October 12, 2010 David Esterline, McCormick Theological Seminary Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 1 Why work against racism? Theological foundations God created all people good. To deny some people (because of skin color or language) the privileges other have, is to deny God’s good creation. To allow this system—in which some receive advantages simply because of skin color—to go unchecked is to deny that God made all people in God’s own good image. 2 Race Race is a social and political reality, not a biological or genetic reality. There is widespread agreement among scholars that race, as understood in the United States, is a social construct – rather than an objective, scientifically or biologically consistent characteristic of a person or group of persons. 3 Race How is it that there is such certainty about a concept that is so poorly defined? There is no agreement among scholars about a biological or physiological definition that can be sustained. 4 Race “Present-day inequalities between so-called ‘racial’ groups are not consequences of their biological inheritance but products of historical and contemporary social, economic, educational, and political circumstances.” American Anthropological Association 2006 5 Race Rewards—indicators of well-being—in the U.S. are based on racial group more than on any other characteristic or association...
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...Privilege, power, and status are the reigning forces of structuralism and constructivism. The majority group that interprets the behaviors, perceptions, and intersectionality of a minority group through the framing lens of social stratification has achieved dominance. With that dominance comes power and privilege. Minority groups since the beginning of colonialism in the U.S. have been trying to be apart (seen as equal) or separate themselves (pluralism) from the dominant group. However, there comes a time when once must conform to survive, regardless of the obstacles they may encounter. The conception that African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans, all minority groups, are created equal in the land of opportunity...
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...Privilege is the Greatest Enemy of Equality Educators most often consider multicultural education as teaching their pupils about Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and other descendants of color. However, multicultural education is not complete if it doesn’t challenge the root of structural racism and racial oppression: the matter of white privilege. It’s vital to understand white privilege and the role it plays in affecting society. In essence, white privilege is an unwilling and non-owned racism that has been ingrained into our mindset throughout history, and it affects how we interact with each other and how those who don’t share such advantages are affected. It’s a permeating factor responsible for many inequalities faced among races, widening the social gap between white and nonwhite Americans. Accessibility to education, jobs, and housing are all directly affected by societal inconsistencies of privilege and power. Ultimately, racism isn’t caused by white privilege; white privilege is caused by racism. Yet racism isn't a problem that resides in the minds of individuals; it lies rooted deep in our social institutions. It is necessary we reconstruct the societal ideologies of race and class to expel this self-perpetuating cycle. In this essay I will address these racial struggles for power and privilege, the role it plays in education, and my personal experience towards racism and how it has affected me as a person. Privilege, as defined by Websters Dictionary...
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...America has had countless presidents throughout the centuries. Many of them have had a lasting impact on American culture and its government. Over the years, as or society grew and had more cultural influences, our government has changed as well. James Knox Polk, one of the few “pre-modern” presidents, influenced the American government by creating new forms of executive authority through his presidency. President John Polk was a democrat who demonstrated the use of authority not explicitly granted to him, executive power, and that sometime its plays an essential role in government. Executive power is almost giving the president complete authority at times until a limit is met. His view-point on executive power could be described as a privilege by the president to be used by certain means necessary. He exhibits the use of his executive privilege to show that the power has a meaningful role in government in that there are certain circumstances that require the use of such power. Over the course of Polk’s presidency, he experienced many complications, but they are almost insignificant when compared to his achievements. For starters, his election was one of the closest in American history. The desire for additional territory in the United States was high, even after the most recent annexation of the Texas territory. Soon, America had acquired the Oregon territory known as the 49th parallel. The next action was to gain ownership of California, Mexican territory. By May 13, 1846...
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...Diane Baquedano Comm 315 Professor Puente 02/09/15 White Privilege Assignment My ethnicity is Central American. I am Costa Rican on my maternal side and Honduran on my paternal side. I am a first generation American on my maternal side because my mother was born in Costa Rica and moved to Los Angeles, California when she was ten years old. I am also a first generation on my paternal side as well because my father was born in Honduras and moved to this country later on in life. After reading the article by Michael Omi and Howard Winant, I learned how race was determined in the New World and how with time, the meaning of race changed by many factors such as science, social factors, and “common sense” qualities that people have when meeting people of a different race other than their own. In the New World, Europeans did not know what to call people that looked different than them and decided to outcast these people as “natives”, whom they believed may have not been human beings at all. This idea eventually led to slavery of non-whites. I agree with the authors about the idea of “racial etiquette” because race has become a part of who we are and what we go through every day. I know that being Hispanic has many stereotypes such as knowing how to cook well, speaking fluent Spanish, and most likely having Mexican ethnicity. In reality, none of these things define me but I already expect people to believe these ideas and perceptions about me. I also agree that these stereotypes...
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...Presidential Impact Report James Knox Polk America has had countless presidents throughout the centuries. Many of them have had a lasting impact on American culture and its government. Over the years, as or society grew and had more cultural influences, our government has changed as well. James Knox Polk, one of the few “pre-modern” presidents, influenced the American government by creating new forms of executive authority through his presidency. President John Polk was a democrat who demonstrated the use of authority not explicitly granted to him, executive power, and that sometime its plays an essential role in government. Executive power is almost giving the president complete authority at times until a limit is met. His view-point on executive power could be described as a privilege by the president to be used by certain means necessary. He exhibits the use of his executive privilege to show that the power has a meaningful role in government in that there are certain circumstances that require the use of such power. Over the course of Polk’s presidency, he experienced many complications, but they are almost insignificant when compared to his achievements. For starters, his election was one of the closest in American history. The desire for additional territory in the United States was high, even after the most recent annexation of the Texas territory. Soon, America had acquired the Oregon territory known as the 49th parallel. The next action was to gain ownership...
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...White American Privileges and Social Class Aieleen Lanot University of Hawaii – West Oahu White American Privileges and Social Class Privilege is a concept of sociology used to implicate that there are certain groups of individuals that have an advantage over others. “Social liberties use the term to mean benefits according to white people under economic, political, and social circumstance. (Anyon 17)” I agree with his stance because there is no extension of such privileges to individuals of other races such as Blacks, Hispanics or Asians. The use of this term is mainly in the social inequality context primarily in relation to social class, sexual orientation, race, age, and gender. Several recorded privileged elements show the advantageous that White America has in getting access to better housing, jobs, and education. This paper will explore the issue of White American privileges and how social class status is based on color of your skin and the financial means of your family. In the article by Peggy McIntosh, she defines, “White privileges as a package of unearth assets, invisible in nature and are obvious” (McIntosh 10). There is a comparison of white privilege to an undetectable light knapsack of assurance, maps, tools, guidance, visa, codebooks, clothes, passbooks, emergency gear, blank checks, etc. I concur with Peggy McIntosh analysis since there are several functions brought about by white privileges. These functions include provisions of “perks”...
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...Privilege, Power, and Oppression Name Institution Privilege, Power, and Oppression I am not merely an individual; I am a product of a system of privilege. This is Tim Wise's position about how the community participates in constructing an individual. His primary concern is social privilege. Maybe the privilege never favored him, and privilege made him work hard. The system of privilege shaped the direction of his life. The hardships caused by lack of privilege and the real life brought by privilege is his construction: a product of the system of privilege. He is conscious about the power and legacy of privilege in the society (Tisdell, 1993). He says that Politicians often talk about issues like housing, poverty, healthcare and education, but they rarely link them to the role that racism plays in the United States. He adds that the media often reports personal crimes while under-reporting organized and traditional discrimination. In the country, Black and Latino males are most prospective to have their cars stopped and searched for drugs. Tim’s argument regarding the color-blind perspective relates completely to the issue of the privilege system. In the system, color-blindness is treated like an inability. Talking about the realities race, oppression and white privilege make people uncomfortable. There are races that feel superior and their position oppresses the minorities. Institutional privilege and inequality exist in every society, including...
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...be ________________ (your ethnicity) in your community? How do community members treat you because of this? Do the leaders in your area represent community members like you? Do the local media (I.e. news, newspapers) represent community members like you equally and fairly? Are there racial/ethnic inequalities in your community? Explain. I explored the race relations in my community and the cultural/racial make-up of my community using 60135 is: Subject | 60135 5-Digit ZCTA, 601 3-Digit ZCTA | | Number | Percent | RACE | | | Total population | 6,007 | 100.0 | One race | 5,948 | 99.0 | White | 5,753 | 95.8 | Black or African American | 9 | 0.1 | American Indian and Alaska Native | 13 | 0.2 | American Indian | 7 | 0.1 | Alaska Native | 0 | 0.0 | Both American Indian and Alaska Native | 0 | 0.0 | American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified | 6 | 0.1 | Asian | 16 | 0.3 | Asian Indian | 0 | 0.0 | Chinese | 1 | 0.0 | Filipino | 5 | 0.1 | Japanese | 0 | 0.0 | Korean | 0 | 0.0 | Vietnamese | 1 | 0.0 | Other Asian category | 9 | 0.1 | Two or more Asian categories | 0 | 0.0 | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.0 | Native Hawaiian | 0 | 0.0 | Samoan | 0 | 0.0 | Guamanian or Chamorro | 1 | 0.0 | Other Pacific Islander category | 1 | 0.0 | Two or more Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander categories | 0 | 0.0 | Some other race | 155 | 2.6 |...
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...“White Privilege: American Reality“ America is the land of the free and the land of opportunity. All men are created equal and can achieve the “American Dream”. These are the kinds of phrases one hears throughout life. Unfortunately, these words are misleading because not everyone has the same opportunity. Court documents from the Dred Scott decision state: “… people of African-American descent are a subordinate and inferior class that, whether slave or free, remains subject to the authority of the dominant and superior white race.” (Day & Schiele, 2013) The concept that we live in a land where all people are equal and success is achieved through hard work alone is nothing more than a myth. White Privilege provides a distinct advantage to white Americans over all non-whites simply by virtue of birth. White Privilege is like gravity, everyone feels the effects but you don’t see it. According to Eduardo Bonilla-Silva most whites believe that racism is less relevant in today’s society. Focus is placed on cultural differences as the reason why some people achieve more success than others. A closer look reveals that this idea still supports the status quo of White Privilege (Bonilla-Silva, 2001). White Privilege is so ingrained in American society that it is virtually invisible (O'Malley Halley, Eshleman, & Vjaya, 2011). The dominant American social values (Day & Schiele, 2013) while separate are still to some extent an extension of White Privilege. White privilege is...
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...white privilege, for centuries has been ignored as a potential area of study because it has been widely accepted as the societal norm. Many whites have benefited socially, economically and politically without understanding that most of the privileges they have historically received are solely due to their race and/or gender. The purpose of this review is to analyze the social construction of whiteness from a theoretical perspective, whites understanding themselves and their social status, in addition to the evolution of whiteness. Many studies have been undertaken on the social construction of whiteness. These studies shed a lot of light on the different perceptions on whiteness, gaps in research, areas of highest research interest, strengths and weaknesses of the various methodologies, and direction for future studies. In the study done by Hartmann, Gerteis, and Croll, the focus was on the theoretical aspects of whiteness studies. The findings led the researchers to estimate that in the United States, 15% of the population exhibit what may be called ‘categorical whiteness’ (404). The study by Hartmann, et.al, was carried out using data obtained during a recent national survey, which helped provide an empirical assessment of the theoretical underpinnings of whiteness studies (Hartmann, et.al 404). Three propositions regarding the awareness and conception of whites about their own racial status were analyzed. The propositions included: the understanding of racial privileges, the...
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...becoming white and becoming American was connected in everything they do. The title is filled with irony. The term “white” in modern day society means privilege, education, and social status. If someone was defining a person based upon the characteristics of an ideal white individual they will be white. Yet if they are “white” based upon skin color the qualifications automatically disappear and they purely judge based upon skin color. "Whiteness" is a term that depicts the belief system of the individuals who have been racially distinguished as white. Whiteness, as with race, is a socially developed reality. As such, the importance of one's skin color and how it shapes a man's perspective and lived experience is not inborn in an individual but rather controlled by society. The definition of the white race has changed over time and has been determined by the people in power. Neil Foley states in 1980 U.S Bureau of the Census created two new ethnic categories of Whites: Hispanic and non Hispanic”.(p. 87) This for example shows how the government constructed a new idea of “white” because they have the power to. They have the power to label and create new labels, these labels were not given to these people...
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...and France Power distance This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal, and it expresses the attitude of the culture toward these power inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. It has to do with the fact that a society’s inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. US The fairly low score on Power Distance in combination with the most individualistic culture in the world reflects itself in the following: * The American premise of “liberty and justice for all.” This is evidenced by an explicit emphasis on equal rights in all aspects of American society and government. * Within American organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. * Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative to a degree. * The society is loosely-knit in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families only and should not rely (too much) on authorities for support. * There is also a high degree of geographical mobility in the United States. Americans are the best joiners...
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...Male privilege…In black and white Dorrell Anthony Alexander Western Washington University What is “Privilege”? When we speak of privilege, what exactly are we speaking of? Many find it easy to get the basic fundamentals of a “right” and a “privilege” confused, so for foundational purposes, I would like to lay out how they differ. First, let’s talk about two of the different kinds of rights; “natural” and “legal”. According to Merriam-Webster (2013) Natural rights are “rights which are "natural" in the sense of "not artificial, not man-made”; “as in rights deriving from logic, from human nature, or from the edicts of a god”. They are ”universal”, (they apply to all people, and do not derive from the laws of any specific society),”They exist necessarily, inhere in every individual, and can't be taken away” ( Merriam-Webster, 2013). For example, it has been argued that humans have a natural right to life. They're sometimes called inalienable rights. Legal rights, in contrast, are “rights based on a society's customs, laws, statutes or actions by legislatures” (Merriam-Webster, 2013). An example of a legal right is the right to vote of citizens. “Citizenship, itself, is often considered as the basis for having legal rights, and has been defined as the "right to have rights"(Broidy and Agnew, 1997), Legal rights are sometimes called civil rights or statutory rights which Broidy and Agnew (1997) believe are “culturally and politically relative”, since they depend on a specific...
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