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storytimewithjoeSomething I’ve been thinking about in recent times is the concept of privilege. In a lot of ways, this phrase has become a rather foul word to me, simply because it is used so dismissively by a number of people. Just for the sake of argument, let’s say I become involved in a discussion with my co-worker, “Mike” who happens to be African-American. Mike believes he was turned down for a promotion because of his skin-color. I say that while anything is possible, I really doubt that is the case because the person who got the promotion has more experience. (Makes sense, right?) Mike then turns around and utters some complaint about my white privilege showing. WTF?!!!! Yet, for me, there really is no rebuttal once the race card has been played.
I’ve run into this frustrating situation more than a few times in the past because I appear white, because I am a male, because I have an education, etc. And what am I supposed to do? Apologize because of my skin color? Apologize for being male? Apologize for working my ass off to get a degree? The thing is, I get it. I know that there is inequality out there. I really do see it. I know that women are treated as lessers and often don’t receive equal pay. And if and when I see injustice before me, I speak up about it. The same goes for any BS inequality that I see. But it is critically important to view each potential instance of abuse on a case-by-case basis. If a white person is promoted over a black person, is it racism? Or is it deserved? If a man is promoted instead of a woman, is it because of sexism? Or is it deserved?
I’m well aware that our society does tend to bestow some individuals with an inherent privilege based on things like gender, age, skin-color, religion, and other factors. I don’t like it, but I recognize it. And I think it is important to educate people about it – not by attacking them when the privileged person is able to move up; but by encouraging people to be aware of privilege and simply treat everyone as equals. Take a promotion, for instance. I just want the most deserving and most qualified person to get the promotion. Whether that person is male or female, black or white, gay or straight, Jewish or Muslim, or whatever is none of my concern!
But then there are some people who still don’t get it. Are they being stubborn? Are they stupid? Are they jerks? Perhaps some are. (In fact, I’m pretty sure that some are!) But IMHO, I think it is much more simple – there is no reason for them to understand it – it is nothing they have ever experienced, and nothing that they relate to from a personal perspective. Is it fair or logical or right to expect people to understand something that they have never really learned, experienced or witnessed?
As controversial or horrible as this might sound to some, I’m really curious about conducting a social experiment. What do you think would happen if some Hollywood director out there took some snippet from history and simply reversed the roles? Take a movie about the women’s suffragette movement, for instance. Imagine if the movie covered a plot from history exactly as it happened, but changed one detail – have it be women who always had the vote, and have men be the ones fighting to have it. Do you think it might drive home the point? What if someone remade “Roots” exactly as the original, but changed it around such that blacks were free-men, and whites were slaves? How would people react? How about a holocaust movie where it is the Jews running the camps and the blond-haired/blue-eyed Germans are sent to the showers?
Some of you reading this might instantly have a kneejerk reaction that such an idea is stupid or tasteless or wrong. But ask yourself – why? Such stories all have one thing in common – some segment of human population treating another segment of the population unfairly. And I would argue that one of the reasons that some people don’t understand the concept of privilege is simply because they’ve always had it and never experienced an instance where they didn’t. But if the shoe is put on the other foot, things might be different.
Maybe… just maybe… this kind of a concept might provide that experience.
What do you think?
I’ve run into this frustrating situation more than a few times in the past because I appear white, because I am a male, because I have an education, etc. And what am I supposed to do? Apologize because of my skin color? Apologize for being male? Apologize for working my ass off to get a degree? The thing is, I get it. I know that there is inequality out there. I really do see it. I know that women are treated as lessers and often don’t receive equal pay. And if and when I see injustice before me, I speak up about it. The same goes for any BS inequality that I see. But it is critically important to view each potential instance of abuse on a case-by-case basis. If a white person is promoted over a black person, is it racism? Or is it deserved? If a man is promoted instead of a woman, is it because of sexism? Or is it deserved?
I’m well aware that our society does tend to bestow some individuals with an inherent privilege based on things like gender, age, skin-color, religion, and other factors. I don’t like it, but I recognize it. And I think it is important to educate people about it – not by attacking them when the privileged person is able to move up; but by encouraging people to be aware of privilege and simply treat everyone as equals. Take a promotion, for instance. I just want the most deserving and most qualified person to get the promotion. Whether that person is male or female, black or white, gay or straight, Jewish or Muslim, or whatever is none of my concern!
But then there are some people who still don’t get it. Are they being stubborn? Are they stupid? Are they jerks? Perhaps some are. (In fact, I’m pretty sure that some are!) But IMHO, I think it is much more simple – there is no reason for them to understand it – it is nothing they have ever experienced, and nothing that they relate to from a personal perspective. Is it fair or logical or right to expect people to understand something that they have never really learned, experienced or witnessed?
As controversial or horrible as this might sound to some, I’m really curious about conducting a social experiment. What do you think would happen if some Hollywood director out there took some snippet from history and simply reversed the roles? Take a movie about the women’s suffragette movement, for instance. Imagine if the movie covered a plot from history exactly as it happened, but changed one detail – have it be women who always had the vote, and have men be the ones fighting to have it. Do you think it might drive home the point? What if someone remade “Roots” exactly as the original, but changed it around such that blacks were free-men, and whites were slaves? How would people react? How about a holocaust movie where it is the Jews running the camps and the blond-haired/blue-eyed Germans are sent to the showers?
Some of you reading this might instantly have a kneejerk reaction that such an idea is stupid or tasteless or wrong. But ask yourself – why? Such stories all have one thing in common – some segment of human population treating another segment of the population unfairly. And I would argue that one of the reasons that some people don’t understand the concept of privilege is simply because they’ve always had it and never experienced an instance where they didn’t. But if the shoe is put on the other foot, things might be different.
Maybe… just maybe… this kind of a concept might provide that experience.
What do you think?
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no subject
Date: 2016-05-11 11:13 pm (UTC)Over the past several years, I've had plenty of people who have tried to make me feel guilty for that privileged upbringing. I always have felt that my privileged background gives me responsibilities.
Why has it become a crime to NOT be a has-not? I am not discussing here the difficulties I've had. This is a conversation about visible, apparent differences, isn't it?
no subject
Date: 2016-05-12 12:59 am (UTC)But I also recognize when people call "privilege" on others, not because they've been treated unfairly, but because they want treatment above what others get. Your example of the African-American person who was saying it was his color that kept him from getting a job that he had less experience for is a classic example.
I was recently involved with a discussion about Bernie Sanders where people were saying that anyone who supports him is "privileged" and should vote for Hillary Clinton. I explained that it was derogatory and manipulative to say such a thing. To me, it doesn't matter what the reason is that someone votes, as long as they vote. To tell someone that they should vote a certain way because a candidate was of a specific gender or because they don't like who she would be running against by saying that not voting for their favorite is "privileged" is wrong. You can't know why the person can't vote for Hillary and it may not have anything to do with "privilege" but some other thing that if you didn't feel your own privilege, you might understand too.
I believe that we are all "privileged" in some way in that we can't always "walk in another's shoes" to really understand the difficulties they've gone through.