Allan G. Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Difference
Argument
Allan G. Johnson is arguing that oppression is prevalent in American society and aims to alter how individuals think about privilege to incite action, primarily focusing on gender, race, and social class. He explains how raising awareness of these privileges is imperative, as those with privilege have the power to work towards fixing the system. Some of his main points discuss the importance of language, division in America, different types of privileges, and why privilege is often overlooked by those who have it. Regarding language, Johnson believes it’s a disservice to avoid relevant terms to protect the comfort of the listener when exploring privilege. Instead, he maintains that these words must be reclaimed and restored to their intended meaning to prevent individuals from taking these discussions as personal attacks or as blame for a system they were born into. Another point he discusses is America's division, explaining how our society teaches us to fear what is unfamiliar or different and, in this way, constructs a divide among its people, placing them into categories with determined societal value dictated by those at the top. An example he provides is the ever-changing labels for race, with Irish individuals throughout history being considered inferior as a non-white race, despite their shared complexion, reflecting how the categorization of race is constructed, arbitrarily determined by dominant groups with the cultural authority to do so. Continuing, Johnson defines two types of privileges, explaining how “unearned entitlements”, refering to things all people should have, become the first type of privilege, “unearned advantages,” when restricted to certain groups. The second type, which he explains is harder to remove, “conferred dominance,” happens when one group is given power over another, such as the cultural assumption that men dominate women. His last point discusses why those with privilege do not recognize it, explaining that people often compare themselves to others within their reference group, which is why they do not feel privileged. However, this does not mean the privilege is non-existent, and recognizing this does not mean you yourself are an oppressive person.
Reflection
From a lower to middle-class family, I understand the sensitivity to the label “privileged” as my parents had to work incredibly hard and make many sacrifices to get to where they are now, and that label often feels like it diminishes the value of what they were able to accomplish. However, the author did a good job explaining how having better odds in certain aspects of life does not equate to having an easy life or having everything handed to you. I also agree with the author that the people of America are incredibly divided. Fanned by the media and politics, this division keeps us busy pointing fingers at each other rather than uniting together and pointing towards those in positions to make real change. With this much contention, I really do wish we could all just get along.
How teachers can work towards change:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_teachers_can_reduce_implicit_bias
