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Peggy McIntosh "White Privilege and Male Privilege" analysis
American literature has many ethnic groups
Peggy McIntosh "White Privilege and Male Privilege" analysis
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Krista Kerrigan
Professor Cuevas-Reyes
WMGS 102-05
December 16, 2014
Final Exam
Part I: Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference, is a powerful article written by Audre Lorde about the issues that women face in each of these categories. In the article, Audre Lorde describes herself as a, “forty-nine-year-old Black lesbian feminist socialist mother of two, and a member of an interracial couple,” (Lorde 114). She also confesses that she feels as though she is seen as a part of some group that is labeled as, “other, deviant, inferior, or just plain wrong,” (Lorde 114). Within these issues of age, race, class, and sex, Lorde focuses on Black and Third World women, and how they are oppressed in our society. She also discusses how women are constantly oppressed by males in our patriarchal society. She also touches on the fact that white women ignore their white privilege. She states that, “as white women ignore their built-in privilege of whiteness and define women in terms of
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To conclude her article, Lorde argues that in order to gain equality, women must, “recognize differences among women who are our equals, neither inferior nor superior, and devise ways …show more content…
Audre Lorde’s article did not primarily focus on White privilege, it focused on other topics as well, such as oppression, age, race, sex, and class differences in women. On the other hand, Peggy McIntosh’s article primarily focused on White privilege in today’s society, and what privileges she has as a White women. Another difference in these articles is that Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference was written Audre Lorde who is a Black women, and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack was written by Peggy McIntosh who is a White
Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,
Dr. Peggy McIntosh looks at white privilege, by “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” She describes white privilege as almost a special check or coin that she gets to cash in on. Dr. McIntosh tells that white privilege has been a taboo and repressed subject – and that many white people are taught not to see or recognize it. However, she is granted privileges (McIntosh 30). Dr. McIntosh goes on to describe twenty-six ways in which her skin-color grants her certain privileges. In example twenty, she describes how she can buy “…posters, postcards, picture books…” and other items that “…feature people of my race” (32). Additionally, in her first example, she talks about being able to be in the “company of people of my race most of the time” (McIntosh 31). Instances in which a privilege person would not even recognize unless they were looking, show evidence for white privilege. People take these advantages for granted because they simply expect them. Due to the lack of melatonin in her skin, she was granted privileges and her skin served as an asset to her. Dr. McIntosh conveys how her privilege is not only a “favored state,” but also a power over other
The two articles that had a profound impact to my understanding of race, class and gender in the United States was White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh and Imagine a Country by Holly Sklar. McIntosh explains the keys aspects of unearned advantage (a privilege that one group hold over another) as well as conferred dominance (the act of voluntarily giving another group power) and the relationship that these factors hold when determine power of a social group. Additionally, the purpose of McIntosh’s article was to demonstrate the privilege that certain individuals carry and how that translates to the social structures of our society. Furthermore, conferred dominance also contributes to the power of the dominant group
After taking some time to reflect on the Audre Lorde’s article, it is quite obvious what her main point is, people’s differences should be the structure on which feminism is built, in order to succeed.
In her argumentative essay, Audre Lorde argued that feminism was not being equally represented since white woman represented the majority of attendees at the New York University Institute for the Humanities conference. Since she was one of two African-American women invited to the conference last minute, the issue of unequal representation of all races of women was brought to her attention. Lorde saw that if there is no difference or better yet diversity amongst feminist how can they hope to overcome a patriarchal structure that oppresses women’s freedom. Lorde's argument is persuasive because she uses rhetorical methods such as an author's identity and ethos to get her message about how she feels about feminism and how it should be represented.
She used the example of the conference that she attended, but the article stands true in a wide variety of different contexts. This is a great piece not only for the feminist movement, but for all social movements to consider. The differences that we possess are a fundamental to our creativity and progression as a society. Lorde phrased it perfectly, “Women of today are still being called upon to stretch across the gap of male ignorance and to educated men as to our existence and our needs. This is an old and primary tool of all oppressors to keep the oppressed occupied with the master's concerns. Now we hear that it is the task of women of Color to educate white women -- in the face of tremendous resistance -- as to our existence, our differences, our relative roles in our joint survival.” ( 3) While homophobia and racism still exist, there is no greater time for all women to come together and fight to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Race and sexual preferences should be celebrated as another arsenal in the feminist movement to fight our patriarchal
Therefore, it shows that Lorde has to stand up for herself in order to go to the dining car. The essay reflects on when Lorde and her family visit a store, they were told to leave the store which made them feel excluded from the crowd. The author writes, “My mother and father believed that they could best protect their children from the realities of race in America and the fact of the American racism by never giving them name, much less discussing their nature. We were told we must never trust white people, but why was never explained, nor the nature of their ill will” (Lorde, 240). The quote explains that Lorde’s parents thought they can protect their child in United States from the racism, however, they had to go through it and face racism in their daily life. This shows that her parents were aware of racism, which they might have to stand up for their rights, but they did not take the stand for themselves as well as their child. Therefore, her parents guided them to stay away from white people. This tells readers that Lorde has to fight for the independence that she deserves along with going against her
On Being Young-A Woman-and Colored an essay by Marita Bonner addresses what it means to be black women in a world of white privilege. Bonner reflects about a time when she was younger, how simple her life was, but as she grows older she is forced to work hard to live a life better than those around her. Ultimately, she is a woman living with the roles that women of all colors have been constrained to. Critics, within the last 20 years, believe that Marita Bonners’ essay primarily focuses on the double consciousness ; while others believe that she is focusing on gender , class , “economic hardships, and discrimination” . I argue that Bonner is writing her essay about the historical context of oppression forcing women into intersectional oppression by explaining the naturality of racial discrimination between black and white, how time and money equate to the American Dream, and lastly how gender discrimination silences women, specifically black women.
The systems encompassing race, gender, class, etc. are interconnected and that affects the different outcomes of disadvantage. Looking at McIntosh’s examples, what if that white woman was homosexual or of a low socioeconomic status? A poor white woman still has white privilege, but that does not mean she will definitely live where she wants to or feel as though she will not be harassed while shopping. Being of low class, she could still be living in poor urban areas that pose the same threats to people of all races. Her white privilege can only take her so far in that
Social activist Audre Lorde articulates the detrimental impact of oppression on society as a whole and exemplifies it as a perpetual cycle in humanity through the context of the gender inequality. Lorde states, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” She advocates for marginalized voices through solidarity over charity, and expressing inequality as a two-way street: even the oppressor is not free until all are free. She articulates that by setting free the oppressed, people can set themselves free. While she places this idea in the context of gender inequality, by nature it applies to all forms of inequality in society. These aspects of oppression are fundamental to understanding inequality,
The main point that McIntosh is pushing forward is that both whites and males have certain advantages. McIntosh says that “white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets” (605). White privilege are these advantages that white people receive just for being white. They didn’t earn any of the privilege other than being born with the right skin tone. She also recognizes them as being “invisible”. They don’t realize that they have this advantage over everyone else.
Audre Lorde is an American Writer and Feminist who understands that women deserve a tremendous voice. She expressed, “I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t”. Lorde declares that women should not be discouraged to stand up for what they need. She says that by writing she is making a voice for others that are too fearful. While some may think that writing has exceeded every boundary, that is misrepresented there is still suppression against women in literature. Women are oppressed in literature because of society and cultural views, ignorance in both genders,
White privilege is defined as “The differences in power between white people and people of color, including the advantages white people automatically take for granted and the apparent disadvantages for minorities” (McFeeters). Wilson makes the connection between Peggy McIntosh’s idea of white privilege as “an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks,” to Bella’s remarkably similar backpack full of supplies, made available to her by her connection to white vampire privilege. Wilson suggests that the story encourages readers to covet unearned privileges rather than question
We are stuck in a world where we are pretending that the differences are too great to overcome barriers and that those difference do not exist since we do not want to accept those differences that will destroy the reality that we already know of. Lorde’s essay focuses on the conception of women being inferior due to their race, sex, age and class and the difficulties they face in society. She talks about a mythical norm and defines it as being “white, thin, male, young, heterosexual, Christian, and financially secure” (Lorde, 2). It is those who do not fit that definition that identify themselves in which they are different. Society makes us believe that it is this ideal that is superior and anything less of this mythical norm is the oppression in society. She also says that there are three ways in which we handle differences: “…ignore it, and if that is not possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinate” (Lorde, 1). In other words, we do not value differences but we learn how to tolerate them and it is this toleration that weakness the acknowledgement of differences, and according to Lorde, especially among women. But consequently, “those differences have been misnamed and misused in the service of separation and confusion” (Lorde,
In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh arranges a list of freedoms she gets to enjoy on a daily basis due to her race. In this list, she comments on how she can write checks without people around her questioning her financial stability because she is white. This privilege is often overlooked by white people and seen as reality rather than an advantage. She also mentions several instances where her race will be considered the “right” race if any arguments were to arise between her and another co-worker who was of a different race than her. Number twenty-eight on her list states that, “I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.” Privileges like these are almost always overlooked by white people, and they are often abused by whites in order to assert their dominance. This list of privileges is one that few white people would admit was right, and many would deny that these were even privileges to them. The fact that one race believes themselves to be superior to all others in society is wrong. All races should be treated the same, and individuals should not be chained to the color of their skin or the path of their