Privilege is a highly controversial topic that is not truly understood by most people. Through reading this paper you will learn about the key points from the article, A Social Worker’s Reflectionzaon Power, Privilege, and Oppression written by Michael S. Spencer and the article White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. The paper will include my personal beliefs on the topic of privilege and even some of my own personal privilege that are in my knapsack that have helped me along my way in life. There will also be a point where I have the ability to inform you about how privilege affect people and how they can positively affect people who do not receive them. Privileges impacts many groups of people in many different ways. Privilege affects people in a number of different ways and many people do not truly understand how these privileges affect those who they do not include.
In the story, A Social Worker’s Reflection on Power, Privilege, and Oppression, Michael S. Spencer touches on some very important details when it comes to oppression, power, and privilege of different groups. The impacted groups can include those made up of people who are racially diverse, those who are a different gender or those who are part of the LGBT community. (Spencer) Each
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Spencer, and White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh, a better understanding of oppression and how it relates to privilege when it comes to diverse groups of people can be attained. As the paper went on you learned about the programs that are available for those who needed the support. The reader was informed about programs available for those who need support. I included my thoughts on privilege and how it affects me as well as others. I was even able to share my ideas of how these privilege are still beneficial to those without the privilege of which we
“White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks” (McIntosh, 172). White privilege is all around us, but society has been carefully taught
Gina Crosley-Corcoran, author of Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person, informs her readers about her misinterpretation of white privilege. After being called out for her unknowing use of white privilege, Gina begins to plead her case. Beginning with her childhood, Gina explains how she grew up “on the go”. Travelling from place to place, Gina lived in a rundown trailer and her family obtained little to no money, had no access to hot water, survived on cheap, malnourished foods, and dealt with a bad home life. After evaluating her history when placed at the end of life’s spectrum, Gina finds it hard to pick out white privilege in her life and therefore argues she has none. Later, Gina is introduced to a woman named Peggy McIntosh
In her article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh writes about the privilege white individuals get without noticing it. McIntosh talks about how whites are taught to not recognize their privilege. McIntosh having a background in Women’s Studies, she also talks about how men have more privileges than women, yet they rarely recognize it. In the article McIntosh claims that “After I realized the extent to which men work from a base of unacknowledged privilege, I understood that much of their oppressiveness was unconscious.”
In conversations many people get defensive when someone says, “You have this because of your privilege” they feel as though that the person they are talking with doesn’t understand that they have worked hard for what they have, however that is not the point that anyone is trying to make. What someone in that position is saying is that although you have worked hard to get where you are your journey have been well furnished with privilege on account of your race. It is said to think about that you got somewhere in life due to the color of your skin, but it is also sadder to think that someone got declined a job, got stereotyped, or got overlooked because of their race or
Ideas of community, social progress, and culture are an ever-evolving social work issue. How do we as social workers choose to approach needs of groups and communities at the macro level? In order to grasp an understanding of true helping systems it is important for one to have a range of knowledge to justly participate within the formal helping structures an models that comprise of the social work field. In attempt to create our identity as active justice based social workers it is essential for one to conceptualize the framework of intersectionality. According to Kirsten-Ashmen, “Intersectionality involves the idea that people are complex and can belong to multiple, overlapping diverse groups “The intersectional perspective acknowledge the breath of the human experience, instead of conceptualizing social relationships and identities separately in terms of either race or class or gender or age or sexual orientation”; rather an intersectional approach focuses on the “interactional affects” of belonging to multiple groups (p. 48).” In order to remain committed to intersectionality I will apply theories and models to a progressing community in the city of Boston. A critical analysis of the strengths and weakness within each theory related to the specific community will be discussed. I will expose the intersecting layers, allowing for identity development through the lens of the macro social worker. I will begin by discussing my experience through the research process with my team members. After giving a detailed description of the project we can further explore the empowerment theory and systems theory to better explain the development of Dudley Street. The two theories are able to give an understanding of Roxbury’s forward progre...
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
With all of these facts, the author tries to prove that racial differences and privileges appear exaggerated and unrealistic. The privileged and less privileged exist at all levels of society. Duke wants white people to understand that they are in the same position as all other races. The awareness of “white privilege” is only a fallacy that causes feel of guilt without foundation.
In today’s society, when the word “privilege” is associated with someone, it is often seen as something negative and people tend to ignore and turn away from the word in fear of receiving accusations. In Roxane Gay’s “Peculiar Benefits”, an excerpt from her book Bad Feminist, she argues that people should accept and acknowledge the privileges they hold. Gay’s argument is built based on her personal experience, citing cultural critics/other people, and emotionally appealing to her audience.
Privileges are things that a person receives that gives them an advantage over most people (Merriam-Webster). These are benefits that only certain people receive for being in a certain group or discourse. Peggy McIntosh, director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote “White Privilege and Male Privilege” and states “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privileges, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (605). She argues that whites and males receive certain privileges, yet they do not even notice them. This shows that different races and women are still put at a disadvantage, but the people who receive the benefits are blind to the problem.
Discrimination and oppression are some of the tear-jerking issues happening around us, as a social worker we have to be against discrimination and oppression. Social workers have to advocate for the oppressed and discriminated. It is upon us to take a stand and stop discrimination and oppression. Social workers act as anti-discriminatory practitioners and anti-oppressive practitioners to advocate for social justice and the equality of people. This essay seeks to critically explain that when social workers do not challenge oppression and discrimination no one will.
Personal privilege is a topic that I have truly never thought about before this year. Privilege is taken for granted everyday, and people never think about how it affects their life. I grew up in New York City in a small, five floor walk up apartment. I am a white, heterosexual female and although I believed my life to be somewhat challenging, I learned that I have many privileges that have gone unrecognized. A primary reason my understanding of privilege has changed was due to the event that I attended. I listened to the presenter, Toshia Shaw a survivor of sex trafficking, tell her story and bring awareness to the topic of sex trafficking which genuinely allowed me to reflect on my privilege. The readings, guest speakers, and activities in class have allowed me to deepen my knowledge of personal privilege revolving around many topics; including sexism, heterosexism, ageism, racism, transgender oppression, and religious oppression.
In the future, this article will affect my future practice in social work because from this article I got the impression that it is important to focus on diversity and having an appreciation for the uniqueness of my future clients. It’s the idea of working with clients who are being oppressed because of the characteristics of their identity. In a society, the issues of social justice are usually as direct result of the rules of the society that are generally created by those of higher power and privilege. Clients are impacted at the societal level because of laws that perpetuate their oppressive status. Knowing and understanding this injustice allows me to advocate for change because it’s about respect and upholding dignity for a
Privilege is when you have something you benefit over others, you are at an advantage. If you ask someone who has privilege, they will say everyone has it but, each person has different types of privilege. For the privileged, most do not realize that they have advantages over other people in the world. They do not realize that they take for granted the things in their life that would be different if they did not have it. This is the situation for most of the privileged population. Specific groups of people are privileged and are even in denial about having set privilege. Privileges of one person may differ from the privileges of another. When I look around, I notice that privilege does indeed affect our lives in multiple ways, good or bad.