Jenji Kohan’s television series “Orange is the New Black” analyzes the different social issues that are in the spotlight in this day in age. The series seems to shed light on white privilege, stereotypes, and class based issues that exist in today’s society. These types of Marxists ideas are portrayed through each episode which gives audience members a first hand view of the different social conflicts that exist today. The Netflix original series is based on the real life experiences of Piper Kerman when she went to prison. The series main character is Piper Chapman who years after being involved in a drug smuggling crime gets thrown in jail to serve a fifteen month sentence with her ex girlfriend, with whom she committed the crime. Piper is portrayed as a well to do white woman who, in the beginning, does not feel as if she deserves to be in prison. The series includes a huge cast of women which include transgender, drug addicted, lesbian, and mentally unstable inmates. From the very first episode the underlying idea of white privilege becomes recognizable. Piper is a middle aged, well off, white woman who is engaged to be married and living a comfortable life. That is, until she gets the call that will change her life forever. Years before piper was involved in a drug smuggling crime with her an ex girlfriend and now must face the consequences of her actions. Throughout the first few episodes Piper and her well to do family do not believe that …show more content…
White privilege, stereotyping, and class based issues are actual problems that many people deal with everyday of their lives. The series brings the issues of the time period into the spotlight, and in my opinion, was written to do just that. Sometimes people are blinded to the fact that these types of issue are going on everyday in society and this series really puts it all into
“I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group,” Peggy McIntosh wrote in her article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Too often this country lets ignorance be a substitute for racism. Many believe that if it is not blatant racism, then what they are doing is okay. Both the video and the article show that by reversing the terms, there is proof that racism is still very existent in this world. By looking into A Class Divided and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack along with their ability to broaden the cultural competence, once can see how race is still very prominent in our culture.
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
Orange is the New Black (OITNB) is a Netflix series that is loosely based on Piper Chapman, a self proclaimed WASP, who was imprisoned in Litchfield Penitentiary, a women’s jail, for drug smuggling. For the majority of the show, it gives insight on the social, personal, and past lives of inmates, as well as the interactions between the inmates, correctional officers (COs). In season four, episode nine, there is one main running theme, power imbalances. The core scene that depicts power imbalance and corruption is when a CO demands an inmate, Blanca Flores, to shower, but she refuses. He then forces her to stand on the dining tables for multiple days as a punishment. During this time, she urinates and defecates herself, causing her to smell even more. Eventually, other inmates realizes that this is wrong, they practice civil disobedience by joining her on the tables. Eventually, this turns into a dangerous riot
...nly seen in everyday television. Common beliefs of black families being more aggressive, having lesser moral values, and living less socially acceptable and lawful lives can be clearly seen through the actions of the white characters, and the thoughts that Chris expresses throughout the episode. The show uses satire to exaggerate black stereotypes to the point where it means the opposite of the comedic nature of which it was presented. The treatment and visualization of the lives of the black characters in the episode, through comedy and exaggeration, clearly shows the real-life problem of black stereotyping that is still all too present in American life. Chris’ everyday life as a black student in a white school and struggle to “fit in” is a struggle that non-white students have faced and are still facing today.
From the novel, it can then be concluded that issues that may seem to have disappeared from the world still thrive no matter the period of time. There is still some sort of oppression that takes place even if not necessarily by one race over another. Slavery, racism and gender abuses are still very much a part of the modern world. No matter how they seem to be removed from the world, there is still a little part of them that thrives within the very fabric of society.
The central theme of “White Privilege Knapsack” is about how white people actually see themselves and how they view the concept of being racist.
Within the course of two decades these three novels deal with racism, diversity of people and similar economic status. The writers raise awareness of the oppression of the African American communities and the long lasting struggles that these folks had to endure to survive.
Jordan attends an elite private school and an exclusive summer camp. So as much as I want to believe that our upper-middle-class status will protect my son from many of society’s social ills, it could not provide him the white privilege he seeks.” (Canedy 887 )Even though Canedy sent her child to a private school and lived in a big house, she believes that the racism wouldn’t affect him. similar to canedy, Chung worries about racism affecting her children Chung wanted to keep people with racist comments away from her kids. “I consider my children, who probably aren’t tracking this conversation — not just because they don’t watch the television show in question, but because they are still young and, for all our intra-family conversations about racism, they do not yet expect to encounter it in their everyday lives. I generally try to push back when someone says something offensive in their earshot, especially when it’s something I think they might understand.” (Chung) Canedy’s son being afraid of accepting his race is a good example of the problems racism causes the color people to want to be “white” because they have many opportunities that color people don’t if we go back to segregation the whites were able to go to good school and have nice house while “color” wasn’t able to, Many “color
Its shows why things are cultural appropriation by showing the response of different public figures who have been accused of cultural appropriation. It gives examples of actions that’s are cultural appropriation. Its show how things that seem to be stereotypes are more than that it’s a form of racial oppression put upon only the African American community.
it addresses the many issues that African Americans deal with in this country, giving viewers a
The people in this country have been embedded with the idea to have power and ability to govern themselves to a life that is exceptional. This fire burns within the minds of governments, companies, average men and in this case what is considered the lowest class: African Americans. In a country where there is constant struggle for racial equality, whether in an urban or back-woods country setting, race dictates power for characters like Emmett Till in “The Ballad of Emmet Till”, by Bob Dylan, Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Mama in A Raisin In The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. All these characters vary in how they are persecuted yet are bonded by their struggle. Depicting the idea that there is a constant battle to control their own lives.
One of the biggest issues depicted in the film is the struggle of minority groups and their experience concerning racial prejudice and stereotyping in America. Examples of racism and prejudice are present from the very beginning of the movie when Officer Ryan pulls over black couple, Cameron and Christine for no apparent reason other than the color of their skin. Officer Ryan forces the couple to get out of the car
I am well aware of the oppression that has faced many people of color in our society. I did learn a great deal about how our government is to blame for the racial segregation in our society. America has a history of placing laws and policies on non-whites, thus making it extremely hard for them to live a well-balanced life. I thought it was interesting that immigrants were far more likely to work in mining and industrial jobs than whites. I feel as though this a trend that continues today in America, thus it is evident that we still exclude certain ethnic groups in our society. Although I did not have any biases going into this documentary, I learned a lot about how our government has been the main contributor to white privilege in our
In relation to the Critical Race Theory, the idea of the “gap between law, politics, economics, and sociological reality of racialized lives” (Critical Race Theory slides). The critical race theory gives us a guide to analyze privileges and hardships that comes across different races and gender. For example, analyzing how and why a “black” or “indigenous” woman may experience more hardships versus not only a “white” man, but a “white”
It challenges America’s status quo by breaking the standards of American classroom traditions. Back in the days, the typical American classroom was taught by white women and white men, filled with white students. They all came from the same background, culture and economic status. There is no wrong in having people of the same culture, and race, come together in one classroom, but students and teachers do not gain as much opportunity or rich experience as they would if they were surrounded by diverse students and teachers.... ...