The way I have come to understand what the Matrix of Privilege and Oppression means, is that everyone everywhere feels both privilege and oppression at the same time, and how much they feel of it depends on where they are on the scale of oppression and what position in society that they are in. This could mean that a Black man whom is judged by his skin color every day and it heavily oppressed in many ways, ends up getting into a college over a white man because of the school wanting to be a more diverse campus. The white man does not get judged by his skin color on a regular basis, but it did not work out well for him while applying to schools. Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Anna Julia Cooper were sociologists who were innovators on this topic. They explained that sociologists and others such as government, need to start listening to the minority groups or the under privileged about topics because they see the world differently than those who are privileged. An example of this could be seen in how non-Latino white Americans are more likely to not believe racism is still a problem, even though Black people feel too uncomfortable to move outside of their segregated areas, such as in Milwaukee (John Eligon and Robert Gebeloff 2016). If people would listen to the minority in this situation, they would …show more content…
She believed in Standpoint Epistemology, a term to explain how people can have multiple viewpoints of the world based on what groups they fit into. In the article ‘Racial Divisions Challenge Gay Rights Movement’ we get a glimpse of what this is like for people when Jasmyne Cannick asks, “’I 'm black and I 'm also a lesbian, so, I mean, what side am I supposed to be on?’”(Karen Bates 2008). Being a lesbian during Proposition 8 she was excited for the possibility of legal marriage for gay couples, but being black she was raised, and her friends and family whom are black, are homophobic so the appose gays
Oppression signifies an authority of a dominant group over a monitory group, disengaging the minority group from society. “ The term oppression encapsulates the fusion of institutional and systemic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry and social prejudice in a complex web of relationships and structures that shade most aspects of life in our society” (Bell, 2007). In one way or another every individuals experience some form of oppression, whether it be through, sex, gender, religion, age, economic status and/or sexual orientation. In some instances, an “individual may experience multiple oppression and they can be experienced simultaneously or singularly depending on the context” ( Vernon). For, an example as an African American who also
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
Today in the United States of America people are both privileged and oppressed based on their diversity markers and social locations. These advantages and disadvantages are put in place by the people whom are in power, or otherwise known as the government and other leading officials. This is a major issue in today’s society that often tends to be masked by the many other issues within the country as well as by the privileged people. Many people who experience privilege tend to believe that privilege and oppression do not exist and that everyone has equal opportunity, but that is not the case privilege and oppression does exist and it can be seen every day in society. After a careful review of Dena Samuel’s “Matrix Model of Oppression and Privilege” I identified myself as rather privileged due to my social and diversity locations on her model.
The article “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppression” by Audre Lorde explains that fact that there are no factors or boundaries that stop oppression. Lorde mentions that she as people in order to tackle a problem we go by one issue first then the next. However, she explains that every issue is interconnected with each other for example, in her situation she is black and a lesbian but both come in to play in all the groups she pertains in. Therefore, in both the communities they see her as vice versa. Lorde tries to emphasize that neither of the aspects that make up her identity are less or more important but equally accepted. In conclusion, Lorde wants society to stop treating just one particular oppression as more important than another because that will not us to come together and fight oppression. Instead, we should treat all oppressions as one in order to achieve change.
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. Many people will argue that she is correct while some others will explain why this not is the case.
When I read “Checking My Privilege” written by Tal Fortgang, a freshman at Princeton University, it made me stop and think. What does privilege mean, how should it be used and does it affect me and my life? Fortgang never really states the exact meaning of the word privilege but goes on to complain about the mistreatment of the word and how it is a form of reverse racism; could that be true, I wondered? However, he also claims that privileges do not exist based on race or gender, and that is something I do not agree with. I imagine many people will not agree with his stance on the word privilege or mine, as a matter of fact. Mainly because the word privilege has a different
Lund and Scipio (2010, p. 36) describes white privilege is in essence an existentialist norm that 's based upon the power and privilege of skin pigmentation. This privilege, to those who enjoy it, is virtually invisible but its racist repercussions are not. There 's a false sense of their privilege being
In the beginning of the year I entered this class with a very sheltered and ignorant view of current and past events. Through time and sociological evolution I have begun to see things in a different light. The development of my ability, to look at something or some kind of situation, lets me use the sociological terms in such a manner to relate them to micro and macro problems in society. This started with the assigned readings of the class; the aim was to decipher the messages the authors were presenting. The goal was then to dig deeper and use my experiences to help myself understand the concepts throughout the course. "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited." Plutarch (46-120 CE--common era) I was no longer supposed to retain knowledge on a factual basis but to observe the problems and challenge my own thoughts, values, and beliefs. Challenging these aspects lights the fire that creates the ability to use working sociological terms in my analyses. Through my analyses of the authors in the course I developed questions about the particular readings that we were assigned. The questions I present from these authors are on the basis of learning and seeing the macro picture from micro events. The authors that we read from were: Allan G. Johnson, James W. Loewen, Jonathan Kozol, David Nibert, Arnold Arluke, Clinton R. Sanders, and Elie Wiesel. From each one of these authors we are able to relate a theme of sociology to what is happening in their books, which results in the discussion questions.
America has had plenty of racial unrest, and what 's shocking is how we continue to ignore its side effects. Many people believe white privilege does not exist or it’s not a real thing even though America was built by white people, with a foundation for whites. White privilege is prevalent in America. They believe there is no way the color of someone’s skin, gives them a privilege. In reality, it does. No matter how much we ignore the fact, that the color of your skin can change the way you live, it’s true. It’s not fair, but it’s true.
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.
Oppression is the flip side of privilege,like privilege, oppression results from the social relationship between privileged and oppressed categories. Thus, in order to have the experience of being oppressed, it is necessary to belong to an oppressed category.For example, whites cannot be oppressed as whites and heterosexuals cannot be oppressed as heterosexuals, because oppression only exists whether is another group there to oppress them. Oppression as Mullally states, “…is by virtue of being a group member of a group or category of people that is systematically reduced,molded, immobilized”(Mullaly,253). By living, everyday I reinforce both my oppression and my privilege. It is interlocking, which means it cannot be taken apart. As Baskin
Privilege, by definition, is a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor. It is being tall, being male, being rich, being white. All these adjectives come with their own set of advantages that others may never experience. As Scalzi emphasizes in his article, Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is, being a straight white male in any of the western world is like playing your favorite game on easy. You will be given more in the beginning and every step along the way will be easier than if you were playing on a higher difficulty. Now this higher difficulty does not come with all the added benefits in the beginning and each step of the way is a lot harder to overcome. These higher difficulties could
1. (a) Privilege is defined as a favor or right granted to some people, but not to everyone.
Since the beginning of our cognitive lives, we as humans, our conditioned to meet a certain level of goals. While we each have something we dream of becoming we commonly fall short of our goals, due to social oppression. While deep down one believes that they are themselves, each person morphs to the society they are living in. Being raised in Northern Virginia, I have noticed it is in constant chaos with no room to slow down. People are contently on the move to try and better themselves for there jobs or careers. Without realizing it, the city is altering the person. Things such as religion, treating others properly, and seeking love gets pushed aside for the leveling up in ones career. While one is raised to believe and peruse these things
On The Social Construction of Difference article, Johnson says that "privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they've done or failed to do" (17). Today in society, this is a very important factor that shapes most of people's thinking and behavior towards these groups who are considered as "disadvantaged" or "oppressed." These groups are excluded from receiving the same advantages that the dominant groups receive, and these are: the whites, heterosexuals, males, and nondisabled. This leads to a separation and injustice among the privileged and unprivileged groups, which causes one of them to have the