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Peggy mcintosh white privilege male privilege summary
Debate on how well low socioeconomic status affect children
Peggy mcintosh white privilege male privilege summary
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A social issue or concern refers to an issue that influences a considerable number of individuals within a society. Though many start with a few protestors, the further an issue becomes exposed to society, the more attention and individual’s interest it will garner along the way. When thinking of pressing social concerns currently, many issues come to mind; equal pay for women, being accepting of all genders and sexual preferences, protecting the environment, ending racism, to name just a few of the hundreds that are present today. Specifically, one resonated with my own personal interests, more specifically, my service learning site of Elmwood Gardens, and stood out among the rest; higher education for every American citizen. Although almost …show more content…
An article written by Peggy McIntosh entitled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” is not meant to bring out feelings of guilt. It is not our fault we were born with white skin, and have experienced these privileges in some shape or form. Nevertheless, whether we realize it or not, we do benefit from it, and it is our fault if we don 't maintain awareness of that fact. Throughout the piece, McIntosh goes on to elaborate on the impossibility of denying that being born to one race affords certain unearned freedoms that are not readily available for another. Just a few examples she provides include: “‘I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented;’ ‘When I am told about our national heritage or about ‘civilization’, I am shown that people of my color made it what it is;’ ‘If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race;’ ‘I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time (McIntosh).’” When reading, it is undeniably apparent that people of white skin are experiencing the world in a different way. Equally important, are there fundamental factors that may have contributed to this unequal system of living? For myself, I cannot attest to the other side of this privilege. However, completing service learning through Elmwood Gardens has opened my eyes to the negative effects of not receiving the same opportunities. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, many of these children will never receive the level of education I personally had been granted. Additionally, the kids will face an uphill battle financially, educationally, and life in general. Specifically, a piece of reference that I will vividly remember for years was a point made by Kristof. He composed a five-part column, titled “When Whites
She says, “When I am told about our national heritage or about ‘civilization,’ I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.” McIntosh demonstrates that people born within the dominant race in America are granted certain unearned privileges that people of color are not granted. In her list, she uses daily experiences to show how white people undergo advantages, because of the color of their skin. But she completely ignores the fact that there is more than one type of privilege. She says, “ If I need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area, which I can afford and in which I would want to live” (607). She believes that because of the color of her skin, she is able to pay for her housing anywhere that she chooses. This is one of the several points that she lists that exposed her economic status as a middle class person than her status as a white person. McIntosh seems to have confused the two privileges, because she has failed to recognize her economic status as a
Everyone has privilege in one way or another. People feel that privilege is give to one race more, instead of every race. The race that it’s getting more privilege is the White race and with that comes White privilege. White means the people who have a light skin color also known as Caucasian or European and privilege means an advantage over others. An example of privilege is getting away with something that someone may not get away with. So White privilege is defined as “an invisible package of unearned assets that [someone that is White] can count on cashing in each day, but about which [they were] ‘meant’ to remain oblivious” (McIntosh 1990: 1). McIntosh is saying in that quote is that Whites do not recognize that they have this privilege
He simply looks at them as wrong. It 's okay to disagree with something, but there should be an argument to back it up. "Furthermore, I condemn them for casting the equal protection clause, indeed the very idea of a meritocracy, as a myth, and for declaring that we are all governed by invisible forces (some would call them “stigmas” or “societal norms”), that our nation runs on racist and sexist conspiracies." He disagrees with people who think that white privilege influences who controls the power, but doesn 't say why, almost like he 's expecting everyone to agree with his perspective as common sense. Conversely, McIntosh 's uses an argument to legitimize her perspective to her readers. She lists 46 advantages that she can perceive, that were given to her by white privilege. Reasons like number 41, "I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.", number 44, "I can easily find academic courses and institutions that give attention only to people of my race." are advantages that lead her to the conclusion that "The pressure to avoid it (white privilege) is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one 's life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.". The conclusion that meritocracy, the idea that those who put in hard work rise to power, is a myth, because of the discrepancy between opportunities offered to people based off of their race, sex, etc. is a logical
Money is something that ties in with white privilege because they have access to better schooling which means better jobs and more money. A poor African American or a minority person who lives in an urban setting has to take what they get because they do not have the money or the resources to pick and choose which school they would like to attend, so they are already one step behind the privileged kids. In addition, Peggy McIntosh article “White Privilege: The Invisible Knapsack,” she states “As a white person, I realized I had taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspect, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage” (537) McIntosh is saying that throughout her youth she realizes with resources or not, the privilege is given unto her whether she earn it or not because of her race. What she means is that society’s look on race and not their background and think that white people gain more privilege than black people which is
In her 16 January 2016 The Washington Post editorial, “What is White Privilege?”, Christine Emba asserts white privilege is a societal advantage inherent in people who are white, irrespective of their “wealth, gender, or other factors.” According to Emba, white privilege makes life smoother and is an entity that is hidden or unknown until the privilege is taken away. Although racism is still a rampant issue in society today, white privilege is a concept created by the progressive left in order to brand whites as a scapegoat for issues and adversities that non-whites face. This concept of privilege ultimately causes further dissension between whites and non-whites.
I agree with the points McIntosh makes throughout the article. I especially liked that she pointed out the difference between being a woman and being a woman of color in America. As a woman of color, you are not only oppressed for your gender but for the color of your skin too. As a minority, I have been in those uncomfortable positions of being the only person of my race in a room or feeling like I don’t belong in a group due to your race. I have also dealt with individuals being surprised that I speak English so well or asking me where I’m “really” from. These are things that white individuals don’t really experience. Although Mclntosh focused on the privilege that comes with the color of your skin, the invisible knapsack can manifest itself in other terms as well. For example, religion, age, and sexual
Stereotypes are created in today’s society for people who are deemed as different, not dominant, or unprivileged. Those who do not fall into a stereotype are often seen as privileged. One of the largest, and longest lived stereotype is race, specifically those who are African American. It is seen as a privilege to be viewed and treated as a white person, while those who fall into any other race are viewed and treated as being different. Recently, I have become very aware of difficulties facing the minorities. Before I witnessed an incident, I had been blind to the fact that there are privileges and so many stereotypes in today’s society. This blindness that I was experiencing, however, “is an aspect of privilege itself, … ‘the luxury of obliviousness’”
For example, some people may believe an airline crash every year could be considered a social problem, but this does not follow the definition of a social problem because it does not affect a large group of people. If planes began crashing all the time, then one may be able to determine whether or not plane crashes are a social problem by looking at claims of the condition. I choose to include the specific criteria, in the previous paragraph, when utilizing my definition of a social problem because I believe that everyone has a subjective outlook on life and although someone may deem something as a social problem, someone else may not feel the same way. I believe discovering the claim and determining how something emerged, as well as discovering why it spread can help direct the general public when deciding if something is a social problem or not. Although claims are important, I still believe a social problem is also something that affects a large group of people. Similarly, I believe a social problem in the United States follows the same definition and criteria but it may be viewed differently. For example, “some societies with large populations of poor people have not viewed poverty as a problem. In contrast, in the United States poverty is considered a social problem” (Best 10). Overall, a social problem in the United States depends on
A lot of people say White privilege is only for wealthy whites, or whites in the upper class In Deborah’s foster 's essay, she disputes this claim. She says Foster says she grew up in an impoverished white family in Iowa where her parents were so poor; she was placed in foster care as a child because they couldn 't afford to feed her. Still, Foster says she experienced white privilege. She says she only knew that because happened to live around poor black people. She still had advantages t...
Peggy talks about racism being a part everyday life even though we ignore it. Peggy’s main idea was to inform the readers that whites are taught to ignore the fact that they enjoy social privileges that people of color do not because we live in a society of white dominance. Even though society has come a long way, it still has a longer way to go in improving social profiling. There are many things minorities will never have the opportunity to experience or understand because they are not white. It doesn't matter what we do, how much we work, how much money we have, we’ll never experience white privileges. White people are not stereotyped like other races are. They are also not looked down upon other races. The list of daily effects that McIntosh describe are perfect examples of what minorities will never get to experience. Some of her points are, “ 13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my face on trial” she also points out that people of minority will not experience never being “ asked to speak for all the people of my social group” (McIntosh 99). No matter how one may try to analyze a situation, white people are privileged bottom line. Some are more privileged than others by way of money or reputation and others by are privileged just by skin
...less knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks” (page 79). McIntosh’s ranges of examples are no doubt impressive, ranging privileges from education, political affairs, hygiene, the job industry, and mainly public life. Her list of examples makes it easy for her readers to relate no matter how diverse the audience. While, many would disagree with this essay McIntosh anticipates this by making the contrast among earned and acquired power vs. conferred privilege. Contrary, to anyone’s beliefs everyone has an unbiased and equal shot at earned power. However, conferred privilege is available to certain groups: particularly the white race. America is founded on a system of earned power, where we fight for what we believe in, particularly freedom and equality. However, this is simply a mirage we want to believe in.
Tim Wise’s book White Like Me provides a picture of what it is like to be white in America. A main topic covered in White Like Me is white privilege. On pages 24 and 25 Wise illustrates what white privilege is and shares his opinion regarding how to address white privilege in society today. Wise’s plan for addressing white privilege is one not of guilt, but of responsibility, a difference Wise highlights. The concept of feeling guilty for white privilege lacks reason because white privilege is something built up through generations and its existence is not of any one person’s fault.
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.
McIntosh, Peggy. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack. N.p.: Wellesley College Center for Research for Women, 1989. Print.
Social work is a profession which promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and enhance well-being. It is important to acknowledge the history of social work and the purpose of social work and why it exists. Social work is a questioned theory with different perspectives on what it is and how it should be practised. Social work helps people to deal with personal and social problems so that people can overcome or adjust to any personal difficulties. Social work is a combination of social stability and social change. Social stability promotes individual and social welfare and social change seek to change negative aspects of society. Values are implicit within the law and policy and these tend to reflect the values within society. Personal values can influence the way social workers interpret and implement their profession.