America is going through a realm of racial tension that has started movements about equality and open dialogues about race. Living in America has always been based on the guidelines of white America. Often the word white privilege emerges when groups outside of the white race are stigmatized for doing the same thing a person of the white race does. America is known to predominantly draw the line between black and white people. I thought it would be interesting to interview a coworker from the white race and get a glimpse of what it was like for her to grow up white and what it meant to her.
Being that we cannot use her real government name due to confidential reasons, I will reference my interviewee as Jane Doe. Jane Doe is a 26-year-old middle
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class hetero sexual white female. She grew up in a small town called Jesup Georgia with her parents and siblings. She sees herself as a down to earth girl with little friends and social life. She explained during the interview how emotional she is and how easy it is to hurt her feelings. She said” I am a crier; I guess that’s how I cope. If I’m happy I’ll cry if I’ said, I’ll cry. Sometimes I don’t even know why I am crying. Being that I have many health issues my social life is basically non-existent. With the medications I’m prescribed I cannot socially have a drink with friends or enjoy being a bar. I’m a home body. I stay home with my nephew Grayson and enjoy all his love. “ Jane Doe has several health problems with her female autonomy. She has a condition called Endometriosis and has had several cists removed from her ovaries this past November. Endometriosis is a painful disorder where tissue grows outside the uterus. Jane Doe is a chain smoker which may be contributing to some of her health problems as well. Currently her spiritual orientation is coming into question because she feels “Christians can be judgmental. She explained that she does believe in god or some higher being but she questions the church and the people in it. Jane doe explains that she feels the church teaches one thing but the people often does another and she doesn’t know what to think of certain actions that doesn’t represent the Christian culture. At the present time Jane doe has not experienced being in an oppressive state. When asked about not being oppressed she replied “I haven’t experienced racial oppression yet. I am a female and I feel I haven’t had any dramatic experiences from being female to say I have been oppressed. So far that is something I have not experienced, not to say it want happen in the future.” Because jane Doe is a member of the dominant race she has not experienced forms of oppression in ways minorities have. she is afforded white privilege which helps her in many ways avoid the pressures of oppression of minorities have. In addition, Jane Doe was asked whether or not she acquired strength and resilience from her culture. After being asked the question Jane doe replied with” I don’t know, I think I have but then again I’m not sure. I think I learned to carry on and push through. Strength wise, I’ve learned to be tolerant of others.” Jane Doe explained to me that she felt living in current time that being tolerant is very important. “the world is so diverse and if you cannot learn how to respect others for who they are then you may have a hard time adjusting to life.” The picture I received from interviewing Jane Doe became interesting once I started researching and applying theories that may have had an effect on jane doe and how she grew up. While interviewing I referenced Kohlberg and Piagets developmental theories for better insight on my interviewee. For instance, Kohlberg thoughts about development focused on morality.
Kohlberg moral development theory has six levels broken down into three sections. These sections were the pre-conventional level, conventional level, and post conventional level. The pre-conventional sections consisted of the first two stages (punishment/obedience and instrumental relativist orientation). Next the conventional level consisted of the third and fourth level (interpersonal correspondence and the law and order orientation). In sequence the Post- conventional levels included the final fifth and sixth stages (the social contract legalistic orientation and the universal ethical principal). Kohlberg,1971 suggest that humans develop through these stages in life but everyone doesn’t meet the sixth stage. He suggests that people like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and other influential people can only reach this …show more content…
stage. While interviewing jane doe about certain moral development events that happened to her in life she mostly identified with the conventional level, which are the third and fourth level.
Jane doe noted that she always she’s herself as a pleaser she lives to see smiles on people faces. She said” while growing up I was always the nice girl; I don’t think I have a mean bone in my body. My feelings are hurt easily and I figured if I’m always nice others will be nice to me as well.” Kohlberg ,1971 Third stage Interpersonal Correspondence “Nice –boy/Good-girl” explains nice behaviors help others gain approval from others. Being nice to others becomes important for the first time. Jane doe also expressed how she feels about showing others respect especially her close family. She explained that her father drilled in her the importance of showing respect to her elders and how important it is to show respect by answering yes ma’am/sir and no ma’am/ sir when speaking to an Authority figure. This is an example of Kohlbergs,1971 fourth stage Law and Order which suggest that the right behavior consists of doing one duty of showing respect for authority and maintaining the given social order for its own
sake. Similarly, I chose to look at Jane Doe developmental stages by incorporating Piagets cognitive developmental theory. The book Readings on the Development of Children explains Piaget thought in chapter four. Piaget thought that the child’s thinking goes through four phases. Piaget theory begins in the early infant stages and ends when one has biologically matured (Piaget,2004). Another article named A Theory of Cognitive Development: The Control and Construction of Hierarchies of Skills by Fischer ,1980 claims that skill theory is a part of cognitive development. The skill theory attempts to provide tools for prediction of developmental sequences that synchronize with any domain during development by adding behavioral and cognitive concepts. For example, from birth to adulthood one may increasingly become better at communication.
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
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.
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,
There are two prominent writer/scholars who have taken the issue of white privilege to heart and have shared their expert analysis on the subject; these authors/writer-scholars are Peggy McIntosh, a white feminist, and Beverly Tatum, an African American Psychologist. McIntosh, in her article "Coming to See Correspondences," makes excellent observations about the privilege that she has experienced just by being a white female in America. The two most significant points made by McIntosh in this article are as follows. One, “A white skin in the United States opens many doors for whites whether or not we approve of the way dominance has been conferred on us…the silence and denials surrounding privilege are the key political tools here” (P. 104). The second and even more important point is that “the obliviousness about white advantage, like obliviousness about male advantage, is kept strongly inculturated in the United States so as to maintain the myth of meritocracy, the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all…props up those in power and serves to keep power in the hands of the same groups that have most of it already” (105).
Buck, Pem Davidson. “Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege.” Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2010. 32-37. Print.
Because I am white, no one wonders if I am associated with terrorists or feels nervous and pulls their belongings closer if I am alone in an elevator with them. Going to school I always had a sense of safety. Having brought white privilege to my conscious awareness, it raised feelings of guilt and shame, because I was ignorant to my oppressiveness for so long. These feelings empowered me to identify various ways in which I can challenge the concept of white privilege in myself and others. On an individual level this can be done by increasing awareness of privilege, reducing feelings of guilt, accepting one’s own role in perpetuating racism. Do not assume that all differences are the same, acknowledge and validate everyone’s experience, avoid assumptions, listen with compassion, and create safety and room for everyone. Additional ways to challenge white privilege consist of exploring resources produced by or about other races, developing relationships with people across racial lines, positioning oneself in a context where they are the numerical minority, and/or exploring the field of whiteness
Tim Wise is a white man who grew up in Tennessee. His book, “Dear White America,” was written in the format of a letter from a white person in America to other white people in America. He understands that his audience will likely be mostly made up of people of color or those that already agree with him, but he wrote this to remind himself and others of the advantages of being white in the United States. Wise has views on racism that may be considered radical or offensive to many white people. He uses both personal experience and theoretical experiences to illustrate and explain the themes and ideas presented. The major theme of this book is not, as some may assume, “black vs. white” or “people of color vs. white people.” The major themes of “Dear White America” are accepting white privilege, and how to use white privilege to bring about change in multiracial relationships and societal structures.
Growing up I never witnessed any white privilege. However, I was told to judge someone not by their skin but their behavior and action rather. Although, now that I know that the recognition of white privilege it definitely makes it better for me to understand my life here in the United States. It helps me understand the social life and the discrimination going on here better. I did experience lot of white privilege when I moved to America. Getting through the airport security, the workers always smiled at the white people and white people did not have to wait in line. However, my family and I had to wait in a long time at the Boston Logan Airport when we first moved
When asked about white privilege, many whites believe that it is a myth while others deny the existence of white privilege entirely. However, white privilege is not a myth. White privilege is very prevalent in society and uniquely effects many different groups. Peggy McIntosh discusses white privilege in her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” McIntosh states, “I have come to see while privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was, "meant" to remain oblivious” (par. 3).
Carol Gilligan (1982) sparked a heated academic debate with her popular book In a different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. In this book Gilligan departs from the traditional sequential stage modals advocated by luminary psychologists such as Piaget (1925) and Kohlberg (1969) and develops her own moral orientation model. Gilligan criticises these theories as she claims they are insensitive to females 'different voice' on morality and therefore result in women achieving lower stages, thereby labelling them morally inferior to men.
Tim Wise focuses on the notion of white privilege, and how it is not only unjust, but how it causes harm to people in every aspect of society not just ethnic minorities. We must be honest about the ways in which white people collaborate with the systems that privilege us and oppress others. White privilege and white supremacy still exist in the United States. White people are given smoother passes to success and prosper in life, compared with ethnic minorities. Their treatment as
One’s cultural identity consists of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and so on. Being aware of your own cultural identity is just as important as being aware of other’s. People’s cultural identity defines who they are, the privilege (or lack of privilege) they receive, and how society views them. It is important to understand that White individuals have more privileges than individuals of color. White individuals do not experience detriment and difficulties due specifically to their skin color and instead receive advantages. White privilege is defined as benefits that white individuals have that people of color do not (Kendall, 2012). The following walks through my personal cultural background, how it was shaped, defined, and developed, and limitations to my personal competencies.
Peggy McIntosh, Associate Director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women , describes white privilege as “an invisible package of unearned assets, which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious” (J. Roehl, personal communication, August 16, 2016). Consequently, there are many ways in which my white race allows my privilege, many of which I take for granted without even recognizing. According to the White Privilege Checklist (J. Roehl, personal communication, August 16, 2016), my skin color allows me freedom from harassment in a multiple of settings (including schools and stores); it allows me the freedom to fearlessly get on or off a city bus; and, if it really mattered to me, I have
Privilege is a term associated with the process of granting certain rights and benefits to a specified group of people and/or an individual. An individual being shown preference in a certain situation may or may not receive similar treatment, when confronting other circumstances. For this matter, it is incredibly significant for one to remain mindful of the ways in which privilege and discrimination function within similar scales of inclusion and exclusion. This essay serves as an examination of the particular treatment received by white individuals, compared to that of non-white beings.
Kohlberg, L. (1984). The psychology of moral development: the nature and validity of moral stages. San Francisco: Harper & Row.