This is not said to make white people feel guilty about their privilege
January 25, 2015 6:43 PM Subscribe
Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person...
"This is not said to make white people feel guilty about their privilege. It's not your fault you were born with white skin and experience these privileges. BUT, whether you realize it or not, you DO benefit from it, and it IS your fault if you don't maintain awareness of that fact."
"This is not said to make white people feel guilty about their privilege. It's not your fault you were born with white skin and experience these privileges. BUT, whether you realize it or not, you DO benefit from it, and it IS your fault if you don't maintain awareness of that fact."
This post was deleted for the following reason: We've had this conversation a bunch of times and this doesn't seem groundbreaking enough for a rehash. -- restless_nomad
The concept of Intersectionality recognizes that people can be privileged in some ways and definitely not privileged in others.
Needs a marketing polish, but it's better than "White Privilege" which seems targeted to pissing off poor white folks.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:03 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Needs a marketing polish, but it's better than "White Privilege" which seems targeted to pissing off poor white folks.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:03 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nobody's saying that Straight White Middle Class Able-Bodied Males are all a bunch of assholes who don't work hard for what they have. Recognizing Privilege simply means being aware that some people have to work much harder just to experience the things you take for granted (if they ever can experience them at all.)
This is well stated. The word 'privilege" conjures up images of some ultra-rich coddled country club type, and most people can honestly say "That's not me." But most white people, if you say "Black/gay/trans/etc people have to put up with shit you don't" would probably say "Sure, no kidding." It's just a loaded word.
Just a thought.
posted by jonmc at 7:07 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
This is well stated. The word 'privilege" conjures up images of some ultra-rich coddled country club type, and most people can honestly say "That's not me." But most white people, if you say "Black/gay/trans/etc people have to put up with shit you don't" would probably say "Sure, no kidding." It's just a loaded word.
Just a thought.
posted by jonmc at 7:07 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
An essay on privilege by the "feminist breeder," also known for berating people for not breastfeeding? maybe she should check her own privilege ...
posted by yarly at 7:09 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yarly at 7:09 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eh, I get the point, but it's always bothered me that the privilege argument is dependent on grouping people into categories and then ignoring personal situations to stick those categories.
Yes, on average, white have it better than everyone, men have it better than women, etc, etc. But there's always going to be individuals that don't fit in those dynamics.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:14 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, on average, white have it better than everyone, men have it better than women, etc, etc. But there's always going to be individuals that don't fit in those dynamics.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:14 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
We've already been over this bullshit.
I'm just getting real tired of bloggy millenial types of whatever fucking ilk basically writing dumb thinkpieces about their intellectually and morally stunted rehashings of Marxist criticisms, some of which are close to a century old, without ever really putting it together.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 7:14 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm just getting real tired of bloggy millenial types of whatever fucking ilk basically writing dumb thinkpieces about their intellectually and morally stunted rehashings of Marxist criticisms, some of which are close to a century old, without ever really putting it together.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 7:14 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
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posted by emptythought at 6:53 PM on January 25, 2015