I'm privileged, are you?

Reading Reflection #4

Melissa Elizalde

Section A01

April 21st, 2014

    A Response to "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women's Studies"

by: Peggy McIntosh

I thought Peggy McIntosh's article on white and male privilege was incredibly interesting and informative. Although I have read this article before for another class I still found it to be as informative as the first time I read it. Once again what struck me as important was the fact that the white privileges that McIntosh was describing are things that individuals are not taught to realize. These privileges are embedded in our social structures and have both positive and negative consequences for those that are affected by them. While reading this article I couldn't help but think of other privileges that are rarely talked about and contested. Among the most interesting ones that I found were able-bodied privilege, white and male privileged combined, and heterosexual privilege. I also throughly enjoyed the point the author made about changing the use of the word, privilege, to not have such a positive connotation. McIntosh refers to privilege as "something that simply confers dominance, giving permission to control based on one's race or sex." This word most definitely should not have such a positive connotation if it can work in ways that are manipulative and controlling. I believe further discussion is needed on this topic in order for substantial change to be made. I agree with McIntosh in her belief that what we do with this knowledge dictates whether or not effective change is possible.

Question 1: What privileges do you believe you have? Are they based on your race, sex, gender, ethnicity, nationality, etc.? 

Question 2: What will you do with this knowledge of privilege? Will you work to change the structures that perpetuate privilege and if so, how?