And that poor WHITE boy is still going to have more privelage than a poor black one. Gee, maybe it’s like, some sort of spectrum and not quite so… black and white.
right, because people’s skin color is inherently how much power and priveldge they have…
and not actual power and privilege. because you know, we can’t talk about that. we just attribute it to skin color. and that’s not extremely racist at all…
Do you have any real world experience with underprivledged people, or is this all purely theoretical for you?
Plenty of white kids have it way worse than black kids, or any other race of kid, or mixed kids. But that would require learning about the circumstances of the individual, rather than treating their ‘privledge’ as a pure product of their skin color.
What if the black kid is Jewish? or Episcopalian? Did you know those religious groups have much higher incomes than Catholics or Baptists? or does skin color trump religion?
Right. So now we are getting into what is called ‘intersectionality’. That’s where you look at all the different factors such as gender, race, sexuality, etc. Yes, some black people are going to have more privalage than some white people. We have to take all of this into account. Like I said, it really isn’t so black and white.
What you are misunderstanding (possibly intentionally), is that each axis of power dynamics has more- and less-privileged positions: race, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical dis/ability, mental dis/ability, etc. A fully able-bodied and mentally healthy rich, white, straight, cis man is obviously going to be more privileged than a paraplegic, poor, black, gay, trans woman with learning disabilities (but note that even this does not automatically translate into more happiness, better self-esteem, etc.). But if you try to compare the privilege of an upper-middle class, native-American, gay, cis woman born with only one hand vs. a poor, white, straight, cis, teenage boy with ADHD, it’s much thornier, and ultimately not an important comparison to make.
When people speak of white privilege, they are saying that a white person lives generally unencumbered by their race and how others perceive them because of it. They are, in aggregate, less likely to be pulled over or stopped by police. They are more likely to get job interviews, and to be seen as a good potential hire by those interviewing them.
For male privilege, it means being more likely to be seen as leadership material, less likelihood of being sexually assaulted, a probability of higher lifetime earnings, and less chance of having one’s ailments dismissed by doctors, or of being passed over for a promotion because you might someday get pregnant and need maternity leave.
Every axis of privilege is different, they are not particularly cross-comparable, and they are all just probabilities - none are deterministic. Some types of privilege are fairly inherent (class, health/ability), while others are based on how our society treats people differently based on group affiliation (race, sex, gender, sexuality). The point of identifying these is not to shame those who have privilege, but rather to recognize the various difficulties faced by those who are less privileged, so that we might mitigate those challenges. In a just world, everyone would be treated as though they were a member of the privileged group(s) along every axis, and judged only by their own actions.
I think we get into problems like this when we start trying to quantitate privilege like this.
They have different privilege.
Almost everyone benefits from some kind of privilege. Yes, some are more profound than others, but thinking of it in simple terms of quantity accomplishes nothing for anyone.
We benefit from learning to recognize and acknowledge the specific privileges from which we benefit, not from carrying guilt or burden over the concept of privilege itself.
Explaining to a poor white man that they have privilege just because they do teaches them nothing. Explaining to them that they dont have the privilege of wealth to shield them from certain circumstances, but do have the specific privilege of not having systemic racism as an additional hurdle to their already real existing problems allows them the space to feel seen and acknowledge while still having the distance to see the point.
No, I’m telling you your belief is racist and ignorant, because of your assumption a black skin inherently makes one ‘worse off’ than white skin.
I’m someone who grew up in a poor mixed race community. But please tell me more about how my real life experience is wrong? I certainly get that a lot, especially whenever I’m around wealthy and privileged people.
What’s funny is when I meet other people who grew up the way I did… they tend to be not dogmatic and way less racist/sexist, compared to the rich white/black folks. And the Asians… just don’t care about any of that shit.
… that’s like saying billionaires are superior, because you punch up at them. It’s not about being better, it’s about privilege.
rich white men are privileged.
poor whites, are not privileged.
and there are way more poor white people than rich white people.
Poor whites are still white. Yes they’re still privilege
Edit - at this point 4 downvotes. 4 white people need to pull theirs heads out their ass
cool, go trade places with a poor white boy in louisana and see how much ‘privilege’ that life brings.
I’m sure you will love the lack of education, economic opportunity, and the backwards culture you’re brought up in that you can’t escape.
oh, you don’t want ot make that trade? gee, maybe because you’re more privileged than they are…
And that poor WHITE boy is still going to have more privelage than a poor black one. Gee, maybe it’s like, some sort of spectrum and not quite so… black and white.
right, because people’s skin color is inherently how much power and priveldge they have…
and not actual power and privilege. because you know, we can’t talk about that. we just attribute it to skin color. and that’s not extremely racist at all…
Yes. Like, yeah bud. That’s how racism works. White people are going to have more privilege than black people.
That’s not to say that the poor white kid isn’t going to experience hardships but the poor black child is deffo gonna have it way worse.
Do you have any real world experience with underprivledged people, or is this all purely theoretical for you?
Plenty of white kids have it way worse than black kids, or any other race of kid, or mixed kids. But that would require learning about the circumstances of the individual, rather than treating their ‘privledge’ as a pure product of their skin color.
What if the black kid is Jewish? or Episcopalian? Did you know those religious groups have much higher incomes than Catholics or Baptists? or does skin color trump religion?
Right. So now we are getting into what is called ‘intersectionality’. That’s where you look at all the different factors such as gender, race, sexuality, etc. Yes, some black people are going to have more privalage than some white people. We have to take all of this into account. Like I said, it really isn’t so black and white.
What you are misunderstanding (possibly intentionally), is that each axis of power dynamics has more- and less-privileged positions: race, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical dis/ability, mental dis/ability, etc. A fully able-bodied and mentally healthy rich, white, straight, cis man is obviously going to be more privileged than a paraplegic, poor, black, gay, trans woman with learning disabilities (but note that even this does not automatically translate into more happiness, better self-esteem, etc.). But if you try to compare the privilege of an upper-middle class, native-American, gay, cis woman born with only one hand vs. a poor, white, straight, cis, teenage boy with ADHD, it’s much thornier, and ultimately not an important comparison to make.
When people speak of white privilege, they are saying that a white person lives generally unencumbered by their race and how others perceive them because of it. They are, in aggregate, less likely to be pulled over or stopped by police. They are more likely to get job interviews, and to be seen as a good potential hire by those interviewing them.
For male privilege, it means being more likely to be seen as leadership material, less likelihood of being sexually assaulted, a probability of higher lifetime earnings, and less chance of having one’s ailments dismissed by doctors, or of being passed over for a promotion because you might someday get pregnant and need maternity leave.
Every axis of privilege is different, they are not particularly cross-comparable, and they are all just probabilities - none are deterministic. Some types of privilege are fairly inherent (class, health/ability), while others are based on how our society treats people differently based on group affiliation (race, sex, gender, sexuality). The point of identifying these is not to shame those who have privilege, but rather to recognize the various difficulties faced by those who are less privileged, so that we might mitigate those challenges. In a just world, everyone would be treated as though they were a member of the privileged group(s) along every axis, and judged only by their own actions.
More privelage than a black guy living in Louisiana.
I think we get into problems like this when we start trying to quantitate privilege like this.
They have different privilege.
Almost everyone benefits from some kind of privilege. Yes, some are more profound than others, but thinking of it in simple terms of quantity accomplishes nothing for anyone.
We benefit from learning to recognize and acknowledge the specific privileges from which we benefit, not from carrying guilt or burden over the concept of privilege itself.
Explaining to a poor white man that they have privilege just because they do teaches them nothing. Explaining to them that they dont have the privilege of wealth to shield them from certain circumstances, but do have the specific privilege of not having systemic racism as an additional hurdle to their already real existing problems allows them the space to feel seen and acknowledge while still having the distance to see the point.
really. so a middle-class black kid has less privilege than a poor white kid?
or maybe privilege is about money and power? and skin color has very little to do with that.
Skin color has a ton to do with who has money and power. That’s, like, the central theme of American history.
Clutch them pearls.
Anyone reading this. Make friends with black immigrants, specifically black women and then let’s talk about privilege.
What if they are from millionaire families? Are they still underprivileged?
Clutch dem pearls harder.
Are you really going to tell everyone here a black poor person is equal to a white one?
Really? That’s the hill you’re going to die on?
No, I’m telling you your belief is racist and ignorant, because of your assumption a black skin inherently makes one ‘worse off’ than white skin.
I’m someone who grew up in a poor mixed race community. But please tell me more about how my real life experience is wrong? I certainly get that a lot, especially whenever I’m around wealthy and privileged people.
What’s funny is when I meet other people who grew up the way I did… they tend to be not dogmatic and way less racist/sexist, compared to the rich white/black folks. And the Asians… just don’t care about any of that shit.