Privilege

White Privilege and Male Privilege

To paraphrase briefly, McIntosh begins writing about male privilege, and how they are sometimes unaware of the privileges that they have compared to women. She does this to make a point, that even she is in the same boat when it comes to having privileges others do not have. She goes on to explain how at one time she was somewhat ignorant of the large comparisons between white and black privilege. She speaks about male privilege and as the text goes on her focus is on white privilege (in comparison to blacks) and eventually leads to the issue of power.
She discuss how power, unearned privilege, and privilege kind of form into one.
I noticed that her tone of writing) is a more concerned tone or a tone of revelation mainly to herself but also to the readers. I found it interesting that she took the time to 46 conditions she is “privileged” to have, while many blacks do not. Her list was concise. Later she lists 8 observations from her own experience in relation to heterosexual privilege.
Significant parts in the piece are, male privilege/advantage, white privilege/advantage, privilege systems, unearned privilege, and power. This also includes the opposite of these parts.
The main emphasis in this piece is privilege. It is then broken down into further emphasis such as, male privilege, white privilege. The next emphasis due to the amount of repetition is the word “advantage”; which is closely based on privilege. Later in the piece power is mentioned, which also relates to privilege and advantage. And dominance is pointed out briefly at the end of the article. It is like each one is part of another or greater part.
There are several strands I noticed, and some have already been stated. One major strand is when McIntosh makes the analogy of white privilege as a weightless knapsack she uses the strand, “provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks”. The other strands are, male privilege/advantage, white privilege/advantage, privilege systems, unearned privilege, and power.
This piece was filled with opposite binaries. These are just a few: privileged/underprivileged, male privilege/female privilege, white privileged/black underprivileged, disadvantages/advantaged, power/powerless. All of these binaries and opposite binaries prove to be important issues.
The explicit is that white privilege and male privilege are higher in rank than black privilege, whites are taught to recognize white privilege as males are not taught to recognize male privilege. Denial and ignorance also exist. Male and white privilege are unearned, they are given by birth, citizenship, and “by virtue of being a conscientious law-abiding normal person of goodwill.” In many cases this is due more to skin color than class, ethnicity, religion, and location. Skin color is an asset that white people have throughout life. A common example would be in the work field; although it has improved it still happens. Power is also an asset for males and whites. A man’s sex is the main example of this power because they have been given the title as the “dominant.” I noticed a key phrase in this article that stood out. The portion had to do with dominance and power. “ In some groups, those dominated have actually become strong through not having all of these unearned advantages, and this gives them a great deal to teach others.” This phrase suggests that unearned advantages weaken us or serves as a crutch. The last sentence of the article sums it up very well. “Whether we will choose to use unearned advantage to weaken invisible privilege systems and whether we will use any of our arbitrary awarded power to try to reconstruct power-systems on a broader base.”
An implication could be that we have a choice as a white person or a man on how to deal with or use the advantages, power, and privileges we have. Another may be the urge for us to defeat this warped system. Make it known that blacks are equal to whites and women are equal to males. We have improved as a country to present everyone as equals, however, we have a long way to go. It is obvious that we need to realize the differences yet not let it affect us that we are blind to the privilege systems and not take our privileges, etc. for granted.
I will now go into the question of: “What does it seem to be about, but what could it also be?” This article seems to be about the differences between females verses male, and white vs. black. But is “really” about the progression and lack of progression our country has accomplished or not accomplished. As of right now I really cannot think of anything else although I am sure they are more. This is one that crossed my mind.
The pitch wishes us to believe that we as whites or females are ignorant about the privileges and advantages we have. The piece also wants us to believe that such differences exist yet it is our choice what to do with it. The piece is reacting to the privilege systems in this country. The moment is now and for the future. It says that now we are ignorant and prone to adopt the system. And in the future hopes that we will change this system, adopt new ideas that there should be equality.