"A first step for white people, I think, is to not be afraid to admit that we have benefited from white privilege." -Robert Jensen
Jensen's article about white privledge was pretty one sided. I agree with what he said, but not his explanation to why. He thinks that because he got into grad school and got the job he has was because of other white people hiring him. I disagree with this because in today's world, minorities are more likely to be hired by white people so that they look more diverse. The fact that he was hired and accepted to grad school had a lot more to do with the hard work he did than his race. To think that it was because he was white would be ridiculous. Whites are privledged in the sense that there is less racism towards them and they can relate better to others who look like them because they are the majority. I really dont think that minorities who have the skills for a job lose out to a white person that is less qualified.
Chapter 2: manufacturing identities talks about how identities show our position in the world and how we relate to others. They are based on race, reigion gender, class, etc. Essentialism is the universal essence that determines on thing from another. Racial ethnicity is one kind of identity that ties people together and forms groups that people seperate themselves and others with. This socializes people to continue to accept inequalities and believe that it is natural. sterotypes such as "women are less competitive" suggest that the lower wages they recieve are justified. I think the media gives us this impression and socializes us to think that it is normal. I think that this is where Jensen is getting his idea about Whites being privledged because of these sort of things happening. He may be right, but i do not think his evidence supports the conclusion he came up with. Although this kind of thinking leads to seperating people into groups i do not think it goes as far as preventing someone from getting a job because of their color, race, religion, etc. in most cases.
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2 comments:
I agree with you that Jensen's argument is a little one sided however did you think about this in the sense that he doesn't know any other side. Because he is a white male, he does not have any other perspective with which to look at white privilege. He obviously could have gotten other's opinions on the subject however he said he like to look at it in the sense of how it affected him. I also agree with you that he most likely got his job through the bases of his talent and skill and not because he was white but it does raise an interesting point, how do you really ever know that?
Sicard! Nice post. I strongly agree with you that white privilege exists and I agree with you that minorities stand a very good chance of getting what they work hard for like a job position and not have to be afraid of getting beating by a white person. I'm Asian and I feel confident when applying for a job against many other white people. Sometimes my confidence comes from the fact that I am Asian and not white.
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