How Factors Influence Privilege

How Factors Influence Privilege

            In my opinion, the word “privilege” can be defined as an advantage or a special right that is granted to some people but not granted to everyone.  On the surface level, a privilege can be receiving an unearned gift or being able to escape an undesirable situation.  Privileges exist in many different forms and often cause unequal treatment and feelings of inequality.  Race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ableism, and class influence one’s allowance of privileges.  Those who are granted privileges often do not view their advantages as special, but rather, they consider their daily way of life to be “normal.”  In comparison, those who face challenges and are not granted the same privileges, recognize their disadvantages and feel oppressed (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012). 

            In Sensoy and DiAngelo’s book, Is everyone really equal?, it is explained that two interrelated dynamics, including both external and structural dimensions, as well as internal and attitudinal dimensions, are central to understanding social and institutional privilege (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012).  Often, those who are privileged are also part of the numerical majority and associated with the dominant group.  Due to my race, I have been blessed with privileges that people who belong to other races have not been able to enjoy.  My grandparents and parents have had little difficulty when applying for jobs and have not had to deal with being discriminated against due to their race or ethnicity. 

            In addition to having little difficulty when applying for jobs and to colleges or universities, the majority of people who I am surrounded by every day have the same skin color as my own.  My accent and sense of style is common and accepted by most people.  Others seldomly question my financial stability or performance skills within the workplace.  I have never been accused of making others feel threatened or at risk of being harmed.  When I go to the drug store, I can easily find many hair products that fit my hair type and varying brands of make-up in my skin color.  Most of my teachers are also Caucasian and textbooks adequately represent my race.  While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, these are a few of the many privileges that I enjoy simply because I am a White American. 

            Recently, I have become more aware of the challenges that minority groups and certain racial groups face day in and day out.  I try to be open-minded and comprehend the struggles that they face, but I cannot fathom or understand the discrimination that they receive.  In Biegel’s book, The Right to Be Out, he explains his desire to spread awareness and to create an environment in which homosexuals are accepted.  “My goal, then, in writing this book is to help shine light on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in American public education, “ expressed Biegel (Biegel, 2010, p. vii).  Biegel desires to experience the same privileges that heterosexuals experience, regardless of his sexual orientation.  He advocates for himself and for other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. 

            Due to my upbringing and my experiences, I could potentially bring biased assumptions into my classroom unintentionally.  As I am learning more about these issues, I am gaining more of an awareness and trying to break any biased assumptions that I may have.  While this is definitely helpful, I am afraid that it is almost impossible to rid myself of the accumulated ideas and patterns in which I was so accustomed to while growing up.  For example, because I always had the privilege of having running water and ample hygiene products within my house, it might be easy for me to assume that this will be true for all of my students.  I was always provided appropriate clothing for each season, and therefore, it might be easy for me to blame the parents when students enter my classroom without jackets in the winter.  These are biased assumptions and I must recognize that not all students have access to these privileges. 

            As a future teacher, I will do my best to minimize any biased assumptions by getting to know my students and their parents personally.  I will invest in them and develop relationships with them.  Getting to know them on a more personal level will allow me to have insight concerning what each child’s home-life and lifestyle looks like.  Being aware of the overall environment of the area in which I teach is also significant.  I feel that entering the classroom with an open mind and without predetermined assumptions is the best way to begin the school year.  To be a successful teacher, it is important for me to be open-minded and to simply have the students’ best interest in mind at all times. 

  

References

Biegel, S. (2010). The right to be out. Minneapolis, MN: Uiniversity of Minnesota Press.

Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is everyone really equal? New York, NY: Teachers College

Press.