REFLECTION: Privilege, Power and Difference by Allan Johnson

 Privilege, Power, and Difference 

by Allan Johnson

Johnson argues that privilege, power and oppression exist because of intricate systemic reasons that push and pull the strings of who does and does not have power. More than this, the idea of privilege and oppression are entirely made up, sociological, and only have the power that we give them. Lastly, Johnson says that it's privileged people's jobs to work alongside oppressed people to eliminate or reduce oppression. 

Beginning Reflections: As I was reading the entirety of the text, I couldn't help but feel like a lot of the "revolutionary" thinking and writing that Johnson was doing was not only antiquated, but also incorrect. While I agree with many of the beliefs of Johnson, I disagree with many. The author identifies himself very frequently as a white, Catholic, heterosexual man and it's clear that he's writing to other people in positions of cultural power, or to those who are privileged. When he identifies himself, he is able to understand intersectionality (if you haven't heard of intersectionality, I HIGHLY recommend you read this interview by the professor [Kimberlé Crenshaw] who coined the term), however when it comes to overlapping oppression, he doesn't much more than he explains how a Black woman he was having a meal with was both a woman... and Black. Intersectionality ALSO includes class. Johnson's assertion that class was an is an entirely different world is not accurate. When I was a Senior during my Undergrad, I took a class on Marxian Economic Theory which identifies race and class, under capitalism as UNSEPERABLE, completely. Johnson states that it is fundamentally different because despite the fact that you are born into identities (including race, class, gender, etc), you can change class (intro, page xi). On a technicality, sure. But if you are a lower class individual, especially a person of color, who already is at a disadvantage with being hired, how are you expected, how can you even imagine being able to change your class. You can't. Class isn't as moveable as we once thought and this is again, a statement and idea that ages Johnson's argument. 

Middle Reflections: Once again, I find myself fundamentally disagreeing with Johnson. In Chapter 3, Johnson opens by saying that oppression does not exist because we did anything (*loud buzzer sound*). This is true in the way that carbon dioxide exists without us doing anything. Needless to say for both, our existence withholds, perpetuates, and worsens the existence of both.  Racism doesn't exist because *we* created it, it exists because we feed it, and grow it, and reap the benefits of it. Privilege is only privileged because of the scarcity value that it holds-- the idea that there isn't enough privilege in the world and because of this everyone wants it. Privilege is not a finite resource. The current reality of racism is not passive, it lives and breathes and grows because of us. And just because I feel like I can't not say anything: Johnson says "talking about power and privilege isn't easy, which is why people rarely do" (15). Once again, loud buzzer sound. He is so privileged to even mutter the idea that people don't talk a lot about it. Oppressed people talk ALL THE TIME about privilege and power. What's the best way to hold your keys in case something happens at night. ¿Viste como esa mujer nos vio cuando estábamos hablando en frente de ella? I'm afraid at what my parents might think of me if they see me dressing up for the Pride Parade. Talks of privilege and power for the oppressed isn't something you can turn on and off, it's something that just is (and it really upset me for him to be saying this). [Personal thoughts, if we are going to be reading and learning about oppression... why are we not reading from the POV of the oppressed....????)

Ending Reflections: Being privileged without feeling privileged (36). Again, what a privileged perspective. Of course a typically upper class, white man will not have heard about privilege when he was a kid. He would have heard of luck and the American Dream and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and because your grandpa did x thing now we are where we are and we do so much work from this cushy office job where we embezzle money and now we have millions... They don't know the reality of oppression because it has never HIT them. 

Personal Connection:  I actually didn't know for a while what my personal connection was going to be simply because I felt that my entire engagement with the writing was personal. But here it is, the idea that a privileged person doesn't know she's privileged. A few weeks ago, one of my coworkers (E) and I were at dismissal when a student asked E, "why does everyone say you and Ms. X look alike??" and in a voice only E could hear, I (Latina), said "two white blonde woman working at the same school." The next day she asked if I could sit down for a little "chit chat" and told me that what I said to her was racist..... First of all, you can't be racist to white people. Second of all, that's not even what racism is. Third of all, if that's the adversity she had faced in her life WHOOOOEEEE and then I couldn't help but think about when I was only told that I was going to college to meet the "diversity quota" or that people can't typically pronounce my last name-- even though its phonetic, because it looks "foreign", or that E herself mixes up the names of two of her black students but does not mix up the names of her white students (name equivalencies similar to Lucy and Lucia). E did not know racism because it has never HIT her, and then on top of that, to tell me that I was racist... I was fuming... (still am).