A system of white privilege, for example, is white-dominated, which means the default is for white people to occupy positions of power. When a category of people is named the standard for human beings in general, the path of least resistance is to see them as superior, there being no other reason to make them the standard.
It also encourages whites to be unaware of white privilege. White-centeredness is the tendency to put white people and what they do at the center of attention—the front page of the newspaper or magazine, the main character in the movie.
Abundant research, for example, shows that whites and blacks are equally likely to use illegal drugs, which would lead us to expect them to be equally likely to wind up in prison for that offense.
On top of that, young white males are the demographic most likely to sell illegal drugs. But a substantial majority of those in prison for drug offenses are people of color, in spite of their much smaller share of the overall population. As global citizens, we have the revolutionary ability to transform the political, economic, and social environment by recognizing that injustice creates a societal imbalance that negatively impacts everyone. One of the best life-lessons my father taught me was that guilt is a useless emotion.
Guilt is a feeling that ultimately does nothing in bringing about change. I try to use this concept when I talk to friends about privilege. A lot of time, people will respond with defensives, or guilt. But what am I going to do?
To this I respond with a reminder that each of us is able to undermine the system of oppression by refusing to live with unchecked or unacknowledged privilege. Simply by reflecting and challenging our privileges, and working to change the system of discrimination through direct discussion, we can help to shift the status quo. By framing the dialogue on action, and steps toward liberation, the conversation is more accessible and powerful.
Is it strictly due to demographics, or are those demographics shaped by historical discrimination? For a list of anti-oppression questions, visit Dr. For more actionable change, reach out to like-minded people within your community. I will give a personal example on how addressing my privilege got me involved in grassroots organizing: After a year of working as a social worker, I was dismayed by inequalities within social services.
I reached out to a group that mobilized social service workers who were committed to addressing injustice. By joining with others with similar interests, I felt I was working to transform a broken welfare system, and it resulted in my professional work being more impactful.
Extend this conversation to your friends and family members to build a world that is focused on equality and fairness. In order to break the systems of oppression within our societies, it is important to intentionally set-aside time to think about justice, and whether or not our values are aligning with the ways in which we live our lives.
What are your thoughts on privilege? Is it a topic you have familiarity with? Share your thoughts in the comments, and continue the discussion about privilege with friends and family members! Sign up Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Apple or. Rerequest with Facebook. This account has been deactivated. Lead with empathy. Get an understanding of individual experience. Lindsey, Robins, and Terrell suggest that culturally competent educational leaders should engage in the following:.
These practices allow culturally competent educational leaders to recognize their own cultural values, norms, and expectations, while allowing them to collaborate with students, staff, and families from other cultures.
These interactions support the management of conflicts that may arise as a result of cultural differences. Adapting to diversity suggests embedding equitable practices in classroom management, instructional practices, and social—emotional learning. Finally, institutionalizing cultural knowledge speaks to informing school policies that are equitable and supportive of all students. We can be the beneficiary of privilege without recognizing or consciously perpetuating it.
Some questions to consider are listed below. Engaging in thoughtful discussion with people of other backgrounds is essential to understanding privilege. Start by discussing how privilege looks in our society and which groups have privilege and which do not. Recognize that having privilege does not require feeling guilty for your privilege. Determine and offer ways to challenge systems of privilege and oppression in your own life. Understanding and engaging in self-reflection and discussions about privilege is an essential step to addressing individual and systemic inequities in our society.
We must be aware of and honest about our personal perspectives and how these may or may not contribute to biases that in turn may contribute, even unintentionally, to prejudice, inequity, isolation, poverty, and violence. Schools present an ideal context for helping to guide conversations and learning opportunities for students.
Johnson, A. Privilege, power, and difference 2nd ed. Linsey, R. Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Miranda, A. Understanding privilege in America. Jones Ed. McIntosh, K. How can we reduce racial disproportionality in school discipline? Tomes, Y. Cross-cultural interactions and understanding. Wildman, S. Language and silence: Making systems of privilege visible. Santa Clara Law Review , 35 3 , — National Association of School Psychologists.
Understanding Race and Privilege [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author. Racism, Prejudice, and Discrimination Position Statement.
0コメント