Privilege, Power, and Difference

Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson

The introduction of this piece states the position of Johnson. We have differences in our society which the people of our who created the problem cannot seem to fix. The differences Johnson talks about include; gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and social class. Johnson's position relates to the S.C.W.A.A.M.P exercise we did in class. These are issues that need to be addressed but I think we are always going to have issues because people seem to always look to the past for their answers instead of what is really happening today. An example, women get the same education as a men. Why would a man be more qualified for the job? Especially if they have the same education. The thing is, people have this idea in their mind that men were the ones who "bring home bacon" and they think thats how it should be.

Before I begin I would just like to state that I don't completely agree with Johnson on this topic. He often talks about "privileged" people but what standard does he hold for someone who is "privileged." Is owning a house a "privileged"? Or just having a job that pays "privileged?"

On page ten Johnson states that,
“Privilege is always a problem for people who don’t have it and or people who do, because privilege is always in relation to others. Privilege is always at someone else’s expense and always exacts a cost. Everything that’s done to receive or maintain it-however passive and unconscious-results in suffering and deprivation for someone.” (Johnson page 10)

I don't agree with this at all because like I said in class everyone has the oppurtunity to become privileged. Life is basically what you make of it. People in other countries do not have what we have here. We have help systems here to help other people. Subsidised living that goes by your monthly earnings,(wellfare, foodstamps) If everyone really had such a problem with eachother like he says they do, why do people give food to soup kitchens? or clothing? Not everyone participates in this but people do have the chance in America to go to school and earn a degree. Everyone has an oppurtunity to work. In another country if your parents are farmers well guess what? YOU are going to be a farmer you have no choice. Here in America people have that privlege to be what they want to be.

Another quote that I found seemed to be a little contradicting to his argument.
"And we're astonishingly adaptable. We can figure out how to live just about anywhere under almost any conditions you could imagine. We can take in the strange and unfamiliar and learn to understand and embrace it, whether it's a new language or an odd food or teh mysteries of death and dying or the person siting next to us on the crosstown bus who doesn't look like anyone we've seen before."(Johnson page 6.)

If we can adapt to differences then why does he make it such a point that people make such a big deal about someone being different? If you can adapt to someone being different from you on the bus, why can't you adapt to see them in your neighborhood?or on the job site? It just doesn't make sense to me. If someone can come up with a way this wouldn't be contradicting feel free to comment because I am open to any other point of view on this situation.

However, I do agree with Johnson that society does have a problem but I believe it is getting better or has the potential to progress and get better. Johnson does have a point when he says,
"As a white, male, middle-classs heterosexual, I know that in some ways these words are about me. There's no way to avoid playing some role in the troubles they name, and that's something I need to look at. But in equally important ways, the words are not about me because they name something much lareger than me, something I didn't invent or create, but that was passed on to me as a legacy when I was born into this society. If I'm going to be part of the solution to that difficult legacy, it's important to step back from my defensive sensititivy to such language and look at the reality it points to. Then I can understand what it names and what it has to do with me and, most important, what I can do about it." (Johnson p. 14)

What I think Johnson is saying that a huge portion of society's problems with differences relates to the history of people. The background they have that you don't necessarily know about. I think we have a strong society and issues have been getting better. Gays and Lesbians are getting more rights when it comes to marriage even though they had to fight for it. The situation has come a long way. Our society has interacial marriage, children are more than one ethnicity. Our society does its best to make sure every child has food on the table by offering the programs of foodstamps and welfare to help people get the help they need to supply for themselves and family. We have aid that helps students who want to pursue their education and go to college. It may take a while for things to get better but I think our society does have a start.