BEDI Resources

Definitions & Key Terms

Privilege: It refers to the advantages afforded to groups and individuals on the basis of a range of markers of social difference including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, ability, and class.

Privilege is a term synonymous with power and advantage. Social, economic, cultural, and political advantages are afforded to those people who are perceived to belong to dominant groups. These groups can be aligned with class, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, age, ability, and religious identities. The norms associated with these groups that mark them as privileged are socially constructed. Therefore privilege is not a singular, universal phenomenon but a complex system which simultaneously leads to inclusion of the privileged and exclusion of the oppressed.

Privilege is unearned and systemic but can be difficult to see because it has become normalized in social, economic, cultural, and legal institutions.

Power: It affords dominant groups socioeconomic advantages while supporting and perpetuating structural barriers that deny others access to the benefits of privilege. In this way, privilege is synonymous with access to power. Advocating for more focus on privilege is not denying the importance of understanding the experiences of disadvantaged groups and the systems that contribute to the perpetuation of inequality. Rather, examining privilege can add greater understanding of complex power relations that structure societal relations. Disadvantage is exacerbated because of privilege. Investigating how unmarked structures of privilege operate through institutional, individual, and symbolic geographies is critical to capturing the complexity of social power relations.

International Encyclopedia of Human Geography

Privilege

The Color of Class by Kirby Moss "Even though we lived a few blocks away in our neighborhood or sat a seat or two away in elementary school, a vast chasm of class and racial difference separated us from them."--From the Introduction What is it like to be white, poor, and socially marginalized while, at the same time, surrounded by the glowing assumption of racial privilege? Kirby Moss, an African American anthropologist and journalist, goes back to his hometown in the Midwest to examine ironies of social class in the lives of poor whites. He purposely moves beyond the most stereotypical image of white poverty in the U.S.--rural Appalachian culture--to illustrate how poor whites carve out their existence within more complex cultural and social meanings of whiteness. Moss interacts with people from a variety of backgrounds over the course of his fieldwork, ranging from high school students to housewives. His research simultaneously reveals fundamental fault lines of American culture and the limits of prevailing conceptions of social order and establishes a basis for reconceptualizing the categories of color and class. Ultimately Moss seeks to write an ethnography not only of whiteness but of blackness as well. For in struggling with the elusive question of class difference in U.S. society, Moss finds that he must also deal with the paradoxical nature of his own fragile and contested position as an unassumed privileged black man suspended in the midst of assumed white privilege.
ISBN: 0812237331
Publication Date: 2003-06-09
Deconstructing Privilege by Kim Case (Editor) Although scholarly examinations of privilege have increased in recent decades, an emphasis on privilege studies pedagogy remains lacking within institutions. This edited collection explores best practices for effective teaching and learning about various forms of systemic group privilege such as that based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, and class. Formatted in three easy-to-follow sections, Deconstructing Privilege charts the history of privilege studies and provides intersectional approaches to the topic. Drawing on a wealth of research and real-life accounts, this book gives educators both the theoretical foundations they need to address issues of privilege in the classroom and practical ways to forge new paths for critical dialogues in educational settings. Combining interdisciplinary contributions from leading experts in the field-- such as Tim Wise and Abby Ferber-- with pedagogical strategies and tips for teaching about privilege, Deconstructing Privilege is an essential book for any educator who wants to address what privilege really means in the classroom.
ISBN: 9780415641456
Publication Date: 2013-06-10
Dismantling Global White Privilege by Chandran Nair White privilege damages and distorts societies around the world, not just in the United States. This book exposes its pervasive global reach and creates a new space for discourse on worldwide racial equality. As Chandran Nair shows in this uncompromising new book, a belief in the innate superiority of White people and Western culture, once the driving force behind imperialism, is now woven into the very fabric of globalization. It is so insidious that, as Nair points out, even many non-White people have internalized it, judging themselves by an alien standard. It has no rival in terms of longevity, global reach, harm done, and continuing subversion of other cultures and societies. Nair takes a comprehensive look at the destructive influence of global White privilege. He examines its impact on geopolitics, the reframing of world history, and international business practices. In the soft-power spheres of White privilege--entertainment, the news media, sports, and fashion--he offers example after example of how White cultural products remain the aspirational standard. Even environmentalism has been corrupted, dominated by a White savior mentality whereby technologies and practices built in the West will save the supposedly underdeveloped, poorly governed, and polluted non-Western world. For all these areas, Nair gives specific suggestions for breaking the power of White privilege. It must be dismantled--not just because it is an injustice but also because we will be creating a post-Western world that has less conflict, is more united, and is better able to respond to the existential challenges facing all of us.
ISBN: 9781523000029
Publication Date: 2022-01-04
Educating Elites by Adam Howard; Ruben A. Gaztambide-Fernandez The gaze of educational researchers has traditionally been turned 'down' toward the experiences of communities deemed at-risk, presumably with the purpose of improving their plight. Indeed, theorizing about the relationship between education, culture, and society has typically emerged from the study of poor and marginalized groups in public schools. Seldom have educational researchers considered class privilege and educational advantage in their attempts at understanding inequality and fomenting social justice. This collection of groundbreaking studies breaks with this tradition by shifting the gaze of inquiry 'up, ' toward the experiences of privilege in educational environments characterized by wealth and the abundance of material resources. This edited volume brings together established and emerging scholars in education and the social sciences working critically to interrogate a diversity of educational environments serving the interests of influential groups both within and beyond schools. The authors investigate the power relations that underlie various contexts of class privilege. They shed light into the ways in which the success of a few relates to the failure of many
ISBN: 9781607094609
Publication Date: 2010-09-01
Privilege by Michael S. Kimmel Privilege is about more than being white, wealthy, and male, as Michael Kimmel, Abby Ferber, and a range of contributors make clear in this timely anthology. In an era when 'diversity' is too often shorthand for 'of color' and/or 'female' the personal and analytical essays in this collection explore the multifaceted nature of social location and consider how gender, class, race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, and religion interact to create nuanced layers of privilege and oppression. The individual essays (taken together) guide students to a deep understanding of the dynamics of diversity and stratification, advantage, and power. The fourth edition features thirteen new essays that help students understand the intersectional nature of privilege and oppression and has new introductory essays to contextualize the readings. These enhancements, plus the updated pedagogical features of discussion questions and activities at the end of each section, encourage students to examine their own beliefs, practices, and social location.
ISBN: 9780429963353
Publication Date: 2018-04-17
Privilege by Ross Gregory Douthat In the spirit of Scott Turow's One L and David Brooks's Bobos in Paradise, a penetrating critique of elite universities and the culture of privilege they perpetuate, written by a recent Harvard alumnus. Part memoir, part social critique, Privilege is an absorbing assessment of one of the world's most celebrated universities: Harvard. In this sharp, insightful account, Douthat evaluates his social and academic education -- most notably, his frustrations with pre-established social hierarchies and the trumping of intellectual rigor by political correctness and personal ambition. The book addresses the spectacles of his time there, such as the embezzlement scandal at the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and Professor Cornel West's defection to Princeton. He also chronicles the more commonplace but equally revealing experiences, including social climbing, sexual relations, and job hunting. While the book's narrative centers on Harvard, its main arguments have a much broader concern: the state of the American college experience. Privilege is a pointed reflection on students, parents, and even administrators and professors who perceive specific schools merely as stepping-stones to high salaries and elite social networks rather than as institutions entrusted with academic excellence. A book full of insightful perceptions and illuminating detail, Privilege is sure to spark endless debates inside and outside the ivied walls.
ISBN: 1401301126
Publication Date: 2005-03-02
Privilege and Punishment by Matthew Clair How the attorney-client relationship favors the privileged in criminal court--and denies justice to the poor and to working-class people of color The number of Americans arrested, brought to court, and incarcerated has skyrocketed in recent decades. Criminal defendants come from all races and economic walks of life, but they experience punishment in vastly different ways. Privilege and Punishment examines how racial and class inequalities are embedded in the attorney-client relationship, providing a devastating portrait of inequality and injustice within and beyond the criminal courts. Matthew Clair conducted extensive fieldwork in the Boston court system, attending criminal hearings and interviewing defendants, lawyers, judges, police officers, and probation officers. In this eye-opening book, he uncovers how privilege and inequality play out in criminal court interactions. When disadvantaged defendants try to learn their legal rights and advocate for themselves, lawyers and judges often silence, coerce, and punish them. Privileged defendants, who are more likely to trust their defense attorneys, delegate authority to their lawyers, defer to judges, and are rewarded for their compliance. Clair shows how attempts to exercise legal rights often backfire on the poor and on working-class people of color, and how effective legal representation alone is no guarantee of justice. Superbly written and powerfully argued, Privilege and Punishment draws needed attention to the injustices that are perpetuated by the attorney-client relationship in today's criminal courts, and describes the reforms needed to correct them.
ISBN: 9780691205878
Publication Date: 2020-11-17
Seeing Straight by Jean Halley; Amy Eshleman Seeing Straight introduces students to key concepts in gender and sexuality through the lens of privilege and power. After an accessible overview, the book asks students to examine the privilege inherent in approaching heterosexual and cisgender identities as "normal," as well as the problems of treating queer gender and sexuality as "abnormal." Compelling real-life examples illustrate theory and empirical research, revealing phenomena that shape not only students' own lives, but also their communities, their country, and the field of gender studies itself. The book addresses tough topics like hate, violence, and privilege, and it also considers institutionalized heteronormativity through the military, law, religion, and more. The book ends with a chapter called "It's Getting Better" that presents evidence for queer hope and courage. Filled with compelling true stories, this book is an ideal introduction to gender and sexuality that encourages students to question their own assumptions.
ISBN: 9781442233539
Publication Date: 2016-11-29
Seeing White by Jean Halley; Amy Eshleman; Ramya Mahadevan Vijaya This interdisciplinary textbook challenges students to see race as everyone's issue. Drawing on sociology, psychology, history, and economics, Seeing White introduces students to the concepts of white privilege and social power. Seeing White is designed to help break down some of the resistance students feel in discussing race. Each chapter opens with compelling concrete examples to help students approach issues from a range of perspectives. The early chapters build a solid understanding of privilege and power, leading to a critical exploration of discrimination. Key theoretical perspectives include cultural materialism, critical race theory, and the social construction of race. Each chapter includes discussion questions to help students evaluate institutions and policies that perpetuate or counter forces of privilege and discrimination.The website www.seeingwhite.org includes multidisciplinary demonstrations, activities, examples, and images for researchers and instructors who seek to explain racism and reveal white privilege.
ISBN: 9781442203075
Publication Date: 2011-07-01
Undoing Privilege by Professor Bob Pease For every group that is oppressed, another group is privileged. In Undoing Privilege, Bob Pease argues that privilege, as the other side of oppression, has received insufficient attention in both critical theories and in the practices of social change. As a result, dominant groups have been allowed to reinforce their dominance. Undoing Privilege explores the main sites of privilege, from Western dominance, class elitism, and white and patriarchal privilege to the less-examined sites of heterosexual and able-bodied privilege. Pease points out that while the vast majority of people may be oppressed on one level, many are also privileged on another. He also demonstrates how members of privileged groups can engage critically with their own dominant position, and explores the potential and limitations of them becoming allies against oppression and their own unearned privilege. This is an essential book for all who are concerned about developing theories and practices for a socially just world.
ISBN: 9781848130289
Publication Date: 2010-08-12
White Like Me by Tim Wise In White Like Me, Tim Wise offers a highly personal examination of the ways in which racial privilege shapes the lives of most white Americans, overtly racist or not, to the detriment of people of color, themselves, and society. The book shows the breadth and depth of the phenomenon within institutions such as education, employment, housing, criminal justice, and healthcare. By critically assessing the magnitude of racial privilege and its enormous costs, Wise provides a rich memoir that will inspire activists, educators, or anyone interested in understanding the way that race continues to shape the experiences of people in the U.S. Using stories instead of stale statistics, Wise weaves a narrative that is at once readable and scholarly, analytical and accessible.
ISBN: 9781932360684
Publication Date: 2004-12-21

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