Robot Hugs explains privilege (and what to do about it) in an easy-to-understand way.
I know, these privilege conversations can suck but we really need to have them. The idea is simple: there is an uneven power distribution that makes life easier for some of us (like me: a white cisgender-female), while making life more difficult for other people. People who may suffer from a disability, may identify as non-binary or transgender, or may belong to a different community of color–and that’s not an exhaustive list. Still as people who occupy privileged positions in society we forget that our experiences are considered “normal” and that they aren’t the only experiences people have.
What I really like about this infographic is that it goes beyond lecturing people about their privilege it offers examples of what you can do to subvert your privilege. Awesome.
Originally appeared on Robot Hugs
The larger the scope and scale, the greater the generalizations: And so then, the less effectively the (often overlapping) boundaries of privilege and power can be simply & neatly compartmentalized, partitioned, and/or redistributed (by race, class, gender, or along any other axis).
I’ve said this once before, but I’ll mention it again: The relative morality, validity, and integrity of one’s position -any position- cannot be weighed simply by one’s disaffection or dissociation (or one’s perceived dissociation) from the current power structure, whatever it may be (objectively or subjectively). To assume a ‘wronged’ person thus cannot BE wrong because of this is short-sighted, irrational, and illiberal. To automatically assume otherwise is not a call for empathy- it’s a call for straight out acquiescence. The best & most constructive use of ‘privilege’ (relatively or absolutely, as it may even exist situationally, relatively, or absolutely)… Read more »
In my experience, “Check your privilege” is a catch-all phrase designed to shut down any kind of rational debate. Like “Mission Accomplished”, “Stay The Course”, and “Yes We Can” it requires no actual thought. I don’t mind someone disagreeing with me, but falling back on slogans is not a debate, it’s just mouthing clichés.
There is another type beyond race, religion or gender. It is the Alpha/Beta/Omega model where Alpha politicians and lawyers use Beta law enforcement to impose their will on the Omegas, or the vast majority of people. And it’s not just men: Nancy Pelosi, Janet Reno and Dianne Feinstein are the flip sides of their male counterparts. Hillary Clinton is no different than her husband: they are both sociopaths who despise anything not under their control. You don’t get to an Alpha position without being willing to step on people along the way. These people don’t just want power, they NEED… Read more »
yay robot hugs! here’s a comic for you danielle, except you are the person on the right: http://www.robot-hugs.com/but-men/
I get that, but the problem is that this situation cannot be gender-reversed. Because spaces for rational men to freely discuss their issues in peace just do not exist. They are not allowed to exist. (I said rational men — MRA sites are not places for rational discussion; and also they are under attack day and night.) Even this very website takes great care to make the female voice heard at least as much as the male voice. Neither is anything being done to prevent women from hijacking the discussion about male problems (which happens quite often). I estimate that… Read more »
Alright, on my estimate I stand corrected. 😀
You are actually saying I am all about the menz Zodak? Well perhaps you could explain to me why men’s rights activists regularly attack me and why I am on a list on A Voice For Men that declares “fuck you” to awful awful feminists? Please, you obviously don’t know very much about me.
Do you have evidence of this claim?
I think its unlikely that you are being criticized, and genuinely don’t know what the criticism is about, perhaps its something to with honesty?
LOL here’s “evidence” though I’m not sure why you can’t read the thread for yourseld.
“here’s a comic for you danielle, except you are the person on the right: http://www.robot-hugs.com/but-men/“
So THAT’S what I remember your name from. I’m not a huge fan of AVFM, but I’m pretty sure you recall those events more accurately than you say.
Well perhaps you could explain to me why men’s rights activists regularly attack me and why I am on a list on A Voice For Men that declares “fuck you” to awful awful feminists? I can’t speak for Men’s Rights Activist or for aVfM. I personally find you frustrating, and I sense that some others here feel the same way. I may be able to throw some light on that. You are talking to a bunch of men some of whom, in various and diverse ways, have found their mere maleness to be a source of scrutiny and suspicion. They… Read more »
Screwed up the blockquoting in the above. Could a moderator please fix?
Best comment of the day, and it made comment of the day!
Agreed. It is way, WAY past time that we started discussing female privilege and it’s impact on gender relations.
Oh FFS “cisgender female” privilege is a thing there’s no such thing as “female privilege”. And what are “gender relations”?
Female privilege works like class and race.
If you are female, you have legal privilege, health privilege, others do the real dirty work while you benefit, more education, more social protection, more empathy, less likely to be imprisoned,etc.
Nope
Uh… these things are all well documented. Got anything besides “nope?”
The reason why feminists like Danielle don’t recognize and deny female privilege is because females are privileged on a different dimension than males are. Men are privileged to power, but women are privileged to care. Feminists are focused on the power differentials between men and women but they are blind to the differentials in care. All your examples are based in a deficit in care for men and boys: – Women receive shorter sentences for the same crime and criminals receive longer sentences when the victim is female because society cares more for the well being of women. – Women… Read more »
“To achieve a more equitable society, we must empower women AND care for men.”
To empower women and men, to empower us all, justly, and to transcend the inequities that divide & diminish us, we must never forget that these inequities also manifest themselves unequally- and not simply collectively, uniformly or absolutely. And as those inequities transcend exclusivity, uniformity & gender alone, so to then must their redress; if they are to be redressed justly and wisely.
I wouldn’t say real dirty work. Women do dirty work, you could say men do more of the extremely dangerous careers (oil rig divers, loggers, etc). If your definition of privilege means only the top of the class with the most combined privileges has power, and privilege requires power then there can only be male privilege. If it’s like most people where they define it as a gendered thing (or racial, etc) the others don’t get then you can have female privilege. Eg, female privileges include lower chance of being killed by violence (3-4x less roughly), more likely to receive… Read more »