Saying that privilege based on social economic status, race, gender, or educational status does not exist in our society is sugarcoating the idealized desire to be a colorblind society that does not see any population of individuals as being superior. Despite remarkable efforts to break down the concept that one population is superior to another and destroy the barriers that separate use as a human race, we are still separated by the concept that specific characteristics make a population or individual inferior to another. While there are countless factors that have prevented us from being able to view one another as being equal, one of the most predominant concerns currently separating us is privilege.
There are many definitions of privilege. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, privilege can be defined as a special advantage or authority possessed by a particular person or group. A Beginner's Guide to Privilege published on Critical Social Justice defines privilege as a unique benefit or immunity available only to a particular community or group of people (Miller, 2014). While these definitions provide us insight into what privilege is, they do not mention that privilege is neither earned nor deserved by any specific group that reaps its benefits. One quote that really resonated with me when I was researching privilege for this article was "In reality, privilege is innate; it is a birthright that is automatically given to those who hold membership in a certain group or community." This quote came from A Beginner's Guide to Privilege published on Critical Social Justice.
These two definitions of privilege give us a basic understanding of how we as a society define privilege. I would like you to remember these definitions as you examine the following examples of privilege. I want to challenge you to consider the prevalence and dangers of privilege.
1. People vs. Turner (An example of White Privilege, Class Privilege, and Privilege of Education)
Brock Turner is a white, upper-class male who was a student and swimmer at Stanford University before being convicted of raping an unconscious woman in January of 2015. Turner was proven guilty on March 30, 2016. He was found guilty of three felonies: assault with intent to rape an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object. On June 2nd, 2016, Brock Turner was sentenced to serve 6 months in jail. Turner was released on September 2nd, 2016- after serving just three months in jail.
The young woman that Turner assaulted will spend the remainder of her life recovering from the emotional damage of being raped and knowing that her rapist is still out there, while Turner only had to spend three months in prison.
How do we justify Brock Turner's shortened sentence as an appropriate punishment for his horrendously inappropriate actions? How does privilege influence our individual perceptions of the People vs. Turner case? More importantly, how did privilege influence the criminal justice system to release a rapist after just three months? When we see photographs and headlines about Brock, how does him being white, him being upperclass, and him having some college education change how we view this case? Would a rapist with similar charges be given the same punishment if they were African American, lower-class, or less educated? This case is an excellent example of privilege unfairly divides us as it shows white privilege, social class privilege, and privilege of education.
2. The Expectation of College (An example of Class Privilege)
For many of us, attending college after graduating from high school was an expectation. Middle-to-Upper class students that are born into families that decide to help financially support them in college have an innate privilege because they are expected to attend college from the day they are born. Parents dress them in onesies representing their favorite universities, discuss college majors with them in high school, and enlist them in any type of college prep program available. Yet for lower class students, who are born into families that may not have the resources to financially support them with college, are not always expected to attend college. College is not an expectation, for many lower class students, but a possibility. Attending college may only be possible if you work two part-time jobs or recieve the scholarship you've worked so hard to get.
This is an example of classism and social class privilege. The expectation to attend college, as well as the reality that college may not be an option, effects all genders, religions, and races. Young adults who do not attend college or expect to attend college are often labeled by others as lazy or unintelligent, but the truth is, class privilege does exist and we all need to realize that not every person is born with the same opportunities.
3. The Right to Get Married Without Question (An example of Straight Privilege)
While the U.S. Supreme Court Decision to support same-sex marriage shows an advancement in society breaking down privilege, the right to get married without question and without being attacked is still not universal for all couples. Same-sex couples are constantly questioned by family, friends, and the media and have to fight for the right to legally commit to the person that they love.
The right to get married is an example of Straight Privilege, which also includes not having to justify the legitimacy of your orientation. Many homosexual, asexual, pansexual, and bisexual individuals are harassed daily about their sexual orientation and relationships.
If a homosexual friend or peer of yours announced their engagement, would you respond with the same excitement as you would for a heterosexual friend? Would you question if your heterosexual friend had the legal right to get married? Would the validity of your homosexual friends marriage be a concern of yours, or would you merely be supportive and excited for your friend?
As you read in these examples, privilege can come in many variations. Privilege separates our society because of our differences, when we should be celebrating these factors that make us unique. I do not expect you to change your views on privilege, race, sexism, sexuality, or equality based on this article. However, I challenge you to highly consider your own biases and perspectives as a result of reading these examples of the influences of privilege. While we as a society need to celebrate our individual differences, eliminating the dangerous influences of privilege and recognizing that no one is superior to someone else is important.
