Privilege, Power, and Difference- Johnson, A.G. (2001)
Johnson was right. Talk, think, read, and/or listen about power and privilege is not easy. I definitely enjoyed reading these chapters of his book "Privilege, Power, and Difference". Very powerful reading and extremely informative.
Its interesting to think that once we get older, these types of discussions is part of our daily lives (or at least should). I don't remember thinking about that when I was younger. Almost wondering if we could avoid so much trouble if these type of language and discussion was open in early ages. As he mentioned on page 17: "If we take difference and diversity as reason for fear and occasions for trouble, its because we've learned to think about them in ways that make for fear and trouble". What about if we did it differently!?
Once I started reading this book, of course, some other videos and articles that I read and heard in the past came to my mind... I felt extremely upset and discourage. Then I read this: "If I am going to be part of the solution to that difficult legacy, its important to step back from my defensive sensitivity to such language and look at the reality points. Then I can understand what it names and what it has do with me and, most important, what I can do about it" (pg. 14).
Although I am a women, foreign, soccer player, latin american and part of the minority. I am also a white and middle class person. There is so much to learn and comment about this reading.
So I decided sift a little bit and only talk about two of the topics. First, I would like to talk about diversity and analyze a little bit the chapter 3 (The trouble we are in). Last, I would like to talk about sexism, and this one will be a very personal one.
DIFFERENCE IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE THE PROBLEM
... ignorance and lack of knowledge is.
When I was reading the chapter 3, I kept thinking about this video I watched on Facebook last year during President campaign. If you havent heard about James Taylor, well.. your life is better off. However, here is an interview he had October last year talking about the importance of white racial consciousness . I am not going to lie, this interview is 100x worse than any horror movie you have ever watched before.
While I was reading Johnson chapters, where he talks about state of unreality and promotion of "the problem is difference" (i.e. diversity). I instantly thought about James Taylor interview where he strongly believe that the problem of every society is diversity. He starts the interview saying that his ideal of happy country is a homogenous country (i.e. white american only). I, agreeing with Johnson, believe that people are just afraid what they don't know or they are extremely afraid of changes. Additionally, Johnson quotes an African American novelist James Baldwin: "No one is white before he/she came to America. It took generations, and vast amount of coercion, before this became a white country", which contradicts what James Taylor said.
BUT ANYWAY... WHO ARE WE? WHO ARE THE TRULY AMERICANS?... how many generations do you have to go back until you can consider yourself American?
Despite all racists, sarcastic, stereotype and completely non-sense jokes, James Taylor talks about the importance of keeping in US only the "truly american" or "truly white american", or as he refers: "my people". As Brazilian, we are probably considered one of the most heterogenous country, I can't even understand what he means. If the white people in Brazil decided to say the same, I don't think we would have that many people agreeing. We are just so mixed there is no point to say who are Brazilian and who are not. Once you are born there, thats it, congrats You are considered Brazilian :)
To clarify this idea of differences and diversity , Johnson mentioned the "Diversity Wheel" (from Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener). The idea of the wheel is point out social characteristics and religion/marital status/ social class indicators.
After analyzing those characteristic, he mentioned that the focus of using this wheel as an exercise is to point up that questions and characteristics that society uses as a power (or segregation) does not allow(or reflect) much about yourself. Especially all the history you have beyond these 14 words. Especially the 6 words inside the center of the wheel, which are things that people cannot change (or being extremely difficult to change).
Therefore, if we cannot change Race, when is exactly the moment that a person goes from African American, Mexican American, or Latin American to just American? And, why exactly we do not use Danish American, or Asian American, British American, when so many of them did not originally came and/or born from United States of America? Despite all racists, sarcastic, stereotype and completely non-sense jokes James Taylor makes during the interview, its hard to understand he is thought of a "truly american" or "truly white american" or anytime he refers american as "my people". I am not going to even go that if there is such thing of truly Americans, are not these people the "Native Americans"?!?!
I will finish this part of the discussion with my favorite quote of this chapter 3 of Johnson's book: "The trouble is produced by world organized in ways that encourage people to use difference to include or exclude, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress value or devalue, leave alone or harass" (pg. 19).
The freedom to live unaware of certain problems and fears.
So here couple of my experience of being woman that you as a man may not ever experience and/or have the freedom to live unaware of it:
Its interesting to think that once we get older, these types of discussions is part of our daily lives (or at least should). I don't remember thinking about that when I was younger. Almost wondering if we could avoid so much trouble if these type of language and discussion was open in early ages. As he mentioned on page 17: "If we take difference and diversity as reason for fear and occasions for trouble, its because we've learned to think about them in ways that make for fear and trouble". What about if we did it differently!?
Once I started reading this book, of course, some other videos and articles that I read and heard in the past came to my mind... I felt extremely upset and discourage. Then I read this: "If I am going to be part of the solution to that difficult legacy, its important to step back from my defensive sensitivity to such language and look at the reality points. Then I can understand what it names and what it has do with me and, most important, what I can do about it" (pg. 14).
Although I am a women, foreign, soccer player, latin american and part of the minority. I am also a white and middle class person. There is so much to learn and comment about this reading.
So I decided sift a little bit and only talk about two of the topics. First, I would like to talk about diversity and analyze a little bit the chapter 3 (The trouble we are in). Last, I would like to talk about sexism, and this one will be a very personal one.
DIFFERENCE IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE THE PROBLEM
... ignorance and lack of knowledge is.
When I was reading the chapter 3, I kept thinking about this video I watched on Facebook last year during President campaign. If you havent heard about James Taylor, well.. your life is better off. However, here is an interview he had October last year talking about the importance of white racial consciousness . I am not going to lie, this interview is 100x worse than any horror movie you have ever watched before.
While I was reading Johnson chapters, where he talks about state of unreality and promotion of "the problem is difference" (i.e. diversity). I instantly thought about James Taylor interview where he strongly believe that the problem of every society is diversity. He starts the interview saying that his ideal of happy country is a homogenous country (i.e. white american only). I, agreeing with Johnson, believe that people are just afraid what they don't know or they are extremely afraid of changes. Additionally, Johnson quotes an African American novelist James Baldwin: "No one is white before he/she came to America. It took generations, and vast amount of coercion, before this became a white country", which contradicts what James Taylor said.
BUT ANYWAY... WHO ARE WE? WHO ARE THE TRULY AMERICANS?... how many generations do you have to go back until you can consider yourself American?
Despite all racists, sarcastic, stereotype and completely non-sense jokes, James Taylor talks about the importance of keeping in US only the "truly american" or "truly white american", or as he refers: "my people". As Brazilian, we are probably considered one of the most heterogenous country, I can't even understand what he means. If the white people in Brazil decided to say the same, I don't think we would have that many people agreeing. We are just so mixed there is no point to say who are Brazilian and who are not. Once you are born there, thats it, congrats You are considered Brazilian :)
To clarify this idea of differences and diversity , Johnson mentioned the "Diversity Wheel" (from Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener). The idea of the wheel is point out social characteristics and religion/marital status/ social class indicators.
(from Privilege, Power, and Difference- Johnson, A.G. (2001))
After analyzing those characteristic, he mentioned that the focus of using this wheel as an exercise is to point up that questions and characteristics that society uses as a power (or segregation) does not allow(or reflect) much about yourself. Especially all the history you have beyond these 14 words. Especially the 6 words inside the center of the wheel, which are things that people cannot change (or being extremely difficult to change).
Therefore, if we cannot change Race, when is exactly the moment that a person goes from African American, Mexican American, or Latin American to just American? And, why exactly we do not use Danish American, or Asian American, British American, when so many of them did not originally came and/or born from United States of America? Despite all racists, sarcastic, stereotype and completely non-sense jokes James Taylor makes during the interview, its hard to understand he is thought of a "truly american" or "truly white american" or anytime he refers american as "my people". I am not going to even go that if there is such thing of truly Americans, are not these people the "Native Americans"?!?!
I will finish this part of the discussion with my favorite quote of this chapter 3 of Johnson's book: "The trouble is produced by world organized in ways that encourage people to use difference to include or exclude, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress value or devalue, leave alone or harass" (pg. 19).
THE LUXURY OF OBLIVIOUSNESS
The freedom to live unaware of certain problems and fears.
So here couple of my experience of being woman that you as a man may not ever experience and/or have the freedom to live unaware of it:
- Walking by myself during the night and of course afraid of everything. I had this thought "what exactly guys are afraid of when walking in the middle of the night in the streets? someone stealing their new shoes?". Because I am afraid of being rape and some guy completely destroy my soul and joy to live life. Do you experience the same?
- Anytime I beat someone in sports I always listen this comment "ohh, she is a girl. You lost from a girl!" . Even from little kids, which makes no sense.
- I played a sport that in Brazil is known as a "guy sport" so since I can remember, girls, boys and adults, kept telling me I shouldn't play soccer because then I would be probably gay and I look like a guy.
- Although I played in the National Team, I am All American player, and inducted to the Hall of Fame of my university, and I probably know more about soccer than majority of the guys I have ever met here in US, I still get pay less as a coach and people still underestimate my abilities because I am female coach.
- People always assume I am a bad driver, and when they see I am not a bad one, the comment is "you drive like a guy". Well.. already met some guys that couldn't drive well. What are they? unicorns?
- I eat a lot, so consequently "I eat like a guy".
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I would love to know more about luxury of obliviousness, not only in the women side of it, but the man side as well.
Skeff,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. I watched the Jared Taylor video and honestly had to stop it about half way through because I couldn't believe some of the things he was saying. I had never heard of him before so I appreciate you including that interview. I feel as though Taylor is stuck in the 1960's and needs to realize that times are a lot different now. I also dislike how he speaks for all white people as if that is how we all think. He said something in the interview along the lines of "Every white person thinks it's a terrible idea.", which is not true at all! So thank you again for bringing this interview into your blog!
Skeff,
ReplyDeleteI have to say the quote you put in "The trouble is produced by world organized in ways that encourage people to use difference to include or exclude, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress value or devalue, leave alone or harass" was also one of my favorite quotes from the article. I think it is such a powerful statement and is something that most people are not thinking about. We always encourage students to be 'different' and 'unique' when society is telling them that they must be 'normal.' I also love that you put in your own experiences that a man would not have to deal with! Thanks for the read!
Really interesting read! I'll hope to tackle the video at a time when I have the stomach for it...you reminded me of this really thought-provoking piece from This American Life a while back. Partway through there's a dad who really did start talking about these issues - not just privilege, but right down to lynchings and revolts and all the things we deem too mature for kids - to his daughter by age 4. I think you're right; the sooner we start talking about this stuff, the better.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/557/birds-bees
Skeff, I enjoyed reading your post. I like how you included your own list of fears/ problems you have encountered being a woman. I found myself especially agreeing with your first point about walking home and fearing sexual assault. I also feel that society often victim blames female victims who are sexual assaulted in these situations, which is a shame.
ReplyDelete