Talking Point #10

Privilege, Power and Difference
By: Allan G. Johnson

Premise:
- Exclusion
- Rejection
- Privilege
- Harassment
- Discrimination
- Violence
- Racism
- Sexism
- Support
- Speak-up
- Abelism
- Social Categories
- Oppression
- Class
- Gender
- Race
- Competition
- Fear
- Understanding
- Honesty
- Avoidance
- Disadvantaged
- Prejudiced
- Inequality
- Exploitation
- Scarcity
- Injustice
- Respect
- Listen

Argument:
- Johnson argues that to change the patterns of privilege we need to, "reclaim some difficult language that names what's going on" and "[acknowledges] an obligation to make a contribution to finding a way out of the trouble we're in."

Evidence:
- Johnson says that the only reason that privilege stays in existence is because of unawareness (pg 137).
- When privileged groups are confronted with racism or sexism of what-not they get defensive. To be more effective, privileged groups could listen and take responsibility rather than denying the issue.
- I think Johnson's examples about taking risks are evidence that change takes action, whether it be from speaking-up, to making others uncomfortable, to modeling alternative paths.

Comments:
- I really like this article because it served as a way to wrap up everything that we have done all semester. We started with Johnson and have now come full circle. I enjoyed the article because it was more about the ways that the issue of privilege can be fought. I liked all the examples Johnson gave on ways to fight discrimination as a "member" of a privileged class. The article was a bit long and a little repetitive but overall I liked it. One part I agree with is that, along with Johnson, I do not believe that because it's always been this way that it will always be this way . I believe that we live in a society of change and, as Dr. B. would say, there is a lot of tapping on the glass.