Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Privilege, Power, and Difference (Allan G. Johnson)
Privilege, Power, and Difference (Allan G. Johnson)
1. I was intrigued by the concept of blackness as anti-whiteness. “Blackness” is defined as non-whiteness. Specifically, I found most compelling the idea that an African woman would not think of herself as black unless she experienced oppression from white people, and that races have changed historically. It seems like racism is more based on xenophobia from the people in power (e.g. anti-Italian “racism”) and random choices by people in power to maintain power and privilege, than it is on a specific color — the color gradient of oppression is, in a way, coincidence.
2. I liked Johnson’s differentiation of “unearned entitlements” like safety and living wage and freedom, “unearned advantages” when entitlements become restricted, and “conferred dominance” gives one group power over another (e.g. men talking over women). I think for men especially, I have experienced a lot of men being willing to recognize their “unearned entitlements” because they are more systemic, but unwilling to reflect on their "conferred dominance” because that requires them to critically consider and change the way they behave. For example, some of my close friends still “mansplain” to me despite being quite feminist on the surface.
3. Related to my point above, I agree with Johnson that it is hard to face racism and privilege when you realize that you benefit from another's misfortune. This immediately reminded me of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin, especially when Johnson mentioned that you can’t be outside the system. The ones who walk away from the oppression occurring in Omelas are not changing the system, and as such, they are in some ways allowing it to continue. You can either work to improve it or you are complicit.
Argument: The author Allan G. Johnson argues that privilege can be difficult to acknowledge but it is necessary to do so, as one can either be a part of the solution or complicit in the problem.
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Privilege, Power, and Difference (Allan G. Johnson) 1. I was intrigued by the concept of blackness as anti-whiteness. “Blackness” is defined...
Hi Annika!! I found your point about racism being historically and socially constructed incredibly interested. This reminded me of Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon. SUPER interesting read and I think you would really like it.
ReplyDeleteHey Annika! You have made very good points for this assignment. Your point three stood out to me because it's so true, like how Johnston said, “But now that it’s ours, it’s up to us to decide how we’re going to deal with it before we collectively pass it along to the generation that will follow ours.” (Johnston, 15) sadly in this day and age unkind behavior is still going to the next generation. It breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteHi Annika! All the moments you addressed really stuck out to me, too--there's so much to dig into in each of these examples! You really helped me understand Johnson's claim about "unearned entitlements" being easier to give up than "conferred dominance"; at first I was like, "wouldn't it be easier to learn to be nicer to people than to give up privilege?" But your example helped me think about how it's much easier for a man to acknowledge male privilege than it is to change how he talks to women--and how pointing out the way he talks to women might feel like a personal attack in a way that a general discussion of privilege might not.
ReplyDeleteI love the connection you made to "Omelas"! My students and I had a great discussion about whether "walking away" makes us complicit--or selfish--or whether it can be a form of activism because it models change and helps us imagine an alternative world (if everyone walked away from Omelas, the child wouldn't need to suffer anymore--although someone would have to come back and rescue them). I think this is a really urgent and active dilemma that we all face every day: when is it valuable to "stay and fight" (like in the NK Jemisin response to Omelas) and when do we get to the point where it's impossible to change a system from within? OK, now I'm getting into the Omelas weeds and straying from Johnson's point, which is that pretending that oppression doesn't exist is never going to be helpful!
Hi Annika, I really liked your third talking point because I also focused on the quote, "Her misfortune is connected to my fortune." For me, it just shows how privilege and disadvantage are interconnected, even when someone isn't intentionally causing harm. The example of Johnson having a completely different shopping experience than his African American colleague really shows how people can benefit from a system simply because of who they are. I agree that you can't choose to be outside of the system, especially one you didn't create. Choosing to ignore these inequalities allows the system to continue, while recognizing them is the first step toward creating change.
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