Allan G. Johnson’s book Privilege, Power, and Difference is a critical examination of the ways that privilege and power work in our society. Johnson argues that privilege and power are often used to maintain inequality, and he challenges readers to think about how they can use their own privilege and power to create positive change.This book is an important read for anyone interested in social justice or working to create a more equitable world.
Allan G. Johnson discusses the various difficulties and issues surrounding privilege, inequality in this society, power, gender and race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, and disability in his book Privilege, Power, and Difference.
He then goes on to say that we need to talk about race, and the sooner the better. I agree with him because the longer we wait to talk about it, the more time there is for things to fester and grow into bigger issues.
In the second chapter he talks about white privilege. He defines this term as when someone is automatically given advantages or benefits due to their skin color. He gives examples such as how a white person can cross a street without having to worry about being targeted by the police or being followed in a store because they are assumed to be stealing. I think that this term is important because it makes people realize that even though they may not think that they have any privilege, they most likely do.
People will avoid discussing it because it is controversial and extremely uncomfortable. It will always be there, but silence is preferable to anything. Many people are perplexed as to why we can’t get along; however, the answer isn’t so simple. Whites feel that they are superior to others since they are white, and this makes them the superior race. However, in reality, we aren’t better than anyone else.
We all have privilege and we all have power. The book Privilege, Power, And Difference by Allan G. Johnson was written to help people understand what it actually means to be privileged.
Slaves were used by capitalists instead of whites doing the work for a pittance (45). They’d rather take advantage of black slaves than pay white workers a fair wage. Gender also comes into play because males are preferred over females in the workplace. The matrix of domination is the unearned advantages or disadvantages that come with power. All forms of privilege are linked to one another and influence each other. Racism is, without a doubt, linked to capitalism’s dynamics. White men enjoy class privilege inherently compared to men of color.
White women have more class privilege than men of color as well. This is because white men are at the top of the hierarchy, and everything goes down from there. Males have more institutional power than females, regardless of race. Anyone can benefit or be disadvantaged by any form of privilege; it all depends on the situation.
It’s important to realize that these privileges aren’t based on what we achieve or don’t achieve, but on our social group memberships. So even if a white woman isn’t wealthy, she still has unearned privilege over a poor black man. We can choose to ignore our privilege or use it to try to reduce oppression in the world.
Dominant groups do not get involved in these problems since they are the dominant group and believe they do not have to be concerned about them, that it is not their concern, that it is simply a private issue, that they would risk losing their privileges if they got involved, afraid, and some of them are bigots.
In order to solve these issues, we need to educate people on what is going on and try to get them to see things from different perspectives. We also need to work on getting people to be more understanding and open-minded. Lastly, we should try to get people to see that they have privilege and that they can use it to help make change.
Privilege, Power, And Difference is a book about how dominant groups do not realize the issues that are going on because they are the dominant group. He talks about how we need to educate people and get them to see things from different perspectives in order to solve these issues. He also talks about how some people are prejudiced and how this contributes to the problem.
The individualistic viewpoint is dangerous because it prevents us from recognizing and dismantling privilege (77). It makes it difficult to talk about things, according to Johnson, “it keeps us trapped in problems.”
Economics is a subject that has been studied for thousands of years and provides individuals with the opportunity to maximize their material wealth. But there are several ways we might overcome this difficulty, as discussed in the book, which include recognising that the whole model of individualism is incorrect and that social interactions mirror it. We must accept that this is not just an issue faced by individuals; it is our problem.
We also need to start focusing on what we have in common with each other and not just on our differences. We all want the same things in life, we just have different ways of going about it.
If we can start to see the world this way, then maybe we can start to make some real progress in tackling the issue of privilege. Maybe we can start to see that we are all in this together and that we all need to work together to make things better. Allan G. Johnson’s book Privilege, Power, And Difference is a great book that everyone should read. It is an eye opening book that will make you think about the world differently.
The path of least resistance is the one that will lead you to your desired result with the least amount of effort. You don’t want problems; you want things to be as simple as possible for you. This implies a variety of things depending on gender. It means men must demonstrate that they are in command of themselves (93).
You want to please people and not make waves. You do not want to be a problem. The book argues that this way of thinking is what keeps us from seeing and acting against racism, sexism, and classism (94).
We all have privilege in some areas and lack it in others. We need to be aware of our own privilege and how it can blind us to the struggles of others. We also need to use our privilege to help those who don’t have any. Just because we have it doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else, but it does give us an opportunity to make things better for everyone.
