Point 11 implies that unless one can feel the same discrimination that a minority feels, one will be incapable of understanding it. This is true only in so far as a privileged person will not personally and directly feel that specific kind of discrimination to the same degree. This doesn't preclude an understanding. There is a saying that goes, "I don't need to be a carpenter to know that's a poorly built chair." Obviously if a chair has uneven legs, a crooked back, or so forth, I can tell it's been poorly built even if I couldn't build a better chair. Likewise, one can understand discrimination very well, even without being its direct target.
Example one. I have a friend who has suffered from discrimination for being a lesbian. While I myself was not the target of this discrimination, her suffering effected me quite personally. This is somebody I care a great deal for, and she becomes emotionally hurt for nothing more than being true to herself. Discrimination can certainly hurt me, even if I'm not directly subject to it.
Example two. Add to this any number of ways in which I could be discriminated against, and clearly I have a personal understanding of discrimination. While the details are certainly different and in may ways important, the feelings are the same. I am being judged not on anything I have done, said, or even felt or thought, but some aspect of myself that has nothing to do with how I am being judged. In most cases, something I don't even have any control over. So while I as a white person may not appreciate the exact mechanisms that a black person feels when dealing with racism, I can most certainly understand its effects.
Example three. This goes along with example two but is worthy of its own mention. People describing how discrimination hurts them will all do it in very similar ways. "Shame, embarrassment, rage, anger, self-doubt," these are all words people use to described how discrimination has made them feel. Maybe some of them hardly even have a good case to make that they were discriminated against, but they obviously feel the same way. And these feelings are very common between the many different ways one can be discriminated against.
(As a side note, I find it sadly ironic again that in the name of reducing racism or other forms of discrimination, emphasis is put on how differently people are, instead of looking at how much more people have in common.)
So the last point not only doesn't follow logically, and not only does it not support other statements, it is actually somewhat discriminatory on it's own. Yes, there is much of great importance to be said about the ways discrimination can take form. These differences are not trivial. However, they do not preclude anybody from understanding discrimination as it effects others. It's called empathy.
I may never know what white-on-black racism is like, but I can certainly know racism as far as black-on-white racism goes. And while I may never be discriminated against for being male... actually, I have; bad example. And while I may never be discriminated against for being straight by a homosexual person, I can still have a pretty good grasp on what it entails, both ways.
My actual overall point will have to wait for just a bit, but I can make my point regarding privilege now. Privilege exists and can lead to a difficult-to-understand kind of racism or other discrimination. It's particularly problematic in that it may not be obvious as to how it is a form of discrimination. The issue of privilege is but one of a much larger number of issues when it comes to identity and discrimination. Even discounting overt discrimination, privilege is just one (worthy) angle of understanding race relations. (Or any sort of such issues; as I mentioned, I use race here as a catch all for simplicity.)
So if you want a "too long, didn't read" summary, here it is. Privilege is an important issue. It is only a small part of a larger question, though. And even in its narrow scope, it is still complex enough to be full of details that make broad statements difficult at best, and downright wrong at worst.
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Date: 2009-03-19 12:44 am (UTC)Example one. I have a friend who has suffered from discrimination for being a lesbian. While I myself was not the target of this discrimination, her suffering effected me quite personally. This is somebody I care a great deal for, and she becomes emotionally hurt for nothing more than being true to herself. Discrimination can certainly hurt me, even if I'm not directly subject to it.
Example two. Add to this any number of ways in which I could be discriminated against, and clearly I have a personal understanding of discrimination. While the details are certainly different and in may ways important, the feelings are the same. I am being judged not on anything I have done, said, or even felt or thought, but some aspect of myself that has nothing to do with how I am being judged. In most cases, something I don't even have any control over. So while I as a white person may not appreciate the exact mechanisms that a black person feels when dealing with racism, I can most certainly understand its effects.
Example three. This goes along with example two but is worthy of its own mention. People describing how discrimination hurts them will all do it in very similar ways. "Shame, embarrassment, rage, anger, self-doubt," these are all words people use to described how discrimination has made them feel. Maybe some of them hardly even have a good case to make that they were discriminated against, but they obviously feel the same way. And these feelings are very common between the many different ways one can be discriminated against.
(As a side note, I find it sadly ironic again that in the name of reducing racism or other forms of discrimination, emphasis is put on how differently people are, instead of looking at how much more people have in common.)
So the last point not only doesn't follow logically, and not only does it not support other statements, it is actually somewhat discriminatory on it's own. Yes, there is much of great importance to be said about the ways discrimination can take form. These differences are not trivial. However, they do not preclude anybody from understanding discrimination as it effects others. It's called empathy.
I may never know what white-on-black racism is like, but I can certainly know racism as far as black-on-white racism goes. And while I may never be discriminated against for being male... actually, I have; bad example. And while I may never be discriminated against for being straight by a homosexual person, I can still have a pretty good grasp on what it entails, both ways.
My actual overall point will have to wait for just a bit, but I can make my point regarding privilege now. Privilege exists and can lead to a difficult-to-understand kind of racism or other discrimination. It's particularly problematic in that it may not be obvious as to how it is a form of discrimination. The issue of privilege is but one of a much larger number of issues when it comes to identity and discrimination. Even discounting overt discrimination, privilege is just one (worthy) angle of understanding race relations. (Or any sort of such issues; as I mentioned, I use race here as a catch all for simplicity.)
So if you want a "too long, didn't read" summary, here it is. Privilege is an important issue. It is only a small part of a larger question, though. And even in its narrow scope, it is still complex enough to be full of details that make broad statements difficult at best, and downright wrong at worst.
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