Blog A.1: Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson

 Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson

3 Talking Points of the Reading

1. Pg. 3 "It is also an issue across differences of gender, sexual orientation, and numerous lesser divides.  Men's violence and harassment aimed at women is epidemic in the United States, for example, and show no sign of letting up anytime soon."
1. While the chapter started with highlighting the Rodney King incident, I found that the author calling out how many differences have arise since then is important.  My students not only deal with race being an issue, but everything else he mentioned in this snippet.  As a society we keep creating more and more issues and barrier to keep each other separate.  
2. Pg. 7 "The simple truth is that when I go shopping, I'll probably get waited on faster and better than she will.  I'll benefit from the cultural assumption that I'm a serious customer who doesn't need to be followed..."
1. In being more reflective on privilege, I know that I have more privilege than my best friend who is black and Cherokee.  One day she came to visit me at the store that I worked at, and while she waited for me to go on break she was browsing the walls and such.  At this job we had to wear headsets so that we could communicate with each other.  While I was finishing up with a customer, another associate mentioned that there was a customer with a big bag and a leather jacket... it was my friend.  I went up to the associate and my supervisor calmly, explained she was waiting for me and that not to say such things on the headset, because if my friend heard them she would have the right to call corporate.  I never told my friend because she would have been outraged (rightly so) and I didn't want her to feel bad.
3. The Diversity Wheel
1. The Diversity Wheel above is filled out with my own information.  It is an interesting visual about what others see on the outside.  I was pretty aware of most of the things that puts me in a group of privilege, but I also know that I have attributes that might put me in situations of less privilege.  My education, able-ness, sexuality, and even religious beliefs put me in some very privilege groups; however, I know that there are things on this wheel that would be more of a hinderance in our society.  For instance, at 35 I am constantly asked about my parental status.  I am not a mother, yes I would like to be, but I am not.  It puts me in weird situations in society, not so much my family.  Society wants me to be happy and a mom, or else I might be missing out on things that I SHOULD want to experience.  

Argument Statement

Allen G. Johnson argues that we are in a place in society where trouble arises from our differences; however, as individuals and a collective we have the power to create solutions where these problems lie.