Privilege is created in part by the way that society has been trained to treat diversity. Communities have been “organized in ways that encourage people to use difference to include or exclude, reward or punish, credit or discredit, elevate or oppress, value or devalue, leave alone or harass” (Johnson, p. 16). This practice of classifying people based on differences leads to blanket assumptions and stereotypes. When entire groups of individuals are grouped together based on the existence of a single characteristic, stereotypes are formed. These stereotypes often lead to incorrect assumptions and behavior based on these assumptions, leading to the granting of privilege to specific groups of people. According to Johnson, “privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to” (Johnson, p. 21). Privilege may exist on the basis of various social characteristics – including race, gender, sexual orientation, social status and disability status. Privilege is bestowed upon specific individuals by society on the basis of group classification rather than the characteristics and true identities of the individuals.
According to Johnson’s definition of privilege, I enjoy a privilege on the basis of social status. As a member of the upper middle class, I experience a social class privilege. Because my parents have some saved wealth and have steady incomes, my family and I enjoy a sense of financial security. This financial stability has enabled my parents to help me fund my college education. My parents have agreed to help pay for my educational expenses because they have the resources to do so. According to our agreement, I will reimburse my parents for these expenses once I start working on co-op and am able to accumulate some savings of my own. This arrangement has prevented me from being forced to take out student loans. Other students of the UC community may not enjoy this same social class privilege. Students with parents who either are unable to or refuse to help finance their child’s education are at a disadvantage. These students may have to work while taking classes and take out student loans. Either of these options would increase the stress experienced by the student.
According to Johnson, one of the most important steps to ending the existence of privilege and oppression is the acknowledgement that privilege does exist. Furthermore, after one becomes aware, “the only way to hang on to an awareness of privilege is to make that awareness an ongoing part of [his or her life]” (Johnson, p. 138). In an effort to maintain my awareness of this social class privilege, I should educate myself on the issue. I can also increase the awareness of others by talking about this privilege and sharing my knowledge on the issue with my peers.
As of right now, my biggest takeaway from this course is the realization that competing interests always exist in any community. The key to building a strong and cohesive community is discovering the best way to balance these competing interests. For example, in the Over-the-Rhine community, the interests of the local residents are competing with the interests of the 3CDC team. The local residents do not want living expenses to increase in the area. However, the economic transformations that 3CDC has in mind for the area will lead to increased housing costs. In order to establish an interconnected and flourishing community, the representatives from the local community and the 3CDC community must work together to establish common goals that will benefit all parties involved.
According to Johnson’s definition of privilege, I enjoy a privilege on the basis of social status. As a member of the upper middle class, I experience a social class privilege. Because my parents have some saved wealth and have steady incomes, my family and I enjoy a sense of financial security. This financial stability has enabled my parents to help me fund my college education. My parents have agreed to help pay for my educational expenses because they have the resources to do so. According to our agreement, I will reimburse my parents for these expenses once I start working on co-op and am able to accumulate some savings of my own. This arrangement has prevented me from being forced to take out student loans. Other students of the UC community may not enjoy this same social class privilege. Students with parents who either are unable to or refuse to help finance their child’s education are at a disadvantage. These students may have to work while taking classes and take out student loans. Either of these options would increase the stress experienced by the student.
According to Johnson, one of the most important steps to ending the existence of privilege and oppression is the acknowledgement that privilege does exist. Furthermore, after one becomes aware, “the only way to hang on to an awareness of privilege is to make that awareness an ongoing part of [his or her life]” (Johnson, p. 138). In an effort to maintain my awareness of this social class privilege, I should educate myself on the issue. I can also increase the awareness of others by talking about this privilege and sharing my knowledge on the issue with my peers.
As of right now, my biggest takeaway from this course is the realization that competing interests always exist in any community. The key to building a strong and cohesive community is discovering the best way to balance these competing interests. For example, in the Over-the-Rhine community, the interests of the local residents are competing with the interests of the 3CDC team. The local residents do not want living expenses to increase in the area. However, the economic transformations that 3CDC has in mind for the area will lead to increased housing costs. In order to establish an interconnected and flourishing community, the representatives from the local community and the 3CDC community must work together to establish common goals that will benefit all parties involved.