User:MADLMC/Social privilege

Social privilege is the advantages, prerogatives, and power that are granted by society to specific groups which typically causes a disadvantage for other specific groups. At birth, these advantages, prerogatives, and power are designated to an individual. Different factors that earn privilege are race, ethnicity, culture, gender, age, height, social class, education, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, ability, and many other factors. These factors are not granted through merit or performance and are typically not seen by the individual who has been equipped with the privilege. Individuals may be equipped with one factor more than another, and each factor's weight can change over time.

Writer, Brian Morton defines the word “privilege” as a derivative of words such as “private” and “law” which initially referred to the advantages, prerogatives, and power that are experienced by a select group of people. The meaning of privilege has been transformed from its initial meaning to something that can be defined in several different ways and used in several different situations depending on the circumstances. Recent developments regarding social privilege and its exposure to the media have contributed to the expansion of the term. Overall, the term has been expanded on to include and help define the factors, effects, and oppression that social privilege has on certain groups of individuals.

Writings of W. E. B. Du Bois
Arguably, the history of privilege as a concept dates back to American sociologist and historian W. E. B. Du Bois's 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk. Here, he wrote that although African Americans were observant of White Americans and conscious of racial discrimination, the reverse was not necessarily true, nor was much thought given to the effects of racial discrimination by Whites. Du Bois proposed the idea of double-consciousness, a concept of possessing dual identities: an American and a Negro. In 1935, Du Bois wrote about what he called the psychological wage held by White Americans, by which he meant the expected courtesy, respect, automatic admittance to all public functions, lenient treatment in court, and access to the best schools.

New Section: Gender Privilege

The idea of privilege in terms of gender gained popularity during the women’s movement through the late 1970s. This concept is more commonly referred to today as male privilege. Historically, this idea is based on a perceived difference between men and women. The stereotypical male characteristics are considered beneficial, while stereotypical female characteristics are disadvantageous. Beneficial stereotypical male characteristics include being strong and aggressive in necessary circumstances. Beneficial stereotypical female characteristics include being intelligent and caring. This results in the gender-role conflict among men, the stress created by not being strong and aggressive, which supports the idea of a perceived difference among men and women.

Women receive lower wage returns than men within the same occupation. One of the contending explanations for the wage gap is due to working women who are married/cohabiting. Compared with fathers in relationships, married/cohabiting mothers are less likely to have jobs that conflict with their familial duties. Another theory explaining why the wage gap exists is that men are more likely to feel they deserve higher pay. This relates to another popular explanation for the pay gap, the idea that women are treated differently by employers. The pay gap has decreased over time, with women making only 60 cents for every dollar that men made in the 1960s compared to women now making 84 cents for every dollar made by their male coworkers.

Although many think of gender privilege in terms of male privilege, some circumstances favor being female. One of the most common instances of female privilege is typically gaining custody during divorce cases. Historically, the law has typically taken on a traditional viewpoint, determining the mother to earn custody based on her nurturing qualities. Laws have recently been put in place to refrain from determining custody based on gender, and instead focus on the child's best interest. These laws have since increased fairness during custody disputes. Another explanation for an overall increase in joint custody is the change in social norms over recent years. However, men gaining sole custody is still much less common than women gaining sole custody.

Addition to Intersectionality section:

Patricia Hill Collins coined the term Black feminist thought, which refers to a way of thinking that consists of ideas and arguments made by Black women. Collins describes this school of thought as the documentation of Black women’s ideas surrounding self-definition and self-valuation, the nature of oppression, and the importance of Black female culture.

E. Frances White, a Black feminist historian, suggests in their work that Black feminism originates from the intersection of antiracist and antisexist conflicts.

Other sociologists and academics have noted the importance of recognizing intersectionality. Paula Gunn Allen, a prominent American poet and literary critic, discussed how white feminists often fail to account for a diverse set of experiences within the broader female category due to ethnicity, class, or culture.

ADDITIONAL SECTION: Media and social privilege

Representation in media contributes to social stereotypes and, by extension, the privilege experienced by certain groups. For example, white characters on prime-time television are consistently depicted as relatable, respectable characters, while minority characters are more often depicted as unlikable or unrespectable. One study found that while representation of minority characters has increased recently, the roles received by actors of color either emphasize negative stereotypes or are limited to shows with predominantly Black casts. Another study that investigated the portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders in popular films found that API characters were largely underrepresented and often do not speak or are stereotyped, with few Asian characters also being shown as LGBTQ or with a disability

New Section: Tone and Balance

in discussions of social privilege, maintaining a balanced and respectful tone is crucial for fostering productive conversations. It's essential to approach this sensitive topic with empathy and understanding, acknowledging that individuals may have different experiences. Striking a balance involves recognizing the historical and systemic aspects of privilege without assigning blame to individuals who may benefit from it. Encouraging an open and inclusive dialogue on social privilege can help bridge gaps and promote greater awareness and equity in society.

New Section: Addition to Educational Racism

Although, now in the United States Affirmative Action has come into play which has substantially helped these privileges start to fade and put everyone on a more even playing field. "Affirmative Action being a policy or practice of favoring underrepresented groups that have been historically discriminated against in areas such as education and unemployment. Universities started to use this tactic to diversify their classes by factoring race into their admissions decisions."