White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

Words: 1268
Pages: 6
Open Document
Understanding Identity through ‘Respectful’ Framework
Palo Alto University
Colleen M. Jones

Understanding Identity through ‘Respectful’ Framework
No one ever told me I was ‘Privileged.’ Apparently I have the privilege of being totally unaware of my privilege. Through my very brief time in this Multicultural Studies course I have already come to learn about these ignored but very real privileges. During a lecture we discussed an article, Peggy McIntosh's 1988 now-famous piece, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, while I did not seem to have a real alarming response to reading this article, out loud, in class, in front of everybody – inside I cringed with embarrassment and guilt for being a white female. It is …show more content…
The first picture that comes to mind when thinking about my sexual identity is a ‘traditional’ 1950’s family structure and view of gender roles and expectations. While my first reaction is to think I do not identify with any of the 50’s women characteristics, I actually do. Women were supposed to fulfill certain roles, such as being a nurturing and present mother, an attentive homemaker, and a dutiful wife. I could see myself falling into those roles because it was what was socially acceptable to American culture during that era. I am trying to picture what being gay might look like during that time period and what comes to mind is utter despair and hopelessness. That time must have been scarred with complete self-loathing due to society's attitudes for anyone who was outside of the norm. After much hardship the LGBTQ community has prevailed, but it is still hard, harder than my straight identity that has been accepted and cherished by American culture since the beginning of time. While I am able to walk through my day without worry or fear of society judging my sexual identity – it has taken a conscious effort to be empathetic towards others that are perhaps less ‘privileged’ than I and I am forever grateful for the individuals who have implored that …show more content…
In other words, it gives one privilege in a number of things, such as easier access to social, political, and educational institutions. It also helps one avoid embarrassment and mockery of one’s speech. Language privilege also intersects with privileges of sexual identity, class, and race which is a great example of how an existing privilege can build upon multiple privileges creating an end-all jackpot of the privilege lottery. Imagining for a moment what life might be like if I had to take a driving exam in a language that I was just learning seems incredibly intimidating. English speakers travel, work and live all over the world and other countries accommodate them. English harbors so much power behind it that most countries learn it as their second language. With my first and only language learned being English I have felt a frustration at times from non-native speaking individuals because I could not communicate effectively with them. This perpetuates a sense of self-righteousness regarding language which is really sad and embarrassing that I feel that way at
Show More

Related Documents: White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

Analysis Of White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

From the paper White Privilege Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy Mcintosh, we learn how men and especially white males are blinded by the fact that they are indeed privileged over the rest of the universe. Since this is an agriculture class, I believe that are views should be based on the California agriculture work environment. In today's agricultural work environment, we all know that the two main races involved are the Hispanics and Caucasians. With the Caucasians primary the management…

Words 310 - Pages 2

Summary White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

The first reading, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, describes white privilege from the white stand point and addresses the fact that it is unacknowledged privilege. The author Peggy McIntosh introduces the piece by identifying the effects of white privilege in her daily life, comparing situations she has to those of her black friends and coworkers The second reading we were given for this week was “Solid Waste Facilities in South Carolina: Issues of Racial, Economic, and Environmental…

Words 609 - Pages 3

White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Analysis

To begin, the first pivotal revelation is the concept of white privilege. White Privilege, as Peggy McIntosh defines in her essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, is a toolkit of unearned assets that a white person in America can cash in each day yet remain oblivious to their benefits. Prior to this course, though aware of certain advantages as a “white” person in society, I was unaware of the official terminology for these advantages. Also, as a person with one quarter American…

Words 485 - Pages 2

White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Analysis

As being a white female, I realized a lot from McIntosh’s In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” She talks about male and white supremacy without beating around the bush; from her passage, I realized that men do prosper from the disadvantages we have as women. In high school, the physical education teacher was extremely rude to girls. He frequently would call the girls inappropriate names (which made the boys think it was acceptable to call us those same names) and treat us like…

Words 292 - Pages 2

White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack Analysis

Peggy McIntosh describes in her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” that those with privilege usually are not willing to admit that they are in fact privileged. She uses another obvious instance of privilege within the sexes to begin her argument. To this day it is very obvious that men are more privileged than women. Men are able to recognize that women have disadvantages solely because of their sex but are often not nearly as able to recognize that they as men are over privileged…

Words 422 - Pages 2

White Privilege: Photograph Analysis

In this paper I will describe how the picture I have chosen represents my interpretation of privilege from reading McIntosh (1988) article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack and Johnson (2018) book Privilege, Power, and Difference. The word privilege means an advantage that is unearned and for a select social group. I will show what specific elements of privilege I identify with in this photograph. I will also show that some stereotypes about African American women are not true for…

Words 101 - Pages 1

Essay on Priviedged: To Be or Not to Be

Massachusetts, Amherst, White privilege is a set of advantages and/or immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others. White privilege can exist without white people's conscious knowledge of its presence and it helps to maintain the racial hierarchy in this country. The biggest problem with white privilege is the invisibility it maintains to those who benefit from it most. The inability to recognize that many of the advantages whites hold are a direct result…

Words 1326 - Pages 6

Black Vs Racial

Black vs. White Perception on Racism When it comes to racism we all have our own viewpoint on what this term may mean. However, when it comes to race, there are privileges not many of us have the opportunity to take advantage of because on our ethnicities. The word racism can have conflicting meanings depending on what your own viewpoint is. Racism has been common for plenty of decades and in fact, is acknowledged today. In particular, well-known speakers such as Beverly Daniel Tatum and Peggy McIntosh…

Words 1207 - Pages 5

White Privilege Research Paper

research to better understand the privilege Whites experience as opposed to other minority groups. It discusses white privilege and the impact it has on whites as well as minority groups. While doing research about the existence of white privilege, a range of articles and excerpts were found with the opposite point of view on related information. White privilege is defined as the difference in power between white people and people of color, including the advantages white people automatically take for…

Words 1857 - Pages 8

White Privilege: Movie Analysis

ever in a blockbuster movie. This observation goes along with white privilege. As a white person, I can always find a movie in any genre that has white actors. As a white person, I can also always be sure that all new movies in the theatre star a white cast, or at least all movies but one. Peggy McIntosh in White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack explains how this idea of privilege has not been taught to white people, “As a white person, I realized I have been taught about racism as something…

Words 407 - Pages 2