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What is Your Understanding of "Privilege"?

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
What is your understanding of "privilege"? I'm not looking for a debate so much as I'm looking for how and in what way people understand the term? Whether you feel it's a legitimate concept that has some merit or not? Etc.

By privilege, I'm referring to the sociological term meaning preferential treatment for one's gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc.
 
The concepts of Original Sin and privilege are identical except that they operate in different moral universes. In familiar religions, Original Sin is something you're born with. It's something you can't escape. It's something you can't really do anything about - except be ashamed. It's something you should confess and try to cleanse yourself of. It's something that requires forgiveness, atonement, penitence, and work. It's something, if you take it to heart, for which you will browbeat others.

For many contemporary left-situated activists, privilege occupies the same role in a religion of contemporary identity politics. There is no greater sin than having been born an able-bodied, straight, white male who identifies as a man but isn't deeply sorry for this utterly unintentional state of affairs.

[continues...]
https://www.allthink.com/1284035
 

SabahTheLoner

Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
My personal understanding: Privilege is getting services automatically because of an identity, relationship or label. This can be an earned privilege (for example, paying a sum of money to be in a VIP club for a duration of time) or an inherited privilege (son getting ownership for a business because the father died, for a classic example). Inherented privileges aren't always fair because conflicts are more likely to happen depending on the person's individuality, while earned privileges require a status or ownership of a sort that is worked toward and is less likely to be unfair.
 

Onyx

Active Member
Premium Member
Real-world privileges can be earned or purchased, but in either case they don't come with a guarantee. I've had a few close-calls in my life, better to keep your wits about you than worry about your status. The only reliable privilege is self-awareness.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
Perceived social advantages by belonging to specific groups. Often used to justify double standards regarding attitudes toward bigotry.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
What is your understanding of "privilege"? (...)

By privilege, I'm referring to the sociological term meaning preferential treatment for one's gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc.
I think you answered your own question there.

Whether you feel it's a legitimate concept that has some merit or not? Etc.

This I don't understand. What would merit of privilege be?
 

Curious George

Veteran Member
What is your understanding of "privilege"? I'm not looking for a debate so much as I'm looking for how and in what way people understand the term? Whether you feel it's a legitimate concept that has some merit or not? Etc.

By privilege, I'm referring to the sociological term meaning preferential treatment for one's gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc.
A statistical relation expressing societal advantage that can not be used meaningfully in individual cases (with the exception that it is possible to reflect on them and how they MAY have influenced outcomes and what this means in a larger social discussion). It is absolutely a legitimate concept, though it is most often misused. Privilege in this context is not something that an individual can have. However, when we are thinking about changing society we certainly need to entertain societal data.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
My understanding of privilege in this specific sense is that it's an unearned advantage that can be broadly applied to a certain group. For example, being male makes me statistically more likely to earn a higher salary than if I were female. That's an advantage I have over a hypothetical female me and therefore a form of privilege. Conversely, if I were female, I'd be statistically less likely to be a victim of suicide. Similar arguments could be made about my skin colour, weight, height, marital status, financial status, whether or not I have any disabilities and so on.

That's my understanding of it anyway. I'll happily admit that this is an area I get quite lost on at times and honestly don't feel all that strongly about one way or another.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Privilege to me can be defined as being against the Declaration of Independence statement that we're all created equal with fundamentally equal rights. Society at this point is built on privilege - mostly relating to money which can be used to buy power, enhance status and assert superiority on those who do not have privilege.

The fundamental root of why people seek privilege is the egoistic "I'm better than you" the "I" being personal, class, sex etc.
 

Curious George

Veteran Member
My understanding of privilege in this specific sense is that it's an unearned advantage that can be broadly applied to a certain group. For example, being male makes me statistically more likely to earn a higher salary than if I were female. That's an advantage I have over a hypothetical female me and therefore a form of privilege. Conversely, if I were female, I'd be statistically less likely to be a victim of suicide. Similar arguments could be made about my skin colour, weight, height, marital status, financial status, whether or not I have any disabilities and so on.

That's my understanding of it anyway. I'll happily admit that this is an area I get quite lost on at times and honestly don't feel all that strongly about one way or another.
I think this is close, but the problem is that you say "I have." This is where the misuse comes into play. That you are a male is one factor contributing towards the statistical likeliness that you would earn a higher salary. We cannot look at only one facet of you and declare that you are statistically more likely to anything if that statistical likelihood requires more facets than the one we are examining.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
I think this is close, but the problem is that you say "I have." This is where the misuse comes into play. That you are a male is one factor contributing towards the statistical likeliness that you would earn a higher salary. We cannot look at only one facet of you and declare that you are statistically more likely to anything if that statistical likelihood requires more facets than the one we are examining.

Therein lies one of my criticisms of how I often see privilege portrayed. In very broad terms, it can be useful in pointing out societal trends and problems. When applied to individuals, the whole thing starts to fall apart. Any given person belongs to so many different groups, not all of which can be said to be unambiguously more advantageous than another, that determining their privilege becomes both a monumental and largely pointless task.
 

Curious George

Veteran Member
Therein lies one of my criticisms of how I often see privilege portrayed. In very broad terms, it can be useful in pointing out societal trends and problems. When applied to individuals, the whole thing starts to fall apart. Any given person belongs to so many different groups, not all of which can be said to be unambiguously more advantageous than another, that determining their privilege becomes both a monumental and largely pointless task.
Well then you have no problem with privilege at all. It is not supposed to be used in that fashion. However, that is not to say that it has no value when used for reflection in individual cases as a means of looking at greater societal problems. However this reflection is very subjective and is ultimately nothing more than speculation. That said, speculation can have major effects on how we see the world.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
Well then you have no problem with privilege at all. It is not supposed to be used in that fashion. However, that is not to say that it has no value when used for reflection in individual cases as a means of looking at greater societal problems. However this reflection is very subjective and is ultimately nothing more than speculation. That said, speculation can have major effects on how we see the world.

It may be worth me mentioning that I've had specific people in mind with this thread. For some, privilege becomes mainly about scoring imaginary points over other people.

As I say though, I can see its use when looking at trends/issues within a given society.
 

The Emperor of Mankind

Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
What is your understanding of "privilege"? I'm not looking for a debate so much as I'm looking for how and in what way people understand the term? Whether you feel it's a legitimate concept that has some merit or not? Etc.

By privilege, I'm referring to the sociological term meaning preferential treatment for one's gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc.

The belief or perspective that if something isn't a problem for you or your group(s) (which could be ethnicity, gender, sex, religion) then it's not a problem for anyone else.
 

Curious George

Veteran Member
It may be worth me mentioning that I've had specific people in mind with this thread. For some, privilege becomes mainly about scoring imaginary points over other people.

As I say though, I can see its use when looking at trends/issues within a given society.
There is a reflective game that is played as an icebreaker. The idea is that you ask a list of privilege related questions, the people either take a step forward or back depending on whether the answer is true or false and then the group reflects on where they stand.

Now, privilege is so broad that it would be unlikely, i would venture to say impossible, that it has not effected every individual on some level or another. However it is important to realize that when choosing whatever questions are on the priviledged list, they are finite therefore cannot describe hope to describe the individual. But as the list goes on we can see trends in a random group of large enough sample size. It might be important to note that unless the questions are biased, you can always find people of the most stereotypical priviledged class standing near the back of the group. This too is something upon which it is worth reflecting. If we proceed to make judgments of individuals based on stereotypical concepts of who is privileged and who is not, then we will statistically misjudge someone eventually.
 

Kapalika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I prefer to say "double standard" in most cases. For example no one really thinks much if I'm dismissed as crazy if I have bipolar for some type of behavior that a "normal" person might get away with.
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Basically certain groups have the "privilege" of immunity. It's why that rich kid who drank and drived who killed like 4 people a few years back got preferential treatment. Privilege is most often the domain of the spoiled or well off.

That's why I kinda think most practical privillage is really socio-economic. It's the strongest indicator.

All other privilege is really just another way to express bigotry by reversing who's assigned with the attribute. You don't have the "privilege" of being treated like a full person in a lot of situations, for example a place locally here has been known to fire anyone they find out is gay or lesbian.

I really think it's an issue of language. It makes sense when talking about double standards, but a lot of uses does make it sound silly, even if it's pointing out some underlying bias. Really the truth is saying one has privillage for their race or gender for example is meaningless without context. Hell, it would even just be easier to call it by what it often is, a "double standard".
 
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