"privilege"

Privilege exists, and negatively affects a great many people, and helps others. It is also often misused and misunderstood. It isn't always appropriate to view it in absolute terms. Group A has a higher social status than group B, and as a result, As tend to do better than Bs. That doesn't mean Bs can't do well, or even better than As, just that it's the norm. For a more personal example, I am transgender, a group that faces many difficulties. However, given where I live and my family, those difficulties are nearly past me, and I pass well, meaning I'm not nearly as badly affected.

Individual circumstances are largely caused by what group you are a part of. I really don't see where you're going with this. I'd be interested to hear how you think someone without access to basic necessities like food and education in a third world country isn't underprivileged.

The "check your privilege" thing is pretty stupid, though.

 

Sounds like this privilege thing is a subset of the ad hominem logical fallacy. That is to say rejecting an argument because of who someone is rather than what they say.

If an argument is wrong you need to be able to say why on the argument's terms or you lose. If you claim it's wrong because of privilege, isn't that claiming some sort of privilege?

In short, you nailed it in two sentences and it took me four; it's been a privilege.

 

Privilege exists. Privilege is the broader circumstances of individual situations. If it so happens that a single group have an enormous benefit over others, then it is a privilege. Privilege isn't limited to screeching on Tumblr with no nuance or research. But it's easy to pretend that it's not real. The fact that you're distinguishing between race, gender, and sexuality shows that you do acknowledge it to some extent.

Put two people in an identical position, but give one a disadvantage. Two kids kicked out of home, one a cis guy and one a trans guy. The trans guy is likely to face a worse situation if health and welfare services won't recognise him and won't give him help.

Two women have cancer. One is a high-ranking bureaucrat married to a CEO with a substantial sick-leave safety-net, the other is poor woman with an unemployed husband and three children to take care of. Clearly the first woman is in a far better position, and that is what is meant by calling her privileged. Now, the first woman could be black and fat, and the second white and thin, but clearly the first is still more privileged. But the reality is that usually it's going to be the other way around, and privilege tends to divide along gender, sexuality, and racial lines.

It's rude and annoying to see people reject a white man's opinion because he's white. But if he truly knows nothing about the subject (such as a discussion on race, where he has less disadvantage and doesn't have to think about as much), then it's fair to say that he shouldn't be speaking on the grounds of ignorance. Certain groups have the tendency not to have a stake and don't understand certain issues more often than others.

 

I think it's one of those issues you can view in a rather narrow way and construct an argument against, but if you look at the wider picture, privilege most certainly exists. It has a huge bearing on life chances in western society. I wouldn't dismiss it as bs.

 

I think it's telling that you think there are many, if any, black people who have never experienced racism of some sort in their lives.

When someone says you're privileged for being white, they're not saying you're privileged in every aspect of your life. But you are privileged in terms of race. There's no way around that. Those certain aspects you may have worse, but if someone with every advantage or disadvantage that you have is in the UK and not white, they will almost certainly be slightly (or perhaps significantly, depending on how it plays out) worse-off on grounds of racism. Racial beatings, police profiling, being refused service, being extremely under-represented in media and facing other challenges are something you are privileged not to have, regardless of other circumstances you're in.

 

No it isn't, but anyone who studies for more than ten minutes social inequalities will understand that, and the concern isn't so large as those supporting inequality.

If that was your whole point, this debate has happened several times here, so what purpose does this discussion serve?

 

Positions of privilege certainly exist but by no means invalidate someone's argument. The fact if the matter is that arguments stand and fall on their own merits regardless who says them. Indeed, those who have more experience in something may have (but not necessarily) a better understanding of the topic but that by no means makes them an authority or better placed to speak on an issue and vice versa.

Happy days

 

I think It exists, but It's no excuse to be an asshole to majorities. I have cis and white privilege and I recognize those things as well; minorities are worse off in a lot of cases.

 

it is an academic concept that had become so hilariously misused and is now thrown around like the buddhist concept of karma

 

I think privilege definitely exists and is harmful but it's usually just misused in arguments to silence people you disagree with.

 

It does exist, but that doesn't mean that the majority group should feel self guilt about it. I think that it's to say "here's where we stand, let's try to make the next generation not have to be aware of this".

 

When you're confining people to their group labels, such as gender and skin colour and sexuality, then privilege does exist. It's noticeable that in today's society there are more white male CEOs than any other demographic. And so on. I don't need to bring up all the examples. Some groups have faced a long history of oppression and this carries on today all over the world to varying degrees.

However, on an individual level, it's more ambiguous as personal experiences outweigh the constricting stereotypes that most people do not fit into or try too hard to do so. When you define someone by their skin colour, by their gender, by their race, you aren't letting their individuality shine and you're holding them back. It's not right to put someone down for being anything that they cannot help, be that a privileged position or a non-privileged position.

It's important to recognize the socio-economic statuses of different groups so we can strive to achieve equality (or come closer, total equality is logistically impossible). Life hands nobody the answers, but it would make it so much easier if we would stop judging and pre-defining people before getting to know them.

Individual qualities are what makes a person and nothing else. Don't let others decide who you are. Privilege is real, yes, but it can be taken way too far, and it's more important to treat everyone on an equal level.

 

I take offense to someone telling me to check my privilege. I am a white gay male, and most people don't know about the gay part until I get to know them. Having said that, my father was career military, and soldiers still don't get paid that well. After leaving the military he worked his way through school, while raising me and my 2 brothers. When I left home, I too joined the US Army, and learned the skills I still use today.
I have been taught to respect everyone until they give you reason not to, and I will treat everyone the same. If others don't it is not my fault, so how dare you tell me to check my privilege.

 

Very few people doubt privilege exist. Very few recognize the vast extremes of which it exists. Humans love to acknowledge the existence of negativity, conceit, and oppression, but they tend not to actually confront it and admit the role each of us play within it. Ignorance means that they never have to feel guilty.

 

It's a stupid concept that just encourages people to compare and play one-up games about who has it worse off (even if they actually do), rather than trying to erase those divisions and problems.

 

Yes, because the best way to attack a problem is to ignore its existence.

 

Everyone has some form of privilege surely. Black men are at a disadvantage because they often face discrimination on the basis of their skin colour, but they're male - and being male has obvious perks in society (for no real reason). A woman might face discrimination because she is a woman - but if she's white, and heterosexual, she is at a huge advantage. Add a wealthy family to the mix, and she is set for life - private schools, top universities, a cushy job, eventual inheritance. I'm not going to 'check my privilege' just because I'm white and male - admittedly there are perks, but I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth - the total opposite in fact. My family is in technical poverty - life hasn't been one long joyride.

I still retain the idea that the biggest privilege by far is affluence. If you are born into an affluent family with plenty of disposable income, then you have no reason to worry - your parents will pay for the best education possible, and ensure that your future is set in stone, and that you will always have money (unless they lose it all somehow). I'm thinking trustafarians.