How do you feel about the word "privilege"?

submitted by moody_ape from self.GenderCritical

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[–]Feather 14 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 0 fun15 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

I generally dislike it.

I think its common usage is more useful than its academic usage.

Common use: A bonus, whether earned or not. This might apply to a child born into a rich family or the privilege of being allowed to drive your mom's car.

Academic use: being treated with the dignity all humans deserve by merit of being human, while other people are deprived of that.

I think it obscures the real issue. A white lady isn't privileged when cops don't harass her; she's experiencing the default treatment we all deserve. But if we navel-gaze about why she gets that treatment, we're not focusing on what we should actually be doing: making sure other people are not denied the default decency she receives.

It also doesn't leave people with any guidance about what to do. Meditating upon one's privilege 24/7 for a year is worthless when compared to even simple stuff like donating ten bucks to an organization that covers bail for non-violent offenses or donating to a women's shelter.

[–]moody_ape[S] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I think its common usage is more useful than its academic usage.

I agree! And that's why people get so defensive when you throw "______ privilege" around. We need to make things understandable to people outside our bubble and I honestly think the word privilege isn't helping. The common use was my idea exactly when I first opposed to the idea that I had any kind of privilege. My friend told me "Well, it's privilege when you compare your situation to someone who doesn't have it". And someone already commented how complicated everything gets because of this. We are all privileged in relation to someone, and they are privileged in relation to someone else and so on.

It also doesn't leave people with any guidance about what to do

Exactly! I mean, I've heard people say that people should give up their privilege. But if their so called "privilge" is just being treated with basic human decency, what does that mean??

what we should actually be doing: making sure other people are not denied the default decency she receives.

This, so much this!

[–]Feather 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

The academic use of privilege is kind of funny, actually. To use their own framework against them:

The academically privileged have colonized the language of the common people and suggested the long-established meanings of the people's words are unacceptable. The unwashed masses must allow the academically privileged to explain our language to us and tell us we are wrong and stupid when we insist on using our language the way we have always used it. When we disagree with the new definitions they force upon us, they attempt to oppress us by superimposing their current definitions upon our pasts and saying we were secretly always wrong about the words we used - only they, the academically privileged, know what's right for us.

As far as, "Give up your privilege," goes yeah, it's ridiculous. It's like if a parent said, "You need to give up eating because there are children starving somewhere else," or made their kids meditate upon how unfair it is that they have food.

Fuck no. It's not unfair that they have food. It's unfair that other people DON'T.

[–]moody_ape[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Yes! It's like the parent is saying "it's unfair that you have food and they don't" and than the child focuses on "it's unfair that you have food". It's just not helpful.

As for the academically privileged colonization of language, I don't agree completely. I think they do that to some extent, but not 100%. "Privilege" is definitely a case of colonization imo, but there are other terms created inside the academia that got out of it and completely lost their meaning. Someone commented about how social media does that and it makes sene to me. I think both things happen (academics colonizing language of the common people AND common people misuse of an academic term).

[–]Feather 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

When it comes to the academically privileged argument I wrote, I should have put an /s at the end. I wouldn't actually describe what's happening in those terms. I just thought it was funny to phrase it in that sort of academic-ish language. Then again, I was really sleepy when I wrote the comment so it's not surprising that I'm the only one who found it funny.

[–]moody_ape[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

hahahah I honestly thought you were serious But irrespective of that, I think it's a good way to illustrate the dynamics. You used woke language to critique woke language. It's kinda brilliant.