What is Privilege?
Privilege – what it is…
According to dictionary.com
“the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a restricted group of people has over another group:”
But what does that even mean?
I was on a monthly APS Intelligence webinar last week and I heard some brilliant explanations made by Chris Garrison, that really helped me to nail this in my brain. So let me break it down as she did.
Privilege is:
The absence of inconvenience.
Frequently unknown to us.
Something we didn’t ask for and not within our control.
Not having to do extra psychological and emotional work because you’re always in the majority.
Something we all have in one or multiple forms.
This resonated with me as I can easily understand from this that:
1 There are ways I get to move through the world that are easier for me than others, and a lot of the time I won’t even notice.
2 It has little to do with my choices and it’s simply just a thing that I either benefit from, or don’t, depending on the context of my situation.
For example, I experience privilege when I plan my holiday because I don’t have to check a list to see if my destination will consider my relationship with my partner a criminal offence.
And as a native English speaker I very rarely have to think about how I will communicate as a tourist either.
Privilege – what it isn’t…
Privilege is not:
An accusation or judgement.
A suggestion that you’ve not had tough times.
A doubt that you haven’t earned what you have achieved.
Present in every circumstance.
Something to feel guilty about.
Zero sum
Understanding this helped me to see that:
1. Privilege is not about being a good or bad person. It’s just about acknowledging where we have faced barriers and where we haven’t.
2. A fairy won’t die every time I acknowledge my privileges… and nor will the privilege itself. I lose nothing by recognising it exists (and I gain the ability to use it with purpose).
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT…
Did you know that the Football Association banned women’s football in 1921?
Apparently, the women’s game was very popular during World War I, drawing crowds of over 50,000 people.
Sadly, rather than continuing with this sporting success when the war was ended, women were banned and returned to their “right and proper place in society”…
How does this make you feel about gender stereotypes and privilege?
What are examples of workplace privileges?
Not being asked to speak on behalf of a group of people because of my racial identity.
Being assumed to be (or not assumed to be) in charge.
Being able to have a bad day and not having it associated with my race or gender.
Having the choice to be an ally.
Having the same ethnicity as my boss… And my boss’ boss.
Not having to think about how I will access spaces before I attend an event, meeting, social gathering.