Talking Points
1. “Clearly, we aren’t getting along with one another, and we need to ask why not.”
(Johnson, 2018, p. 3). Johnson's reasoning is that it is rooted in human nature. As
humans, we fear unfamiliar things and approach the unknown with discomfort rather than curiosity about what could be. We have become prisoners in a world we have made ourselves.
2. People ignore the words that make them uncomfortable and automatically have a negative reaction towards them. People try to push these terms, like racism and
privilege, to the side. They twist these words and add “phobia” or try to make
them invisible. When people become so uncomfortable with these terms, they
become defensive in a way that makes them not want to understand another way of
thinking or being. Ignoring the privileges and differences keeps us in a state of
unreality. The reality of these terms, like racism, is that it continues because of how we still feed into it, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not.
3. There are two types of privilege: unearned entitlements and unearned advantage.
These unearned advantages can give the dominant groups of people “a competitive
edge that they refuse to acknowledge or give up” (Johnson, 2018, p. 25). This made me think of the Always TV ad with throw like a girl. They asked these young girls to do things "like a girl". They tried their hardest to run and throw, showing this phrase positively. But when asking adults, they would flail their arms and negatively depict this phrase. This ad shows that this phrase is typically used to show weakness or gendered beliefs, and how the expectations of females are learned over time throughout our society.
1. “Clearly, we aren’t getting along with one another, and we need to ask why not.”
(Johnson, 2018, p. 3). Johnson's reasoning is that it is rooted in human nature. As
humans, we fear unfamiliar things and approach the unknown with discomfort rather than curiosity about what could be. We have become prisoners in a world we have made ourselves.
2. People ignore the words that make them uncomfortable and automatically have a negative reaction towards them. People try to push these terms, like racism and
privilege, to the side. They twist these words and add “phobia” or try to make
them invisible. When people become so uncomfortable with these terms, they
become defensive in a way that makes them not want to understand another way of
thinking or being. Ignoring the privileges and differences keeps us in a state of
unreality. The reality of these terms, like racism, is that it continues because of how we still feed into it, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not.
3. There are two types of privilege: unearned entitlements and unearned advantage.
These unearned advantages can give the dominant groups of people “a competitive
edge that they refuse to acknowledge or give up” (Johnson, 2018, p. 25). This made me think of the Always TV ad with throw like a girl. They asked these young girls to do things "like a girl". They tried their hardest to run and throw, showing this phrase positively. But when asking adults, they would flail their arms and negatively depict this phrase. This ad shows that this phrase is typically used to show weakness or gendered beliefs, and how the expectations of females are learned over time throughout our society.
Argument Statement
The author, Alan G. Johnson, argues that privilege is a problem that is avoided in
conversation, which leads to no solution. We can’t fix what we don’t acknowledge as a
problem.
Last semester, I took an action research class where we had an assignment to
recognize our own defensiveness. Our mind subconsciously puts up defenses when
we are faced with realities we may not feel comfortable with. In life, as Johnson
relates to being a middle-class male, we tend to have an in-group bias. We can tend
to demonize the “others” and turn it into a “us” versus “them” situation. As a society,
we feel as though the system we have now rewards certain characteristics or
behaviors. We can either stay stuck in those rules because they are what we
see as “normal,” or start to question the system, even though we may fear how we
measure up to it in the end. Our own unconscious defensiveness gets
in the way of really seeing the reality of our society. Through this assignment, it forced me to acknowledge my own defensiveness. In my work and my personal life, there are situations I may not feel comfortable in, but when I am able to step into the discomfort, that's where I can start to grow.
Hello Alida! I also used an elephant photo but yours was way better! As I was watching the Always Ad you included I found it fascinating that the young boy was similar in age to the young girls, but already had the perception of having that limp/flailing attempt at the action request. I wonder at what age he formulated that in his mind despite defending the fact he wasn't insulting his sister.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing here, Kristy -- and great ad, Alida!
DeleteHi Alida,
ReplyDeleteI loved the connection you built to the action research and defensiveness. I agree that when privilege is a talking point or becomes the center of conversation those engaging immediately default to their defense mechanisms. Many people may not be aware that this is their default, but it is the reason that the problem continues to persist itself.
The short clip of the ad sparked a memory of mine about a design that Nike had come out with. There is a line of their clothing that is designed for skating that was a collaboration with a company "Skate like a Girl". The design, unlike the ad, is actually looking to promote girls skateboarding rather than the sport being viewed as something for males. I would wonder if people would misinterpret the design and take it as a negative representation like in the ad.
Hi Alida, Thank you for sharing your reflections! I really like the connection you made to defensiveness. When there is confrontation or a problem, it can be easy to put up a wall of defensiveness and this in turn does not help solve the problem or controversy.
ReplyDeleteHi Alida, thanks for sharing. I agree with your argument point "we cant fix what we don't acknowledge as a problem". Not being able to see certain issues can create inequality. Our job is to put an end to it, not continue it. Your reflection about defensiveness was very interesting. Our unconsciousness defensiveness for sure gets in the way. We need to strive to step into discomfort.
ReplyDelete