What Different Kinds of Privilege?
It could generally be said that 'Privileges' are the benefits that people enjoy by virtue of some condition they were born with, born into, or that they have earned. I have tried to find a definitive list of all 'Privileged' groups -- not the privileges themselves -- and have come up with the following list of unique 'privileged' groups, which was pieced together from many sources.
You can have...
• Ableness Privilege
• Age Privilege
• Athletic Privilege
• Beauty Privilege
• Celebrity Privilege
• Cognitive Privilege
• Economic Privilege
• Educational Privilege
• Employment Privilege
• Heterosexual Privilege
• Female Privilege
• Leadership Privilege
• LGBTQ Privilege
• Male Privilege
• Political Privilege
• Racial Privilege
• Religious Privilege
... and likely many others. Each of these 'privileges' confers certain benefits on the listed groups (and their subgroups). It is no longer just "wealthy white heterosexual protestant conservative males" that are recognized for being 'privileged', but many other social groups. Of course, there will be overlapping groups. Can you think of more that have not been listed? (Please do not include subgroups or group combinations.)
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Would relationship status/privilege fall under just whatever sex you are? I was thinking of strictly economical benefits initially, but very often widows/widowed people are excluded from groups they were once a part of. Friends whose spouses are still alive feel uncomfortable and no longer invite widows/widowed friends out on couples dates. The person feels like a third wheel, etc...
Their are also many advantages to being single. Job offers, travel, etc...
I've not given much thought to this, so I'm a bit uninformed.
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Neurocognitive exam in May 2019, diagnosed with ASD, Asperger's type in June 2019.
• Marital Privilege (discounts on insurance, mortgage payements, et cetera)
• Singlehood Privilege (job flexibility, physical privacy, autonomy, et cetera)
• Widowhood/Survivor Privilege
... there is probably at least one group of 'privileges' for every condition of living.
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dyadiccounterpoint
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Joined: 31 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 464
Location: Nashville
What about familial privilege? Being born into a successful family can often enable other privileges.
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We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society - Alan Watts
Wealth privilege
Being born into wealth privilege
Loving and supportive parent privilege
NT privilege
Able bodied privilege
Intelligence privilege
Straight privilege
Christian privilege
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Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed.
Daughter: NT, no diagnoses.
All this stuff about "privilege" can be really annoying.....
I don't feel privileged because I am of a northern European background. My mother's side, actually, were oppressed back in Russia in the 19th century. But she never used that to denounce "privilege" in others.
I'm "privileged" in some ways, "underprivileged" in others. I would say the vast majority of people are "privileged" in some way.
What it means Kraftie is that for eg a millennial Jewish person would be more aware that if someone puts double brackets around your name, they mean to harm you. A gentile millennial wouldn't necessarily need to know that.
That's one of the only egs I can think of in terms of Jewish descent. Because of gentile privilege on my part. I'm sure if you think about it there are subtle things which only Jewish people know which makes life harder for Jewish people, which perfectly well meaning gentiles wouldn't know.
Or for eg an NT wouldn't know that bright lights can hurt some people. An NT would write to a museum saying 'it's nice but a bit drab, what about some more lighting' thinking 'everyone likes a brighter light to see things under'. I would be put in physical pain over that.
Ironically, privilege is one of those things you generally don't know you have. It harms through people being unaware rather than through people being malicious. People shouldn't use it to mean someone is being deliberately malicious, at that point it becomes open bigotry rather than accidental luck of being born into a society which favours them over someone else.
The fact it relies on being unnoticed by most people with it is probably why people take offence to it. Yes, I have different experiences to someone in a wheelchair. But I don't think my being able to go around more subway stations than them is because I'm a bad person. It's because society isn't set up for people in wheelchairs, and it needs to be and we need to be made aware of the facts like that so we can challenge them. Those of us with privilege need to think about helping those without to make society more accessible for them/tolerant of them, that's all. Not take it as an accusation.
It falls flat in certain areas as a theory. Like the idea that ignorance is born out of privilege. Lack of education about other cultures/types of people is quite common in people who aren't privileged (such as in wealth or if someone has learning difficulties) so, it's not true that lack of awareness is a sign of privilege. Aspies don't know what is a dog whistle always, doesn't mean we're privileged just means we lack the social nuances.
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You can have...
• Ableness Privilege
• Age Privilege
• Athletic Privilege
• Beauty Privilege
• Celebrity Privilege
• Cognitive Privilege
• Economic Privilege
• Educational Privilege
• Employment Privilege
• Heterosexual Privilege
• Female Privilege
• Leadership Privilege
• LGBTQ Privilege
• Male Privilege
• Political Privilege
• Racial Privilege
• Religious Privilege
... and likely many others. Each of these 'privileges' confers certain benefits on the listed groups (and their subgroups). It is no longer just "wealthy white heterosexual protestant conservative males" that are recognized for being 'privileged', but many other social groups. Of course, there will be overlapping groups. Can you think of more that have not been listed? (Please do not include subgroups or group combinations.)
White privilege...
ASPartOfMe
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Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,462
Location: Long Island, New York
The expansion of the definition of privilege that says you are automatically privileged because you are "born this way" was a mistake.
Being born white or a man or cisgender decreases your odds of being stereotyped and discriminated against, it does not guarantee this won't happen to you or will happen less. This definition looks at the problem ass-backward. It is not a privilege to be not discriminated against, that is how it is supposed to be. The problem is discrimination is more likely against minorities
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
^^Lol
Being born white or a man or cisgender decreases your odds of being stereotyped and discriminated against, it does not guarantee this won't happen to you or will happen less. This definition looks at the problem ass-backward. It is not a privilege to be not discriminated against, that is how it is supposed to be. The problem is discrimination is more likely against minorities
Just wanted to quote this
Being born white or a man or cisgender decreases your odds of being stereotyped and discriminated against, it does not guarantee this won't happen to you or will happen less. This definition looks at the problem ass-backward. It is not a privilege to be not discriminated against, that is how it is supposed to be. The problem is discrimination is more likely against minorities
True.
But it's about the society we live in at the moment. How we navigate it. Probably hard for some autistic people to understand because it's about social roles.
We need to get to a point where it doesn't matter who's privileged or not.
I think I only have white privilege when I'm in parts of England (my own experience living various places). But 50 years ago I wouldn't have had it there. So things can improve. My dad's family got treated bad and esp bad in the 70s and 80s so it can get worse as well as better. (you know that thing where Arabs are assumed to be terrorists? That hasn't always been Arabs treated that way in the UK)
I hate how global it is spoken about because of the internet. How automatic it is spoken about. That's not true, people live in specific societies around the world. Pale skin doesn't create white privilege, a society which preferences everyone with pale skin does. A society where 'what school did you go to' is a controversial question or where they judge you for your surname starting with 'o' or ending with 'stein' doesn't have universal white privilege. There is also colourism in the black community.
It was 30 years ago yesterday Rangers signed their very first Catholic player since the 1920s, they got away with that because it was common practice not to hire Catholics in the mid 20th century because they were assumed to be of Irish or Italian or Polish descent.
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