Johnson Chs. 4&5; Wise(D2L)

"The Consequences of privilege must be understood as lived experience that both damages people in the moment and accumulates over time to affect not only their behavior but also their understanding of themselves and life itself" (Feagin,Sikes). This excerpt from Living With Racism is key to understanding the social structures of privilege and oppression(p. 55, Johsnon). It helps us to understand that the human need for Inclusion and acceptance are the building blocks of the aspects of privilege. The list on p. 55-56 in Johnson summarizes the many ways in which a dominant group excludes the "Others", sometimes even unknowingly. Simple gestures such as a glance or the way people interact with their others play a huge part in the unknowing devaluation of people outside the dominant group. This exclusion, presents a set of problems for the excluded as well as the dominant group. "The same weapons used against gays and lesbians are also used among heterosexuals.. Power plays a key role in gender dynamics... the same insults and intimidation straight men use against gay men are often used to enhance straight men's status compared to other straight men (p. 61). This is because the idea of a man being gay violates the Heterosexual Model and men's clain to "real manhood" (p.62).
Johnson says at the end of chapter 4 that we need to "face the illusion and go through it to the truth on the other side". If we do not understand how privilege works to renew itself continually through ignorance, we as a people can never heal this social wound that damages us all.
The Problem remains because people like myself and Johnson ( White, Male, Middleclass, educated to a certain degree, heterosexual and non-disabled ) do not engage these trying issues (p.69).
There are two methods Johnson mentions to raise consciousness in organizations and institutions:
1.) "appeal to privileged peoples sense of decency and fairness." = "tin cup" approach (p.71).
It's the right thing to do.

2.) We should do something about privilege and oppression because it makes organizations work better.
Both work in the short term. It is the responsibility of dominant groups to feel a sense of ownership in relation to the problem (p. 75). That responsibility can only be gained in the long run by trancending difference and working through the structures of oppression.