on checking privilege

[libellum]

LJ has had some great writing lately on confronting one's own privilege, particularly in the context of conversation or debate. Here's two that I've bookmarked:

Don't be That Guy by synecdochic, writing in the aftermath of the Open Source Boob Project
Being an ally part 1: listening to anger by sophiaserpentia

The comments on the latter are particularly worthwhile. This,

Comments

[jacinthsong]

Ooo, thanks for the second link, I hadn't seen that one :)It occurs to me I should do a post like this as nobody reads del.icio.us...

[forthwritten]

I suppose this is an issue I'm still grappling with. As a British-Asian, queer, female it would be easy to play a lot of cards. If my sight wasn't corrected by glasses I would be counted as partially sighted and I still remember the utter frustration of being called slow just because my body didn't work as I wanted it to

[sammhain]

Speaking only for myself I feel that the most effective way to demonstrate "I'm not like that" is to not act like that, and being a white male part of that for me, that includes accepting it is not always for me to be dominating, dictating, or driving a discussion or a debate.

I think the last bit really hits the nail on the head, the willingness to listen and listen fully rather than plotting what we want to say next while others speak.

[load_of_flannel]

Having seen several people (Male and Female) slapped down by Neo feminnist wannabe LJ users for attempting to actually debate this Id say no. Its not been well debated. Ive seen some good writing. Mostly the commentary is full of peopole who couldn't deebate anything if they wanted.

As a result all that sentence means is.

"If I think my view is germane to this debate, it isn't, trying to express it is tantamount to denying my opponents point in its entirity and therefore means I am supporting inequality in society"

Which is in my humble opinion clearly bollocks.

[sammhain]

Interesting interpretation. I'd point out however, that there is a difference between a forum where an issue is being debated, and a forum where grievances are being aired. In the case of the former your comments may or may not be germane, may or may not be rife with unchecked privilege. In the case of the latter any attempt to turn the situation into something that is about you, about your opinion, is a case of unchecked privilege and does indeed support and contribute to a society which is full of inequity.

Your base assumption here seems to be that your opinion and your right to it it, is at all times, more important than anything else. Which is of course exactly the attitude I was describing.

[sammhain]

I think it's alo important to keep in mind that what I'm advocating that certain goals come befoure ourselves as individuals, even if you have something to say that is worthwhile it doesn't necessarily need to be said right then and in that venue.

I realize the idea of the needs of a community trumping individualism is a skeevy topic to most westeners, but I think if you explore it honestly instead of rushing to decry it bollocks you might the idea has merit and in the long term shores up individuality more than an add-esque me first attitude does.

[load_of_flannel]

Its fairly difficult to reply to that without full context but

[karrli69]

If you really need it

[robert_jones]

Perhaps I'm hopelessly naive, but could not the words "as a white hetero male" have been safely and profitably omitted from that quotation. It's all about, AIUI, listening to the other person's view, empathising with their anger and acknowledging their grievances. None of those things require any comment on the listener's privilege.

It may well be the case (I suspect it is) that people from privileged groups generally have less experience of listening and are therefore less good at it, and so in a way it is a particularly important lesson for those people to learn, but it is still a lesson which is equally applicable to everybody. By expressing it in that loaded way, I suspect that sammaelhain makes it harder for the privileged to hear him.

Roughly the same comment applies, mutatis mutandis to many of the comments in the linked posts.

[load_of_flannel]

I think I agree.

The comment if it had its rampant white male hating stereotype removed is actually a fiar and just comment with many good things to commend it.

With the addition of the white male hating its just another excuse for one side to refuse to listen to the other and to expect that their statenments should not even be questioned.