Privilege, Power, and Difference Talking Points

 1. In the introduction of Privilege, Power, and Difference, Johnson states that "the social advantage of being white will tend to be more significant for lower and working class whites than it will for whites in the middle and upper classes". This statement is interesting because it shows that white privilege can be more or less helpful depending on someone's social status. A lower class white person has an advantage over a lower class person of color. Most people consider privilege in terms of social class and this highlights the fact that not everyone in a particular social class is playing with the same hand of cards. 

2. On page 23, Johnson writes "he discovers [is] the significance of being considered white and the privileges that go along with it". This is a very interesting concept: "being considered white" and I wonder if there is research or studies in the privilege of lighter skinned people of color vs. darker skinned people of color. Johnson suggests that someone does not necessarily have to be completely white, only considered white and associated with that social group to take advantage of the privilege. 

3. On page 27, Johnson writes "the reason provided by cultural assumption of white racial dominance that can override any class advantage a person of color might have". This connects back to the earlier quote about white privilege being more significant for lower and working class whites than upper class. The absence of white privilege means that any person of color can experience racism, regardless of their social class. It reminds me of the stories you hear of celebrities, politicians, or off-duty police officers of color experiencing racism despite their inherent protections their social class or profession usually awards them. 

This author, Johnson, argues that privilege is a complex and multi-faceted concept that affects people of different racial groups, gender groups, and sexuality groups rather than simply being a reference to social class and wealth.