chapter 2 johnson

In chapter two of Privilege, Power, and Difference, Johnson talks about the trouble that Americans are in. He boldly claims that “DIFFERENCE IS NOT THE PROBLEM.” He says that people are troubled, and are always looking to find something to help them prove his or her self worth. They look for reassurance from peers and they long for acceptance, which causes the problem of power struggles. Racism is caused when people hold their own social group higher than another group. So this is why people get privilege. The privileged group doesn’t accept that they have privilege or that it causes problems, so racial privileges cannot be solved. Johnson says that in order to end privilege, both sides need to admit that it exists, whether it is based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability status.
He says that the two best examples that prove people are not different are children and Native Americans. Those two groups notice a difference but they are curious about it rather than think they are better because they do not posses those features. The two groups finally recognized the differences once they were socially constructed to do so. Also in this chapter, Johnson list some things that are a result of privilege of white compared to colored, male compared to females, straight compared to gay, and nondisabled compared to disabled. The list shows that white, male, heterosexual, nondisabled people are more likely to be able to go out in public and assume they won’t be hassled, or can assume that they will be more likely to get a good price on new cars. He lists more examples and most of the examples coincide with every other group of power.
This chapter really surprised me. I used to think groups would have more power than others and was completely in the minds of the people who feel they are at the bad end of the power battle. He completely calls me out on it and says that is how most people are. They deny that it exists and because of that, the problem can never be solved. I was shocked to hear that there are so many differences between the white, heterosexual, nondisabled, males and other groups. I am glad that I chose to write a post about this chapter because I really took interest because it directly said my views were wrong and that they are the same as everyone else’s views. I only need to change my views and the power struggle will be one step closer to ending.
I somewhat defend my views of the lack of privilege in situations such as disabled people being segregated from certain jobs in the way that some jobs can not be completed by someone who has a speech impediment like sales or public speaking because the person may be hard to understand. Or how women get less business jobs but some business jobs may require the employee to move a box of heavy paper and if the man is more capable of doing that job than he deserves it.