Two White, Middle Class, Heterosexual Males Reflect on Privilege

Week 2: Alan Johnson's "Power, Privilege and Difference"  

_____ Argues that . . . 

In this reading, Alan Johnson argues that culturally constructed dynamics of power and privilege define our society, the opportunities afforded to different people, and the daily lived realities of our population. 

Three Talking Points: 

1. 
    Early in Chapter 1, Johnson discusses the importance of language and not capitulating to the people who work to twist these terms to reflect a politicized, defensive, debate-me-bro mentality. Johnson writes, ". . . if we dispense with the words we make it impossible to talk about what's really going on and what it has to do with us." (Chapter 1, page 2) It immediately makes me think of this past year, where words like inequity, diversity, privilege, segregation, discrimination, and hundreds more have literally been banned by our government. 
   
2. In Chapter 3, James Baldwin's commentary on whiteness is used to articulate the point that race and the privileges that it affords are cultural and social constructs, and it makes me wonder about how this reality manifests itself in school settings, both teacher-to-student and peer-to-peer. 
3. At the end of this reading, Johnson makes the point that addressing the issues of power and privilege is hindered by the disconnect between being privileged and feeling privileged. It did bring to mind a circumstance in my school, where a student who faced suspension screamed in the front office, "The white kids never got in trouble in this school!!!" He was then faced by a parent who needed to explain to him that he was, in fact, white. It is fascinating to see this disconnect arising in a 12-year-old. 

Making Connections

All our scenario questions in the activity "Where Do You Stand" are questions of power and privilege. Should a teacher have students dress up in costumes of a community that has faced genocide and centuries of oppression? Is a father-daughter dance appropriate? Should we infer on a onesie that this baby will have lots of sex when they grow up?  All of these are questions of power and privilege. 

About Me (Tom Kerr-Vanderslice)

 I work at Villa Nova Middle School in Woonsocket . . . 

. . . where I teach 7th grade Social Studies in an occasionally fun class. 

When I'm not teaching, I'm hanging out with my dog, reading books, playing and watching tennis, and spending time with my wife and family.