Privilege

• After watching the Tim Wise video in class, what do you think about the idea of privilege?Please support your answers. 

In my opinion,privilege is when a certain group is awarded more perks in life. Most of the time the group is oblivious to the fact that they are alway's one step ahead. Other groups who are outside of the privileged easily recognize that the one group is afforded things that they aren't. 

How does the media utilize privilege in media representation? Give examples.

Whether it is in print media or television media, privilege is being displayed. In print media, such as advertisements and magazines the privileged race is being represented regularly. Seldom will you see others besides the race of the majority being used to promote products or used to persuade the masses. They use the faces that are most comfortable to the majority of the people who will be viewing it. It is more likely to see an advertisment of the privileged race than any other race.The minorities or groups besides the privileged take a backseat on the priority list because they are not the ones that need to please in order to make a profit.  Television shows and newscasts also display mostly the majority. Popular culture and most of society are drawn to the privileged and what they represent. In television shows out of a 10 person cast, it might be two minorities being represented and less than that if you talk about being represented positively.

For the next several days, please keep a list of the privileges you see in your daily experiences.  They can be your privileges or what you believe to be someone else's privilege.  

These are the privilege's I noticed in my daily experiences.

1.Being on a predominately white campus, minorities  are preferenced  in receiving scholarships and financial aid.

2. Being black or a minority on campus means that you will be one of the few  of your race in classrooms or maybe the only. 

3. Blacks as athletes are shown privilege over others because of the thought that they are the best at what they do.

4. At workplaces, minorities get treated as if they do not fully understand or do no know how to correctly do their job.

5. At workplaces, there are certain things that women are expected to do, while mean get exempt.

6. More pressure on minorities in the workplace to earn their keep.

7. A member of the privileged group prefers a member of the privileged group to assist or teach them in different aspects.

8. The predominate race does not have to worry about being followed while shopping.

Do you think society still believes in the one drop rule?

I do not think society still believes in the one drop rule. presently I think that most classifications get based on someone by their appearance. There are so many different combinations of races that a one drop rule would not help. 

Reflection:  At the end of the video Tim Wise talked about responsibility of knowledge and Beverly Tatum (1992) suggests that as adults we have a responsibility to identify new information and change our behavior based on this new found awareness.  Please discuss from your perspective.  

I agree with Beverly Tatum because once an adult is no longer ignorant of a different perspective outside of what they were taught all of their lives then that should shape a new outlook on their world. Often this is not the case. When something has been perpetually been said to be right then it is not as easy to persuade someone of a different right. Most people do not want to accept this responsibility of knowledge, they would rather just pretend not to know. Also behavior is a very difficult thing to change when it goes against the way you live your life daily. Knowledge sometimes makes people uncomfortable in the world they have been living in.