I do believe in fairies, I do, I do

[mothwing]

Ok, f-list, you are all very intelligent, well-educated people, can you do me a favour?

Can you tell me whether you think "privilege" exists? (As in, white privilege, male privilege, heterosexual privilege, etc., etc.)

I think it does. Never named, the concept was touched upon in nearly all our gender studies related courses at the uni. I think it is a rather good concept, and in keeping with other's theories on this (well. Just Connell and Bourdieu, really. I really never read into it that much). Being primarily a literature and now of late an education student, I don't know what the current positions are, of course, but I like it, it seems rather insightful.

It has happened rather often during the last half year that I brought up the term in a discussion and the people I was talking to put a lot of energy into convincing me of the fact that it does not exist, does no longer exist, or has never existed. When I insisted that yes, it does, the responses they gave me betrayed the level of incredulity they'd show with someone who is claiming that fairies exist, or the Easter bunny.

In the latest incident on a message board is not as though I rounded on them, accusing anyone personally and challenging them about their views, it was during yet another discussion on an HP forum about the women in the HP series. I argued that there was evidence of  male privilege in the book and was completely shot down by the others, called sexist for advocating reverse sexism, being an extremist feminist, a man-hating feminazi, accusing others of not seeing my point because they are men, the works.

So, please, does "privilege" exist?

Comments

[princess-magpie.livejournal.com]

I think under certain circumstances, it does exist.

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Good to know that I am not the only one who thinks that.

[princess-magpie.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :)

Being in the deep South of the States, I still see people who have racial prejudice, and show favoritism for white people. My sister used to be friends with a dog breeder, who said that she wouldn't sell dogs to black or Asian people.

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

o.O That is a rather strange area to show prejudice. I doubt that it's something restricted to the South of the US, though - in many shape or forms it's bound to come up everywhere.