The Student Room Group

My "white privilege"

Scroll to see replies

Reply 60
Original post by limetang
If you're going to make the statement that there is inherent privilege in being white, it has to occur maybe not for every member of the group (there will be exceptions) but it should occur for the absolute vast majority.


It does.
Original post by Luminz
It does.


Not from what I can see, or if it does it's effect is negligible. Class privilege has a much greater effect on our society, and if we decide to compare how different races are treated within a specific class then (from what I've seen) it doesn't really appear to be the case that certain races are more privileged than others.

I would argue that what you find is that certain races do disproportionately dominate certain classes in society and that it is THAT that contributes to their being treat unequally. The biggest problem for inner city black people is not that they're black but that they're poor.
Original post by PythianLegume
Yeh, white privilege doesn't mean you're privileged in the way upper-middle class people are privileged. It doesn't mean that all white people do better than all black people. It simply refers to the privilege of rarely being judged based on your skin colour. No-one even thinks about your skin colour, because it's the normal colour.

(Obviously some 'reverse racism' does occur, but on a much lower scale).

That said, I do hate people using white privilege as a way to criticise white people (on an individual level), or to explain their problems.


So I think a more suited term really is 'majority privilege'. The majority always rules, if you were in an area where blacks are the majority, then you'd likely experience 'black privilege'.



I really dislike this term 'white privilege', where does it even come from? Surely it's not a legitimate term. It reminds me of Tumblr.
Original post by TolerantBeing
So I think a more suited term really is 'majority privilege'. The majority always rules, if you were in an area where blacks are the majority, then you'd likely experience 'black privilege'.

I really dislike this term 'white privilege', where does it even come from? Surely it's not a legitimate term. It reminds me of Tumblr.


But I think in a country where whites are the national majority, it exists for all white people. Sure there could feasibly be 'black privilege' in some majority black countries, but the global disparities in race would more than mask this (i.e. white people in Africa are overwhelmingly likely to be rich), so it'd be hard to tell. Basically, most of the truly multicultural countries are majority white.
Original post by Dandaman1

- I went to a mediocre public school.


Do you even know what a public school is? If you do, you are merely disproving your own point, if not, maybe you should google it...

EDIT: In fact, let me go ahead and do it for you.

The term public school refers to a group of older, more expensive and exclusive fee-paying private independent schools in the United Kingdom, particularly in England


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_school_(United_Kingdom)
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 65
Original post by limetang
Not from what I can see


Well it's a good job that some of us aren't blind then.
Original post by Profesh
I don't think you understand intersectionality.


This is all that needed saying. The thread should have pretty much ended here...
I'm finding this thread confusing and I think it's because a lot of people are going by their own definitions of this 'white privilege'.


According to wiki (assuming this is accurate, as I can't be bothered to dig deeper) this is what white privilege is- White privilege (or white skin privilege) is a term for a set of societal privileges, existing in predominantly white societies, that benefit white people beyond what is commonly experienced by people of color in the same social, political, or economic circumstances.


So those who are saying white privilege exists because in the West whites are the better off economically and are the least disadvantaged, you're wrong. White privilege is apparently a set of advantages a white person has over a minority person of the same economic, and social circumstance. So it's not about which proportion of white people are considered poor versus which proportion of minority people are considered poor. It's about white poor people being privileged over minority poor people. And the same for white middle class people and so on.

So is the white working class man 'privileged' over the black working class man? To me this just seems like a different wording for out-group discrimination. Which exists in every culture.
I think it's a really dull term myself, I don't think it's a case of white people having 'privileges', I just don't see where the privilege lies. I see that ethnic minorities may face hardships such as being targets of prejudice and discrimination. But I don't see what set of 'privileges' a white working class individual may have, other than the absence of racism?
Original post by Luminz
Well it's a good job that some of us aren't blind then.


Problem is, so many people use this idea to attribute their failings to their race rather than the fact that they are average at best
Reply 69
Original post by TheAnusFiles
Problem is, so many people use this idea to attribute their failings to their race rather than the fact that they are average at best


Some people definitely do that, but the original point still stands. White privilege is very real.
I find it hilarious when white people cry about how white privilege isn't real because they got stopped by the police once for speeding.
Original post by Luminz
Some people definitely do that, but the original point still stands. White privilege is very real.


And there are definitely advantages to being a minority too

Original post by SophiaLDN
I find it hilarious when white people cry about how white privilege isn't real because they got stopped by the police once for speeding.


Or when an Asian guy slashed their face with a razor...
Reply 72
Original post by TheAnusFiles
And there are definitely advantages to being a minority too


Not enough that they cancel each other out. Whites have way more.
Original post by TheAnusFiles


Or when an Asian guy slashed their face with a razor...



What exactly is your point here?? Would you like me to list every crime a white guy has committed?
White privilege may be a Marxist-Leninist concept, but going by this thread its definitely be taken up by a lot of bitter non-white racists.

The concept of white privilege allows anti-white racists to control the narrative by stripping white people of their humanity and individual experiences. It gives them moral superiority over this group which they have designated as collectively 'privileged' and therefore undeserving.

I will say it again: This concept is a psychological weapon of war used against white people. It is designed to dispossess white people from the levers of power in their own civilisation.

The irony is, that those white people who have internalised the concept, are victims.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by *Dreaming*
Being white does not make you privileged, in fact if you are a white man you are probably the most discriminated against


What realm are you in? :s-smilie:
Reply 76
Original post by Luminz
Not enough that they cancel each other out. Whites have way more.

If you do not like then why live in white country?
Original post by Dandaman1
I live in Canada. Discrimination against non-whites by employers is closely monitored by government, and a lot of businesses operate 'positive discrimination' practices. In my university, jobs are allocated on a preferential basis to female and ethnic minority students, for example.


Still occurs either way.
Original post by mazigh
If you do not like then why live in white country?


What a dumb question.
Reply 79
Original post by mazigh
If you do not like then why live in white country?


LOL I didn't once say I didn't like it, I'm just saying that that's how it is. Quit being a moron please.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending