Johnson Chapter 2

In chapter 2 of Privilege, Power, and Difference Allen Johnson states that privilege exists and sometimes those who have it may not know it. Johnson’s main point is that a system of privilege does exist and the backbone of the system is rooted in economics.

Johnson outlines in chapter 2 how our differences lead to privilege. It is a misconception to think that people are naturally afraid of what we do not understand (pg 13). Our diversity is determined by 6 core traits and 11 periphery traits. Johnson eloquently puts these traits into a diagram on page 15. On the inner ring of the diagram are the big factors like age, race and gender. The outer ring is composed of less physical factors such as religion, education, and income. The diversity wheel will play a more important role in determining who has privilege and who does not. Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they’ve done or failed to do (Pg 21). Johnson provides a variety of examples before getting to the two different types of privilege. Unearned advantage and conferred dominance are the two subdivisions of privilege. In most cases dominant groups are reluctant to give up any unearned advantages like workplace favoring of white males over blacks and females. Conferred dominance is rooted in cultural tendencies such as male dominance over women. Johnson presents a paradox to privilege. A privileged person is not privileged by the individual they are but the privilege is conferred onto them by society they are a part of. Johnson closes the chapter by introducing the concepts that privilege may not make you happy and that oppression is the opposite if privilege.

In this chapter Johnson yields up concise and easy to understand information. He doesn’t really leave much room for separate or alternative analysis. The conclusions that privilege may not necessarily making you happy are spot on, and the paradox of privilege situation is also sound. Johnson does not seem to want to tackle the issue of family privilege, or being born into a family of means. This scenario can be indirectly tied into the individual’s assessment of privilege and specifically the case of unearned advantage. Examples of such families like the Kennedy’s abound and Johnson could have made a direct mention to them in this chapter. Maybe Johnson considers being born into a family of means the ideal, and all others are considered to have a strike against them from birth.

I enjoyed this chapter very much. It was nice that Johnson put together a concise framework of our differences and privilege. His section about the paradox of privilege really made an impression on me. Also the diversity wheel was also a clear and easy to understand illustration of what makes us different from each other. As a white male I had know idea that certain privileges were given to me without any individual want or need for them. It is something that makes real sense on an otherwise unclear subject. Johnson could have spent a lot less time talking about the shortcomings of capitalism. This is a tired argument and the facts can be easily bent to favor which ever side of the argument you are in agreement with.