Hey y'all; I'll be arguing about Johnson's point in the article...
A. The author of the article was Alan Johnson. The title was "Privilege, Power, and Difference..."
B. The author Johnson argues that society has minimized the extent of damage caused by privilege, power, and differences through sugar coated language and sheer lack of willingness to make a change by majority groups. Johnson's most significant points come when he includes anecdotes about himself regarding power, bias, etc. He explains how he himself is privileged in the very beginning of the article, as he is white and male, establishing clear background for the reader before diving into his interpretation of our current society. He talks about his experience of speaking on oppression while being unable to use vital language such as oppression, power, racism, sexism, etc... and how that made it difficult to get his points across. Not being able to use the proper language when talking about these issues leads to the feeling of individuals speaking to a brick wall; hence why minority groups and those effected by oppression make such little progress on their own. By including these little story bites, the reader doesn't just hear a blanket rant, they can see the points he is making in an actual, real-life context. His main point in all of this is seemingly to show just how complacent society has become in these issues.
C. A point/question I'd like to pose is "What situations have you all gone through, that can shed some more light on the complacency of society in discussions on oppression?" Obviously this would only be for those comfortable with sharing, but I think it would be beneficial to hear stories from other students in classroom not only to connect with the article, but connect with each other.
Here's an article regarding complacency in oppression discussions. It connects to SCWAAMP in that it discusses specifically a "feminist" view of these conversations targeting societies "preference to maleness:
https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/complacent-ally-pitfalls/
(Incase the hyperlink doesn't work)
Hi Rey! I thought this post was very well written and thought provoking. I very much agree with your points! I feel often people on platforms of privilege do not take the time to look their standing in the face and rework the way they move through society, which results in complacent behavior. I also really like the piece on being able to use accurate language, when one is forced to water down their language it can also water down their point which results in far less progress being made! Again, great work!!
ReplyDeleteRey! I really enjoyed reading your approach to Johnson's article. I think the way you were able to describe the overall structure of Johnson's argument and the way of him taking into account his own background was a very insightful look at the article in an extremely well written perspective!
ReplyDeleteHey Rey! I enjoyed reading this argument and agreed with your statements. I think it is very important for people to take a step back and look at themselves and their own lives, realizing the privilege that many brush past everyday. I also agree with your points about the sugar coating of different oppressions and discrimination within society. The sugar coating of problems in society do not allow us as a whole to work towards helping people obtain the justice they deserve.
ReplyDeleteHi Rey! Your argument was really well written and clear. I really agree with your point about how people can feel like they aren't listened to when trying to find solutions. I also really enjoyed how you included how Johnson's style of writing prevented us from feeling like it was a rant, rather than it was multiple aspects of his life, which made it more enjoyable to read!
ReplyDeleteHi Rey. I agree with you on what you said about people who are affected by oppression. It is the unfortunate reality that minority groups find it challenging to move forward in society. I wonder what can be done to help solve this issue.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this argument and I agree with you on what you said about how people can feel like they aren't heard. I think it is very important for people to take a step back and look at themselves and their own lives, realizing the privilege that many people brush past everyday.
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