How do you talk to someone about privilege?

This is helpful not only in understanding the person more, but also extending empathy. In a conversation as touchy as one on privilege, it’s important to try to disarm defensives and cultivate open dialogue. Then, after speaking with the person about the ways in which they don’t hold privilege, I ask in what ways they do.

What does it mean to have privilege?

Having privilege does not mean that an individual is immune to life’s hardships, but it does mean having an unearned benefit or advantage one receives in society by nature of their identity.

How can self-reflection help you understand your privilege?

Self-reflection is a great way to understand your privilege because it fosters critical thinking so you can connect your individual lived experiences to larger systemic realities. 7  Doing so can pave the way for you to help create social change.

How are people oppressed and privileged?

People can be oppressed and privileged in many different ways. Most commonly, you hear about gender, sexual orientation, race. This is where the tension comes into play because these are the most common systems you hear about. A straight, white cisgender male has straight privilege, white privilege, cis privilege and male privilege.

Is it possible to be non-privileged in every dimension?

And the list goes on. *It’s possible to be in the non-privileged category of every dimension on this list, but that doesn’t mean you lack privilege. For example, if you are in a wheelchair but have functional hearing, you have ability privilege when it comes to ability to hear over someone who is deaf.

What is male privilege and why is it bad?

This is created from a deep rooted patriarchy that prioritizes men over women. Male privilege isn’t helping anyone ultimately though – it doesn’t help families where mothers make less than male partners, and it doesn’t benefit women in helping to advance the fields of science, math, technology, journalism]