Johnson, PPD Chapter 2

In chapter two of Allen Johnson’s book Privilege, Power, and Difference, he starts to identify the ways in which privilege works to create difference and oppression. He concludes that when someone is granted privilege over another for superficial reasons—like one’s gender or race—those excluded from the privileged group will be labeled as “different”; consequently, they will suffer from oppression from the privileged group.

Johnson feels that the problem is not that people are inherently different; it is that people “are afraid of what they don’t know or understand” (13) and that we live in a world which is “organized in ways that encourage people to use difference” against others (16). He also argues that this fear is not natural. In fact, as we grow older, this fear is instilled in us by the media, family, political institutions, etc. We are taught to feel this way. Then, Johnson proceeds to look at The Diversity Wheel (created by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener) to show the important role social reality plays in our lives and to show the categories in which people are primarily judged as different. These are all located on the inner portion of The Diversity Wheel and include age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, and sexual/affectional orientation (15).

Next, he discusses the ways difference is socially constructed. He believes that the categories we place people in—such as white or black—and the definitions of these categories are created by people in power in ways which let them keep their power. His evidence is the various definitions that have existed for certain race categories throughout history; for example, Irish people today are considered white but were lumped into the non-white category at times in history when it was economically advantageous (for some) to do so.

Finally, he goes on to define privilege and oppression. He cites work by Peggy McIntosh to define privilege quoting her idea that “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 not done” (21). McIntosh defines two forms of privilege: unearned entitlements and conferred dominance. He also points out that even though it is not always noticeable, privilege always exists. He even dedicates a couple of pages to listing the benefits someone who is in the privileged group(s) of master statuses receives on a daily basis. And, he points to the parad