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"white american males working as computer programmers are not privileged" - It may be hard for you to see privilege as in general everyone you grew up with grew

"white american males working as computer programmers are not privileged" - It may be hard for you to see privilege as in general everyone you grew up with grew up with the same privileges as you, and now that you are a computer programmer your peers are also equally privileged. But I can rest assure you.. that you are privileged.. I am a hispanic male working as a computer programmer, and maybe because of that it's easier to see the privilege my occupation affords me as my grandmother lives in a country where the median income after tax is 500 american.. Where every so often the police, and army decide to shoot it out in the streets.. Where 51% of the population is beneath the poverty line.. Maybe it's easier for me to see privilege as I went to a highschool that was a minority majority school in the poor part of town. Where some kids weren't worried about there health care from the flu, but there health care from a flying bullets within there apartment complex. Where the kids in the cafeteria line that had white slips are getting there only meal of the day because it's paid for by the government. Not only do I think it's important to understand we are privileged; I believe it is also our responsibility to act on that privilege to make sure all are granted the same basics our life affords as engineers (job security, food, health care, personal security[violence], time off to vote, etc). Only when the general public is granted those basics will I even partially not think of my self as not privileged.

raganwald 14y ago
Obviously they enjoy relative privilege. I am a brown person, I was one of three such in my high school, I assure you that I appreciate how privileged it is for me to be male and middle class and have educated parents. But all the same, I'd prefer to say that they are "less under-pivileged" in an environment where they can be fired for what they do on Reddit in their spare time, leaving them unable to provide for a wife with medical issues. In the case I am thinking of, many people said that the privileged person in question shouldn't have been doing unpopular things if he had a wife to support. Which really underscores my point.
Ntrails 14y ago
He pretty clearly describes what he considers to be privileged and why he thinks it is not applicable. You counter by ascribing a different (some would say more valid) meaning to the same word. On a global scale, anyone who is reasonably assured that local militia won't come in and rape their wives in front of them before executing their entire family is pretty privileged. Or anyone who has no fear of starving to death etc etc. I thought it was a good piece, but then I am English and really rather like the safety nets that let me change career without fear. The ones that meant my motorbike accident cost me a year of my life - but didn't make me bankrupt. I cannot imagine living without them. That for damn sure makes me privileged. Even if half my wages do vanish into the taxman's coffers.

raganwald 14y ago

Obviously they enjoy relative privilege. I am a brown person, I was one of three such in my high school, I assure you that I appreciate how privileged it is for me to be male and middle class and have educated parents. But all the same, I'd prefer to say that they are "less under-pivileged" in an environment where they can be fired for what they do on Reddit in their spare time, leaving them unable to provide for a wife with medical issues. In the case I am thinking of, many people said that the privileged person in question shouldn't have been doing unpopular things if he had a wife to support. Which really underscores my point.

Ntrails 14y ago

He pretty clearly describes what he considers to be privileged and why he thinks it is not applicable. You counter by ascribing a different (some would say more valid) meaning to the same word. On a global scale, anyone who is reasonably assured that local militia won't come in and rape their wives in front of them before executing their entire family is pretty privileged. Or anyone who has no fear of starving to death etc etc. I thought it was a good piece, but then I am English and really rather like the safety nets that let me change career without fear. The ones that meant my motorbike accident cost me a year of my life - but didn't make me bankrupt. I cannot imagine living without them. That for damn sure makes me privileged. Even if half my wages do vanish into the taxman's coffers.