{"id":29742,"date":"2015-11-02T16:06:47","date_gmt":"2015-11-03T00:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=29742"},"modified":"2015-12-08T11:41:57","modified_gmt":"2015-12-08T19:41:57","slug":"privilege","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/privilege\/","title":{"rendered":"Privilege"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HandsPrivilege<\/strong>, in terms of\u00c2\u00a0social equality,\u00c2\u00a0describes the state of a person or group of people being granted automatic benefits simply due to status as a member of a certain group. Peggy McIntosh, anti-racism activist and feminist, said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Privilege 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\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done or failed to do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Examples of Privilege<\/h2>\n

Privilege can be seen in a number of ways. Some well-known types of privilege include white privilege, heterosexual<\/a> privilege, and male privilege. Although most people have heard of privilege in some form, the concept can be difficult to explain. Privilege is most often granted to majority populations, or the groups that hold the most power. Some react to classifications of their own privilege with sensitivity, denial, and even anger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>An understanding of intersectionality, a term coined by American professor Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989, may\u00c2\u00a0be helpful in understanding privilege.\u00c2\u00a0Intersectionality is a sociological theory that takes into consideration all facets of a person’s identity. The intersection of these facets can influence how much privilege or oppression<\/a> a person may experience. A white man who grew up in poverty<\/a> may experience privilege due to the color of his skin but might, at the same time, experience oppression due to the level of his socioeconomic class.<\/p>\n

It can be difficult for some to identify privilege when\u00c2\u00a0they are born into it because it may be all they know. Likely because of this,\u00c2\u00a0McIntosh’s 1988 publication, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d had a significant impact on many, as the\u00c2\u00a0accessible examples of white privilege in her paper\u00c2\u00a0clarified the concept of privilege in new ways.<\/p>\n

Some examples McIntosh offers of white privilege:<\/p>\n