DEOMI EOAC STUDENT GUIDE

366 Tuskegee Airmen Dr. DATE: April 2012

Patrick AFB, FL 32925











EOAC - 3000


POWER AND PRIVILEGE






FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY

DO NOT USE ON THE JOB


173
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

LESSON EMPHASIS

This lesson will demonstrate that power and its associated privilege can sometimes create
exclusive work environments at the expense oI others.

RECOMMENDED READING

None

REFERENCES

1. 101 ways to combat prejudice. (n.d.). Retrieved Irom http://www.adl.org/prejudice
/prejudiceterms.asp
2. Bjornstrom et. al, 2010, Social Problems
3. Black, L. L., Stone, D. A., Hutchinson, S. R., & Suarez, E. C. (2007). The development and
validation oI the social privilege measure. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and
Development, 40(1), 16-32.
4. Bocian, et al, 2010, Center Ior Responsible Lending
5. Center Ior Public Leadership. Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved Irom
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/leadership/PdI/AReportFromLeadership2004.pdI
6. Civil Rights Act oI 1964, 42 USC 2000e. Retrieved Irom http://www4.law.cornell.edu
/uscode/42/2000e.html
7. Cline, A. (n.d.). Religious privilege: How religion, religious groups, and beliefs are
privileged. Retrieved Irom http://atheism.about.com/od/churchstate/p/ReligiousPriv.htm
8. Cohen & HuIIman, 2007, American Sociological Review
9. Cornell University Law School. (2000). U.S Code 42. Chapter 21, Sub-chapter 6, 200e.
Retrieved March 30, 2009 Irom http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42/2000e.html
10. Cuming, P. (1981). The power handbook: A strategic guide to organizational and personal
effectiveness. Boston, MA: CBI.
11. Fishbein, H. D. (2002). Peer prejudice and discrimination: The origins of prejudice (2nd
ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
12. Gelman et al., 2007, Journal of the American Statistical Association
13. Harris, 2010, Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
14. Hatzenbuehler, et al., 2010, American Journal of Public Health
15. Healey, J. F. (2003). Race, ethnicity, gender, and class: The sociology of group conflict and
change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
16. Iceland & Wilkes, 2006, Social Problems
17. Kivel, P. (1996). Uprooting racism. Philadelphia, PA: New Society.
18. McDonald, M. (2009). Dialogues on whiteness, leisure and (anti) racism. Journal oI Leisure
Research, 41(1), 5-21. Retrieved February 24, 2009 Irom ProQuest Education Journals
database. (Document ID: 1647985481).
19. McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and
Freedom. Retrieved Irom http://www.library.wisc.edu/edvrc/docs/public/pdIs/LIReadings
/InvisibleKnapsack.pdI
20. McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2004). Organizational behavior: Emerging realities
for the workplace revolution (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
174
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

21. Miller et al, 2009, Clinical Psychology Review
22. National Healthcare Disparities Report (2007).
!"# OSHO, The Razor's Edge. Retrieved Irom http://www.wajid.nl/misuse.htm
24. Oskamp, S. (2000). Reducing prejudice and discrimination. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
25. Parillo, Vincent N. (2007). Stranger to these shores. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and
Bacon.
26. Patillo, 2005, Annual Review of Sociology
27. Peterson & Krivo, 2005, Annual Review of Sociology
28. Report Ior Merriam Webster`s Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.). (1997). SpringIield, MA.
29. Terry, R. W. (1976). Advocating change in the white male club. Journal of Intergroup
Relations, 5(2), 16-29.
30. Terry, R. W. (1993). Authentic leadership: Courage in action. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
31. Websters tenth new collegiate dictionary. (1996). Boston, MA: Merriam-Webster.

LESSON SYLLABUS

Sample Behaviors Level of Learning
Performance
Measure
1. DeIine power K CRT
2. List types oI power K CRT
3. IdentiIy positive and negative aspects oI
power
K CRT
4. DeIine privilege and identiIy privilege,
authority, and social identity
K CRT
5. IdentiIy consequences oI social privilege K CRT
6. DeIine White privilege K CRT
7. IdentiIy rationalizations Ior retaining
privilege and avoiding responsibilities
K CRT
8. Privilege and being an eIIective EOA K CRT
Knowledge K Comprehension C Application A CRT Criterion ReIerenced Test
W Written Assignment SGE Small Group Experience PE Presentation Evaluation
175
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

STUDENT GUIDE
INTRODUCTION

Power and privilege can make it possible Ior certain groups to obtain and maintain control over
others, which can lead to discriminatory practices. It is the intent oI this lesson to point out Iacts
showing the relationship between the powerIul and the privileged. As an EO proIessional, you
must understand that privilege and power are human relations issues that aIIect unit cohesion and
mission accomplishment.

The Iollowing topics will be covered in this lesson:

1. DeIinition oI power.
2. Types oI power.
3. Positive and negative aspects oI power.
4. DeIinition oI privilege and identiIying authority and social identity.
5. Consequences oI privilege.
6. White privilege.
7. Rationalizations Ior retaining privileges and avoiding responsibilities.
8. Privilege and being an eIIective EOA.

A. Definition of Power

Introduction

There is a deIinite relationship between the powerful and the privileged. Privilege and the
perception oI privilege have made it possible Ior the powerIul to obtain and maintain a system oI
privilege.

1. Merriam-Webster definition of power: The ability or oIIicial capacity to exercise
control over others; a person, group, or nation having great inIluence or control over
others.

B. Types of Power

There are diIIerent attributes oI power:

a) Political power: This type oI power is held by a person or group in a society.
There are many ways to hold such power. OIIicially, political power is held by
the political leader oI a state, such as a president, prime minister, or monarch.
Political powers are not limited to heads oI states; however, the extent to which a
person or group holds such power is related to the amount oI societal inIluence
they can wield, Iormally or inIormally.

b) Physical power: The energy or motive Iorce by which a physical system or
machine is operated: turbines turned by steam power, a sailing ship driven by
wind power, the human body digesting Iood and water.

176
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

c) Social power: Sociologists usually deIine power as the ability to impose one`s will
on others, even iI those others resist in some way. Social power is the term used to
describe an individual`s personal ability to inIluence others.

Power: The ability to inIluence the behaviors oI others. However, it is important to
understand that there are many ways to think about power and how it is used. The
typical way to think oI power is in relation to an individuals ability to inIluence
others using strategies ranging Irom simply asking a Iavor to a threat oI physical
violence.

According to Parillo, power can be classiIied in two types:

1. Formal Power

Formal power is conIerred on a person; it is not necessarily earned. In other words,
Iormal power is a Iunction oI position, not necessarily ability.
a) A Iunction oI position, rank, or status.
b) Authority is given to a person that holds a certain position in the organization and is
supported by the organization.
c) May include the ability to reward and punish.

2. InIormal/Personal Power

Informal power comes Irom Iorms oI leverage; this type oI power must be earned and
maintained. Unlike Iormal power bases, they cannot be conIerred.

a) ChieIly a Iunction oI ability, personality, or association.
b) May be based on knowledge and skills.
c) Power based on expertise can only be exercised iI others recognize the ability and
have a use Ior it.
d) May be based on trust developed through Iriendship or personality characteristics.
e) Trust as a power base builds on common goals, Iosters good relationships, and can
overcome an authority relationship viewed as negative.
I) May be based on association with a group or another person perceived to have power.

BASES OF POWER

Three bases oI Iormal power:

a. Reward power Based on a leader`s ability to give recognition, promotions, money,
or goods.

b. Coercive power Based on a real or imagined Iorce. Fear oI being hurt physically,
poorly treated, or dismissed allows the wielders to rule over the IearIul.

c. Legitimate power Based on the oIIice or title oI the leader. Usually the higher the
status, the more compliance one is able to get in an organization and be assured that
177
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

his or her orders will be acted upon. A person`s ability to inIluence others by being
in a more powerIul position.

Three bases oI inIormal power

a. Expert power Based on the knowledge, talent, and skill oI a leader. This base must
be coupled with Iollowers` respect Ior that skill and the assumption that this expertise
is valuable to the Iollowers. Examples include college proIessors, staII specialists,
doctors, and lawyers.

b. Referent power Based on a leader`s personal traits (e.g., charm, charisma,
sensitivity, and creativity). This power is intangible but a very real characteristic oI
most leaders and commands: awe, respect, and locality (situation).

c. Information power Based on the ability oI the leader to get and give out
inIormation that is necessary to the successIul Iunctioning oI the organization or
individual Iollowers. Channeling and/or withholding inIormation is a very eIIective
way to control actions.

3. Power can also be thought oI at the institutional level. For example, the U.S. Federal
Government enacts laws that citizens must Iollow. Authority is an institution`s claim oI
the right to exercise power over individuals. This claim oI authority is usually associated
with reward power, which is the ability to reward individuals who obey, and coercive
power, which is the ability to punish individuals who do not obey.

C. The Positive and Negative Aspects of Power

1. The deIinitions oI social power, authority, reward power, and coercive power do not
address whether power is used in a positive or negative manner.

2. The positive aspects oI social power are based on such Iactors as mutual trust, mutual
respect, Iriendship, etc. The negative aspects oI social power are based on Iear,
deception, manipulation, bullying, etc.

3. The positive aspects oI authority, reward power, and coercive power are rooted in the
beneIits oI an ordered society. That is, the overall quality oI liIe in society improves
when people Iollow laws, rules, regulations, and social norms.

4. It is the negative aspects oI authority, reward power, and coercive power that result in
social privilege, where systematic advantages are created Ior empowered groups and
systematic disadvantages are created Ior marginalized groups.

178
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

Dr. Terrys Control Diamond

1. Used when examining any society, organization, or group.

2. Used to isolate and analyze Iour independent aspects.

Control base oI diamond organization



a. Power Who holds power? Who can marshal the resources to accomplish a goal?

b. Culture What are the dominant and persistent cultural values and assumptions oI
the club?

c. Institutions What are the institutionalized patterns and practices oI the club?

d. Resources Who has access to societal resources? Are the resources equitably
distributed?

Summary of Main Point: Power is the ability to inIluence the behaviors oI others,
but there are many diIIerent ways to understand power. Social power is an
individual`s personal ability to inIluence others. Authority is an individual`s use oI
institutional power to inIluence others based on reward power and coercive power. In
and oI itselI, power is not good or bad. However, all types oI power can be used in
positive ways and negative ways.

D. Definition of Privilege Authority

Privilege is an unearned advantage based on social group membership that
simultaneously disadvantages members outside that social group.
179
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

Furthermore, members oI advantaged social groups typically are unaware oI their social
privileges, whereas members oI disadvantaged social groups typically are sensitized to
the disadvantages oI social privilege.

Privilege can be earned or unearned.

Earned privilege is acquired as a result oI eIIort or action. Unearned privilege is not
gained through labor, service, or skill. Privilege and the perception oI privilege have
made it possible Ior the powerIul to obtain and maintain a system oI privilege. An
eIIective EOA understands the relationship between power and social privilege.

Privilege and Authority

1. Privilege is rooted in the history oI American institutions. Even with the banning oI
slavery in America, prior to 1900, virtually all institutions used their authority to ensure
power and economic resources were unequally distributed based on social group
membership. Even though many oI these abuses oI authority occurred long ago, the
consequences are still seen today in:

All levels oI government, including both elected oIIicials and political appointees.
All branches oI the military.
The justice system, including the police and the courts.
Financial institutions, including banks, investment Iirms, and real estate concerns.
Educational institutions, including public and private institutions at the elementary,
high school, and college levels.
Religious institutions.
Employers, both public and private.

2. For the past 100 years, the Iederal government has used both indirect strategies and direct
strategies to reduce social privilege.

3. The indirect strategy is based on laws that make discrimination against marginalized
groups illegal. The elimination oI discrimination removes disadvantages Ior
marginalized groups, which simultaneously removes advantages Irom empowered
groups. There are several Iederal laws prohibiting discrimination in the areas oI voting,
housing, employment, education, religious practices, physical access, etc.

4. The direct strategy used by the Iederal government is more controversial than the indirect
strategy. The direct strategy attempts to give marginalized groups access to the historical
advantages enjoyed by empowered groups. This strategy is oIten described as le veling
the playing Iield. This direct strategy gives advantages to marginalized groups, thereby
simultaneously removing advantages Irom empowered groups. Many members oI
empowered groups resent the use oI this direct strategy.

5. Many institutions have Iollowed the lead oI the Iederal government by implementing
their own Iorms oI indirect and direct strategies Ior addressing privilege. However, there
180
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

are still many situations in liIe where institutions can use their authority to create social
privilege in ways that are perIectly legal, and oIten widely accepted by society.

6. Although privilege is based on race and ethnicity is a hot-button issue, socioeconomic
privilege is the mechanism that ties together all the other aspects oI privilege. Status and
wealth are typically passed Irom generation to generation and represent classic examples
oI the unearned advantages oI social privilege. As such, the unIair economic advantages
and disadvantages created long ago by institutions Ior Whites, males, Christians, etc. still
aIIect socioeconomic privilege today. In America, it is true that a person born in poverty
can acquire status and wealth, and it is also true that a person born with status and wealth
can lose it all. That being said, it is Iar more likely that a person born into poverty will
die in poverty with little to pass on to the next generation.

7. It is critical to understand that attempting to isolate social privilege based on race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. is always an oversimpliIication because nearly
every Iacet oI social privilege is connected in some way to socioeconomic privilege.

Privilege and Social Identity

-Race/Ethnicity - Whites are the empowered group.

-Socio-Economic Status - Rich people are the empowered group.

-Gender - Men are the empowered group.

-Sexual Orientation - Heterosexuals are the empowered group.

-Religion - Judeo-Christians, or perhaps only Christians, are the empowered group.

-Health - Able-bodied people and those with good mental health are the empowered
group.

E. Consequences of Privilege

It is important to diIIerentiate the societal consequences oI privilege Irom the
individual consequences. Societal consequences are seen when comparing the
empowered group (Whites, males, etc.) to marginalized groups (persons oI color,
Iemales, etc.). The variables used in such comparisons typically reIlect both
economic issues and quality-oI-liIe issues. There are many examples oI the societal
consequences oI privilege. Some recent research Iindings oI privilege Iollow.

1. Socioeconomic and Race/Ethnicity

a. Poverty is strongly associated with violent crime. Further, race and poverty are so
strongly correlated that the relationship between race and violent crime cannot be
isolated.
181
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

b. Racial minority group members oI low socioeconomic status live in more integrated
neighborhoods than racial minority group members oI higher socioeconomic status.

c. American Indians and Alaska Natives are two times less likely than Whites to receive
prenatal care in the Iirst trimester oI pregnancy.

2. Race/Ethnicity

a. Controlling Ior income, the rate oI Ioreclosures within the Black and Hispanic
communities is nearly twice the rate oI Ioreclosures within the White community.

b. Controlling Ior race diIIerences in crime rates, persons oI AIrican and Hispanic
descent are stopped by police more Irequently than Whites.

c. Middle-class Blacks live in poorer neighborhoods than middle-class Whites.

d. Controlling Ior SES, young Black males exhibit Iar more behavioral problems than
young White males, but young Black males are Iar less likely to be diagnosed with
Attention DeIicit Hyperactivity Disorder than young White males.

e. There are Iar more White criminals than criminals Irom any other racial subgroup, yet
news coverage oI Black criminals is about equal to the news coverage oI White
criminals.

I. For news coverage oI positive stories, Whites are overrepresented and Blacks are
underrepresented.

3. Gender

a. The male-Iemale wage gap in an organization is smaller when there are high-level
Iemale executives.

4. Gender and Race

a. In the early stages oI lung cancer, rates oI surgery and survival are lower in Black
Iemales than White Iemales.

5. Sexual Orientation

a. Reported mental health problems have increased in the gay/lesbian/bisexual
community in those states that have passed laws banning same-sex marriage.

b. Understanding the individual consequences oI social privilege is more complex. The
societal consequences oI social privilege obviously reIlect what is happening to
individuals. However, not all members oI an empowered group are equally
advantaged, and not all members oI a marginalized group are equally disadvantaged.
182
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

The recent research on race and Ioreclosure rates is a great example oI the
complexities oI experiencing social privilege as an individual.

c. In terms oI individual consequences oI social privilege, Iirst and Ioremost, individuals
oI higher socioeconomic status receive more advantages, and individuals oI lower
socioeconomic status receive more disadvantages. Second, an individual with
membership to multiple empowered groups receives more advantages, and
individuals with membership to multiple marginalized groups receive more
disadvantages. Simply put, a healthy, White, heterosexual, Christian male receives
many unearned advantages oI social privilege, whereas a Black, homosexual, atheist
Iemale in poor health receives many unearned disadvantages oI social privilege.

d. Individual consequences oI social privilege also must be discussed in relation to selI-
esteem. It is important to understand that the historical creation oI social privilege
also established norms Ior society.

6. Norms

a. Norms are Iormal and inIormal rules that guide individual behavior. As such, the
norms oI economically successIul, White, Christian, heterosexual males became the
norms to which all members oI society were expected to comply. Equally important
is over time these norms oI empowered groups became equivalent to being normal.
These ideas oI what is normal and different than normal became ingrained in society.
The use oI the phrase diIIerent than normal does not imply the presence oI mental
illness; it simply means that an individual is diIIerent Irom what is perceived by
society to be normal. This is why individuals with memberships to multiple
empowered groups typically are unaware oI the advantages oI social privilege.

b. For a member oI an empowered social group, the advantages oI social privilege are
basic, normal expectations oI how liIe should be, and to question the appropriateness
oI social privilege is to question the very Ioundation oI what is normal, which
threatens one`s selI-esteem.

c. For members oI marginalized groups, the experiences oI social privilege are
completely diIIerent Irom the experiences oI empowered group members. Being
diIIerent than normal requires that a member oI a marginalized group continually
work at maintaining a positive selI-image. The more social identities associated with
marginalized groups, the greater the struggle to create and maintain high selI-esteem.

d. For a member oI a marginalized social group, the disadvantages oI privilege
Irequently threaten selI-esteem. Coping strategies become so ingrained that members
oI marginalized groups are oIten unaware that they are dealing with threats to selI-
esteem. Although the coping process may occur outside oI conscious awareness, the
negative psychological tension due to coping with threats to selI-esteem remains.

183
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

e. It is this Iundamental diIIerence in how social privilege threatens selI-esteem that
makes it diIIicult Ior members oI empowered groups to admit to the existence oI
social privilege and to understand the reactions oI marginalized group members.

F. Introducing White Privilege

Introduction

II one group is privileged over others on the basis oI something like race or religion,
this institutionalizes discrimination and bigotry.

White privilege is a phenomenon that puts Whites at an advantage, an advantage
which most Whites are not consciously aware oI. Let`s look at White privilege a little
closer.

1. DeIinition

a. White privilege is deIined as the package oI unearned advantages granted to those
members oI a diverse society with white skin. Moreover, it`s an expression oI
institutional racism that is largely unacknowledged by White individuals.

b. However, it is important to remember that attributing privilege only to the color oI a
person`s skin is an oversimpliIication. The concept oI White privilege has little
meaning iI disconnected Irom socioeconomic status privilege. The primary purpose
oI historical institutional racism was to ensure that power and economic resources
were distributed more to Whites than to people oI color.

2. White Male Club (Terry, 1976)

Concepts oI the White male club:

a. An organization that arbitrarily selects members and bestows appropriate and
psychological beneIits upon them.

b. Distributes inIluence and power among its members and uses power to dominate
groups like selI (consciously or unconsciously).

c. Anyone considered White and not a member oI another group is included.

d. A right, advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by White persons (males)
beyond the common advantage oI all others; an exemption in many particular cases
Irom certain burdens and liabilities that persons oI another group may Iace because oI
the White male club.

e. Members police each other White/White, male/male, which allows that group to
keeps its power.
184
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

Membership: The challenge to the club has long revolved around the issue oI member
ship. Under what terms and conditions would membership be oIIered to and/or
demanded by minority people and White women?

a. Membership has been presupposed Ior White males. Not all White males have
participated in the same way. But individual hard work, initiative, and struggle could
pay oII.

b. Although White males are not assured oI success in the club, they are not penalized
Ior their race. Membership is their birthright.

c. Native Americans bore and continue to bear the brunt oI club supremacy. Genocide,
broken treaties, club-controlled reservations, and Ialse promises oI urban resources
marked the club`s relationship with the tribes.

d. Blacks got membership doled out to them in two ways. In the South, Blacks were
permitted great social intimacy with Whitescaring Ior white children, cooking, and
housekeepingas long as they were under club control. At no point could any kind
oI equality be tolerated. In the North, the club preserved social distancelocking
Blacks into ghettos while perpetuating the myth oI limited control. Blacks could do
as they pleased, just as long as they kept their distance. In both cases, the club set the
rules Ior membership and reigned supreme.

e. White women have long struggled Ior new terms oI membership as well. However,
their peculiar club positionbeing both White and womencreated conIusion in
many women as well as opportunities Ior White male manipulation.

Because many White women accepted and relished White male protection oI their
womanhood Irom supposed Black assault, they reIused to look at their own
suppressed condition. They were being exploited while being protected. In spite oI
slave insurrections, civil war, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, the women`s
suIIrage movement leading to the 19th amendment, the civil rights movement, urban
rebellions, and the contemporary Ieminist movement, the club persists. Racism and
sexism thrive. Full access to the resources oI the club still escape the vision oI
equitable distribution.

Who BeneIits

a. In America, the application oI this concept oI club results in the conclusion that our
country is largely a White male operation.

b. Although relatively Iew White males run the club, all are oIIered beneIitseven iI
they are only psychological.

c. Minorities and White women are relegated to a secondary status and are exploited Ior
club purposes when deemed necessary and useIul to the club members.
185
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

d. Many believe the club is opening its doors to new members. A variety oI statistics
are marshaled to argue the case that there has been, in Iact, a dramatic redistribution
oI resources within the club.

e. Many social activists and social scientists assert that access to and distribution oI
resources are the essential criteria to measure social progress in America. Behind this
position is an assumption: assimilation is the solution to racial and sexual
discrimination. Race and sex should predict nothing oI signiIicance. The club is
basically healthy; it only needs to eliminate exclusionary practices to make it Iair.

I. Although many people are questioning the idea oI the club itselI, most minority
people and White women agree that some Iorm oI inclusion in the club is absolutely
essential.

Indirect Impact

a. First, not all powerIul White males in the club agree on everything. The Vietnam
War is a vivid example.

b. Secondly, not all White males have equal power. Even though White males as a
group have a disproportionate share oI club resources, the decision makers are
relatively Iew. The club obviously has leaders and Iollowers. The club must
convince lower-level males that they receive suIIicient beneIits Irom the club not to
worry about gross power disparities. It may be income, a rewarding job, or leisure
time. It may be just a psychological beneIitat least I`m not a minority. However,
there are an increasing number oI White males that are catching on to the club trick
convincing someone that nothing is something. The club, they are beginning to see
not minorities and White womenis the cause oI injustice in society.

c. This is also a very conIusing time Ior White women, as they receive some beneIits,
but have no access to resources oI power.

d. Many White women realize their awkward statussupposed privilege, based on
race, without real access to resources and power, based on gender. This plays out as
gender discrimination, despite their race.

3. Elements oI the White male club

There are Iour main elements oI the White male club:

Power Element
Culture Element
Institution Element
Resource Element

186
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

a. Power Element: Having access to resources is necessary but not suIIicient to possess
power. One has power when one can mobilize resources to accomplish one`s goals.
The key to power is the eIIective conversion ratio oI assets into concentrated and
concerted action.

b. Culture Element: Appealing to common deIinitions and values that are supposedly
shared by a society legitimizes the White male club`s cultural standards. These
assumptions are usually taken Ior granted and operate at a subconscious level.

In the context oI the club liIe, cultural standards mean three things:

Ethnocentric Standards: Used to measure acceptability into the club.
UnIamiliar behavior is usually interpreted negatively. Gross denial and
ridicule are two oI the many ways the club has to side step or deprecate
authentic anti-racist or anti-sexist activities.
Value Orientation: Not all White males accept them. Nor do all White
women and minority people deny them. The White male, Western, highly
technological society rewards individual initiative; encourages competition;
supports dispassionate, objective, and analytic thinking; and provides Ior
creativity and personal advancement within the system.
Misplacing the Problem: To examine racism and sexism, one must look
beyond Iacts and statistics and look at the character oI the club itselI. In order
to resist such scrutiny and aIIect change, the club blames the victims Ior their
problems. This, in turn, removes the Iocus Irom the club and places it on
minorities or women as the issue.

c. Institution Element: Promoting minorities and White women to positions oI
increased responsibility changes the color and sex composition oI power, but it does
not necessarily change its oppressive use. Institutional practices and policies set
structure, deIine roles, and allocate rewards and punishment. They are the backbone
oI the club, its constitution. To Iit into one oI the roles is to take on the task oI club
maintenance. The pressures to conIorm to typical role expectations are great,
especially as one moves up the institutional ladder. Not all practices and policies
need changing. The concern here is that such practices and policies be Ilexible and
responsive to the members oI the organization.

d. Resources Element: Most White males are viewed as a constant by many minorities
and women. White males represent the haves as compared to the have-nots. While
women minority incomes may increase as measured against White male incomes, the
poor usually pay more Ior equivalent services. The patterns oI economic disparity
continue to hold even when education levels are kept constant. Housing and health
care show similar patterns. Social activists and social scientists assert that equal
access to resources is the essential criterion to measure social progress in America.
This position assumes that assimilation is the social solution to racial and sexual
discrimination.

187
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

G. Rationalizations for Retaining Privilege and Avoiding Responsibilities

1. Denial: A reIusal to acknowledge the truth oI a statement or allegation. Today some
White people may use the tactic oI denial when they say, It`s a level playing Iield; this is
a land oI equal opportunity.

2. Minimization: To represent as having the least degree oI importance or value. Today,
some White people may, when talking about race and gender issues, minimize racism and
sexism by saying, Personal achievement mostly depends on personal ability. Racism or
sexism isn`t prevalent anymore.

3. Blame: To place responsibility (Ior something) on a person or a group. Today, some
White people may blame people oI color Ior racism saying, II they were not so
angry.look at the way they act.

4. Redefinition: Today, some White people may redeIine racism and sexism as a mutual
problem saying, This country is just a big melting pot. People oI color and women
attack White men too. Is this reverse discrimination or is it just plain discrimination?

5. It was unintentional: The group or individual with more power, who has clearly done
something that resulted in some kind oI devastation, might claim that the damage was
unintentional, thereIore, their responsibility was minimal. Today, some White people
may continue to claim that racism and sexism is unintentional by saying, Discrimination
and sexism happen, but most people are well intentioned. He or she probably didn`t
mean it like that.

6. Its all over now: Another way to deIuse responsibility is by claiming that all the
devastation occurring to minorities and Iemales happened in the past. Some White
people may oIten be oblivious to the Iact that many oI the same discriminatory policies oI
a hundred years ago are still in eIIect today. Today some White people may claim racism
and sexism are all over by saying, The days oI land grabbing are long gone. That was
beIore the Civil Rights Era, beIore women`s equality.

7. Its only a few people: II White people are unable to maintain that the atrocities are all in
the past, they may switch to tactics to make a current situation seem isolated. Some
White people might say that it`s really only a Iew people who are like that; it is not
systemic or institutionalized. Today, some White people may continue to use this tactic
when they say, Housing and job discrimination are the result oI a Iew bigoted people.
It`s only neo-Nazis and Skinheads who do that sort oI thing.

8. Counterattack: Some White people may be counterattacking today by saying. Political
correctness rules the universities, or They want special status.

9. Competing victimization: Some oI the ways White people may claim to be victims
include saying, I have it just as bad as anybody else. They are taking away our jobs.
White people are under attack.
188
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

Strong White Ally

1. With privilege comes responsibility. So, in order to reduce and eliminate discrimination
and institutionalized racism, social, political, and economic power must be gained by
racial minorities. Many representatives oI racial minorities are consistent in describing
the kinds oI support they need Irom White allies iI they are to increase their social,
political, and economic power and overcome the eIIects oI racism and discrimination.

The Iollowing are some strategies on how to acknowledge that responsibility and become
a strong White ally.

a. Assume racism is everywhere, everyday.
One oI the privileges oI being White is not having to see or deal with racism all the
time. We have to learn to see the eIIect that racism has.

Notice who speaks, what is said, and how things are done and described.
Notice who isn`t present.
Notice code words Ior race, and the implications oI the policies, patterns, and
comments that are being expressed.

b. Notice who is the center of attention and who is the center of power.
Racism works by directing violence and blame toward people oI color and
consolidating power and privilege Ior White people.

c. Notice how racism is denied, minimized, and justified.

d. Understand and learn from the history of Whiteness and racism.
Notice how racism has changed over time and how it has subverted or resisted
challenges. Study the tactics that have worked eIIectively against it.

e. Understand the connections between racism, economic issues, sexism, and other
forms of injustice.

f. Take a stand against injustice.
Take risks. It is scary, diIIicult, and may bring up many Ieelings, but ultimately it is
the only healthy and humane thing to do. Intervene in situations where racism is
being passed on.

g. Be strategic.
Decide what is important to challenge and what`s not. Attack the source oI power.

h. Dont confuse a battle with the war.
Behind particular incidents and interactions are larger patterns. Racism is Ilexible and
adaptable. There will be gains and losses in the struggle Ior justice and equality.

189
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

i. Dont call names or be personally abusive.
Since power is oIten deIined as power over othersthe ability to abuse or control
peopleit is easy to become abusive ourselves. However, we usually end up abusing
people who have less power than we do. Attacking people doesn`t address the
systemic nature oI racism and inequality.

j. Support the leadership of people of color.
Do this consistently, but not uncritically.

k. Learn something about the history of White people who have worked for racial
justice.
We have a long history oI White people who have Iought Ior racial justice. Their
stories can inspire and sustain you.

l. Dont do it alone.
You will not end racism by yourselI. We can do it iI we work together. Build
support, and establish networks, and work with already established groups.

m. Talk with your children and other young people about racism.

H. Social Privilege and Being an Effective EOA

1. To be an eIIective EOA, you must Iirst decode your own social identity in relation to
social privilege.

2. To decode your social identity:

a. Examine your memberships in empowered groups

Consider the associated social privileges.
Think about how you deIine what is normal.
Realize that accepting your social privileges will make you uncomIortable.
Recognize the rationalizations that you use to justiIy social privilege, and identiIy
the logical Ilaws or personal dissonance in ourselves.

b. Examine your memberships in marginalized groups

Consider the associated disadvantages oI group membership.
Think about the aspects oI your social identity that make you diIIerent than
normal.
Become aware oI and understand the coping strategies you use to maintain selI-
esteem in relation to your membership.
Recognize the rationalizations that others use to justiIy your disadvantages, and
identiIy the logical Ilaws.

190
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

3. An eIIective EOA guards against reacting to social privilege with ambivalence and
Ialling into the trap oI maintaining the status quo. Furthermore, an eIIective EOA helps
others understand the consequences oI and the role oI authority in social privilege.

I. Strategies an EOA Can Use to Heighten Awareness in the Military

1. Awareness

a. Keep your commander aware oI the unit`s climate. II you notice abuses oI authority
and the negative aspects oI social power, you should brieI your commander on the
potential negative outcome to the unit`s mission and cohesiveness.
b. Question your own Ieelings and attitudes.
c. Recognize and understand how the misuse oI authority and social power can impact
the unit`s morale, readiness, and cohesion.

2. Education and Training

a. Educate others on authority and social power.
b. Increase the awareness oI empowered groups about their societal advantages and how
these advantages simultaneously disadvantage members oI marginalized groups.
c. Establish annual training programs Ior supervisors and managers Iocusing on the
impact oI power and privilege.


191
EOAC Student Guide Power and Privilege
Date: April 2012

SUMMARY

This lesson demonstrated that social privileges generated through abuse oI power sometimes
create work environments that exclude marginalized group members. Abuse oI power makes it
possible Ior empowered groups to obtain and maintain control over resources. As an EO
proIessional, you must understand that power and social privilege are human relations issues that
aIIect unit cohesion and mission accomplishment.

The Iollowing topics were covered in this lesson:

DeIinition oI power.
Types oI power.
Positive and negative aspects oI power.
DeIinition oI privilege, identity, authority, and social identity.
Consequences oI social privilege.
White privilege.
Rationalizations Ior retaining privilege and avoiding responsibilities.
Strategies to heighten awareness oI power and privilege Ior EOAs.



END OF LESSON














192