Ishmail R.

Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

McIntosh Pieces

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Peggy McIntosh

1. “Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon, I realized

that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there are most likely a
phenomenon, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there
was most likely a phenomenon of white privilege that was similarly denied and
protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as
something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of
its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage” (page 189,
McIntosh Paper, Page 1 pdf file).

This passage infers that along with unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon, there is
also many instances in society in which there are also unacknowledged phenomenons such as
white privilege. She touches briefly on how white privilege comes into play in the form of
racism, in which she states that because of white privilege, she doesn’t see the other side of
racism which puts others at a disadvantage and her at an advantage which is what white privilege
is. This passage is interesting because it showcases the many factors that you must take into
consideration when analyzing a topic, because phenomenon such as white privilege may go
overlooked, and it is an important factor in social relations.

Questions

What does this passage make you think about?

Why is this passage important to you?

Can you see how white privilege can affect social relations?

2. “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are
taught not to recognize male privilege.” (page 189, McIntosh Paper, Page 1 pdf file).

I think that this passage is making a comparison between the phenomenon of male privilege and
white privilege. The author is also making the argument that white privilege is overlooked by
whites, and is somewhat deeply rooted in society. By saying that whites are carefully taught
implies that the idea of white privilege is somewhat rooted in their culture because culture is
learned.

Questions

What does this passage mean to you?

Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

Do you agree that whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege?

How does white privilege compare with male privilege?

3. “In proportion as my racial group was being made confident, comfortable, and
oblivious, other groups were likely being made unconfident, uncomfortable, and
alienated. Whiteness protected me from many kinds of hostility, distress, and
violence, which I was being subtly trained to visit, in turn, upon people of color”
(page 189, McIntosh Paper, Page 5 pdf file).

In this passage, the author elaborates on white privilege omits him from many situations of
distress that a person of color are prone to. In this passage the author recognizes the differences
in skin color and how this is played out throughout society. When looking at gender roles, race
must be taken into consideration because of these underlying factors.

Questions

What is your initial response to this statement?

How can this statement be compared to gender inequality between male and female?

Do you agree with the authors statements?

McIntosh Feeling Like a Fraud

1. “The more hierarchal the activity or institution, and the higher up we go in it, the
greater our feelings of fraudulence are likely to be. People feel fraudulent especially
when ascending in hierarchies in which by societal definition they do not belong to
the top of the pyramid” (page 3).

I think that this statement is quite accurate. I believe the author is trying to state that as we
progress throughout the ranks of society, we have to add these layers of fraudulency in order to
conceal our identity or true nature. But also in a sense, I feel that this statement also means that
as we reach a certain point of success, we begin to feel like we a not fully responsible for our
actions or rewards. As we progress to a point where we get praise or success, we begin to feel as
if we didn’t earn the benefits or the praise, and that it is attributed to something else, or an
imposter of some sort.

Questions

What is your initial response to this passage?

What is your thought on the idea of fraudulence?

Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

2. “The higher we go in those hierarchal structures, the more likely we are to feel
hollowly and in our inner selves that we do not belong and the more likely we are to
ask “What am I doing here”” (page 4).

This passage touches on the idea of confidence in a sense, in which it seems that the author is
arguing that the higher we go into ranking structures, our confidence within ourselves decreases.
I think that this statement overall sums up the idea of what it means to feel like a fraud.

Questions

What is your initial reaction to this passage?

Do you sometimes feel like a fraud, and in some instances you can identify with this statement?

Anzaldua Pieces

Making Face, Making Soul

1. “Face is the surface of body that is the most noticeably inscribed by social
structures, marked with instructions on how to be mujer, macho, working
class…….The world knows us by our faces, the most naked, most vulnerable,
exposed, and significant topography of the body”(Introduction page 1).

I think this passage puts in perspective the idea of why the face and facial expressions are
important to people. Based on what is stated here, I feel that the author is trying to convey the
idea that your face is considered an essential tool in society, and is the basis of how people
identify you and communicate with you. I think that this statement also infers that since the face
is exposed to the world, you would have to wear multiple layers in order to protect your actual
personhood, and what you want the world to see.

Questions

What is your initial response to this article?

Do you feel that your face and facial expressions are important in how people view, and judge
you?

Do you think facial expressions differ amongst gender?

2. “A woman of color who writes poetry or paints or dances or makes movies knows
there is no escape from race or gender when she is writing or painting. She can’t
take off her color and sex and leave them at the door of her study or studio. Nor can
she leave behind her history. Art is about identity among other things and her
creativity is political”. (Introduction page 14).
Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

I think that this passage identifies the idea that your phenotype is you reality and your identity,
which cannot be escaped. I think that this statement does not necessarily have to be applied to
women of color; I feel that women of all races possibly feels this way to an extent. However, I
don’t see the author’s position or idea of creativity being political.

Questions

Do you feel that this statement only pertains to women of color?

What is your initial reaction to this statement, and do you agree?

Would you view creativity as being political?

This Bridge We Call Home

1. “For positive social change to occur, we must imagine a reality that differs from
what already exists…….To treat the wounds and mend the rifts, we must
sometimes reject the injunctions of a culture, group, family, and ego” (preface
page 5).

The author here in this statement recognizes that in order to changes to occur within
society, the society cannot be in the same manner that the problem currently persist in, it
has to change in order for new positive changes to occur. The author also makes a point
to state that if changes are to occur, you might have to possibly have to step on toes, such
as reject notions or ideologies of a culture, group, or family. If you think back to major
conflicts in history, they all involve the rejection of the law of a culture, group or family.

Questions

What is your initial reaction to this passage?

Do you feel that in order to deal with challenges and mend rifts, we must reject the
injunctions of a culture, group, family and ego?

Does positive social change necessarily have to differ from what already exist?

2. “Conflict, with its fiery nature, can trigger transformation depending on how we
respond to it. Often, delving deeply into conflict instead of fleeing from it can
bring an understanding that will turn things around” (preface page 4).

The author here makes a proposal that conflict can promote transformation depending on
the respond to it. This can be true, especially when analyzing a society that has had
attacks on its country, you can see that after the attacks, different rules or protocol
emerge from those attacks, which can be seen as a transformation. The author also
Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

proposes an idea that dealing with conflict head on can bring forth greater understanding
which can bring change.

Questions

Do you feel that dealing with conflict head on can cause better changes as oppose to
letting it dwindle?

What is your initial reaction to this passage?

Do you think conflict can be used in a positive light or bring forth changes within
society?

Barbara Smith Readings

1. “Black women are often portrayed as being virtually exempt from oppression,
and much better off than their male counterparts. It is mistaken to view Black
feminism as Black male bashing or battle between Black women and men for
victim status, but as Nelson points out it has been extremely difficult to convince
most in the black community to take Black women’s oppression seriously”
(preface, page 3, pdf page 3).

I think this statement is true to a degree, but I don’t feel that black women are somewhat
much better off than their male counterparts. I feel that black women oppression just
isn’t put out there in the media as much as Black males, but it doesn’t mean that they
don’t face similar hardships, especially in the workforce, and education system. I do
agree on the statement that black feminism is often looked as black male bashing;
therefore no one real pays attention to black women oppression. I think black women
oppression is more of a systematic approach to racism, and gender bias rather than only
attributed to black men.

Questions

What is your initial reaction to this passage?

Do you feel that Black feminism is overlooked because of differences in “social status” between
white women and black women?

Can Black feminism be compared to White feminism, or do they face different problems in
different social realms?

2. “To this day, most black women are unwilling to jeopardize their racial
creditability (as defined by black men) to address the reality of sexism” (pdf
page 3).
Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

In this statement, the author makes the point that black women don’t want to jeopardize their
“black privilege” in order to address the reality of sexism, in which in many cases black people
view this as a “white problem”. I think that the ideologies of racisms is a factor here because of
the this racial divide amongst white and black, most people only recognize certain problems as
belonging to a certain race and not a universal whole.

Questions

What is your initial response to this passage?

Do feel that this statement is accurate? Do you feel that black women don’t address problems of
sexism because of their race?

Lorde Piece

Sister Outsider

1. “As women, we have been taught to either ignore our differences, or view them as
causes for our separation and suspicion rather than as forces for change” (page 112,
pdf page 3).

I think that this statement means that women are taught to be more passive and submissive,
or just view differences for what they are instead of trying to change them. I believe that the
author is trying to infer that differences are used to separate, instead of being used to make
changes.

Questions

Do you feel that women are taught to ignore differences?

How does this statement relate to biological ideas of gender roles?

What is your initial reaction to this passage?

2. “Institutionalized rejection of difference is an absolute necessity in a profit economy

which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy, we have
all been programmed to respond to differences between us with fear and loathing,
and to handle that difference in one of three ways: ignore it, and if that is not
possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinate”
(page 115, pdf page 4).

I think that this passage is inferring that differences are needed om a profit economy type of
society or else it would crumble. I think that the author is making the inference that
difference is needed in order for certain societies to thrive and make somewhat of a profit.
Also, the response to differences is similar to how most societies, especially western
Ishmail R. Coleman 3/3/14 Anth of Gender Literature Circle wk 9

societies, deal with differences, for example, the European response to Native American
cultures, which was destroyed systematically because the Europeans thought that it was
subordinate or inferior.

Questions

What was your initial response to this article?

Do you feel like differences are needed in order for society to thrive?

How do you see this concept applied in the world?