Privilege and It`s Function in Society

Privilege would not be capable of maintaining its position in society if it were not heavily regulated and normalized by those who benefit from it. Privilege can be normalized by the dominant group in a variety of ways, whether it is through personally justifying the concept, or ignoring its existence. Often, individuals who are privileged argue that there has to be people on the top and on the bottom, and that it is simply human nature. Others in denial of their advantages claim that they are deserving of them. This coincides with more of an idea that privilege can be achieved by working for it. This justification is inaccurate due to the fact that individuals are born with different opportunities, and do not all begin on level playing fields. Privilege can also become normalized in the way that those who possess it typically do not realize or acknowledge its existence, and are unaware of the impact associated with it. It is also important to consider the reasons why privilege is so easy for people to dismiss, because they directly relate to the reasons why oppression and privilege are present in society.

Variables such as where an individual lives, goes to school, works, and travels can influence their understanding of privilege. This is because of the pervasive nature of oppression and inequality, that without realization can alter every aspect of our lives. To give an example, most people reside in neighborhoods where the people around them are essentially members of their same race, class, religion, or status. That same individual will go to school with kids who live in the same types of houses as them, and then college with students who can afford the same education they can, and later work alongside people who are similar to themself. The isolation to one style of living that is established at a young age can weaken the capability of accepting the concepts of privilege and oppression. An additional way that privilege is standardized widespread in society is through the media. The media’s tendency to represent different groups in contrasting manners reflects on society, and the way that people view those groups in comparison to their own. This can occur without the individual even being aware, as the roles the media assigns to specific groups become so normalized that it seems like the truth.

For instance, those who are considered privileged are often portrayed as so, even if the circumstances are negative. Minorities would face a different representation in this position, as the stereotypes encompassing them allow for them to be publicly shamed and judged. A specific demonstration of this has been proven in recent tragedies across America involving school shootings. The shooter is statistically almost always white, middle to upper class, and someone considered in society to have privilege. Even after being guilty of such a horrific crime, they are too often portrayed by the media as the victim in certain cases. Now instead imagine the media’s response if the shooter was a minority, specifically an african american. He would almost certainly be labeled as dangerous, violent, destructive, and shameful, and the reason for why he did what he did would probably not be made public. Another concept twisted by the media is the negative representation of black fathers. They are often depicted by the media as unreliable and dysfunctional, and the root of their children’s problems later in life. The media targets black father’s issues over the issues of white fathers, which are just as often occurring, but are never turned into a stereotype. The media is capable of constructing new divides, and strengthening existing ones, while allowing privilege and racial inequality to be normalized as a result from their representations.