Invisible Privilege

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I see privilege as being invisible because the more possessions people have in their life allows them to become more comfortable with their surroundings, this makes it harder for these people to realize what opportunities are available to them. Andrea in this case has always grown up in this Montclair House with extra amenities throughout that house that people could only wish to have, and the accessibility to sought after schools. Just like Andrea, people who are raised in means that they can not see privilege. Categories that are more likely aware of privilege I believe are those in the lower class brackets than that of those in the higher classes of living.
Andrea was so uncomfortable in Jewel’s Newark House because of how the other kids spoke to each other, which she was not used to, the lack of lighting the house, the second bathroom in the basement having inadequate to no lighting really frightened her when she need to use it. And lastly because she and her Mother were the only two white people there. I do believe that some people can overcome the social differences that are described with these two families. Many people will stick to their old ways of thinking and not change from these ideas. For example middle aged white businessmen with a fixed ideology of how it’s socially acceptable means of living be able to casually co-habitate with men and women of less means.
Some of the elements of privilege that I can identify personally is the ability to be living away from my family, being a full time student, working so few hours at a job and some of the high cost cycling bikes I own.  I feel that these privileges do not affect my relationships with others because the town community I live in is known to be Middle -upper class living and many of the items I own are just an entry point to others, and everyone likes to be apart of one another’s lives.

Invisible Privilege

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Privilege is very often invisible because many people make a conscious effort to fit into their social surroundings with behavior, fashion and activities. It may take a particular situation for a person to notice a major difference. For example, you may work with someone that seems to live a much more extravagant lifestyle and you could have a hard time trying to understand why you cannot live the same way. Learning more about the person may expose that they are from a wealthy family, or have a spouse that makes a significant salary.  This can be troublesome because you see that they have an advantage that you do not.

I believe that in the situation of Andrea and Jewel the knowledge of privilege was not as apparent because of the girls ages, and the fact that the parents of the girls did not point it out. Jewel was amazed and appreciative of all that Andrea and her family had. It did not seem to create a problem. Maybe there was a bit of envy, but it was not expressed.  Andrea became uncomfortable at Jewel’s home for a number of reasons. She was in an unfamiliar situation. She was observing behavior among a family and culture she did not know. Although she was comfortable with her friend for a significant time, this was the part of her life she had not experienced. The unfamiliar setting and the realization that Jewel had much less advantage than Andrea was just too much for her to process. I can’t help but wonder if there was an element of embarrassment. Andrea’s mom had welcomed Jewel into their home and did not show any type of superiority. Jewel’s mom worked very hard to try and give her the same opportunities that Andrea would have. Unfortunately it was not enough to keep Jewel in the school that would have given her a better opportunity. The fact that the family needed to live in the school district which was beyond their financial means is a reminder that the wealthier communities do offer better services because there are more tax dollars to support them. An example of “Invisible Privilege”. As reality set in overcoming social differences was not a probability for the two girls. As much as an individual may want to have a relationship a definite disconnect among social statuses seems to persist.

“Prostitution: A Worldwide Business of Sexual Exploitation”

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Melissa Farley argues that prostitution is not a free choice and that women are sex slaves. It is known that women from poor countries are more often involved in prostitution. Young children, both boys and girls, are introduced into this sex trade. They can start as young as 12. Many women of color are targeted by pimps because they come from lower income neighborhoods. If you compare the numbers in the US, they are overrepresented in prostitution. There are not as many male prostitutes as women but it is still a problem. She believes that many of these women and men are runaways or homeless kids. Women who have been sexually abused as a child or grown up with a bad upbringing are more likely to stray to prostitution. Women are suffering from Post traumatic Stress Disorder and are contracting and spreading Sexually Transmitted Diseases. They are being raped and beaten and becoming emotionally scarred from being in this business. 70% of women she interviewed, are raped. These statistics are disturbing and scary.
From living in different countries were prostitution is legal, I probably have a different opinion than most about it. The women who I have met, worked with, and even became my friends will say, “that this is the profession they have chosen all on their own and that they never feel scared or have been harmed by any man.” Some of these girls own businesses back home like real estate companies, accounting firms, spas and restaurants. They were there to make extra money and bring it home to their families. They were not forced to do anything they did not want do. In St. Maarten, the sex crime rates are almost non existent. You don’t hear of young children or women being raped like you do hear in the US. I know it’s uncomfortable in our culture to think about women getting paid for sex but if they want to do this than it’s their business. If it was highly regulated and watched by the government than I don’t see a problem with it. It could help to lower the black market numbers. Many girls I went to school with stripped as a way to pay for college. Some had sex with men for money and others did not. They were never peer pressured into doing what they did, it was their choice. I don’t believe it’s right for the women who have no choice. The child aspect of it is disgusting and anyone involved in this type of situation should be put in jail for life. I don’t think it should be decriminalized it should be either legal or illegal. There should be no gray area here because that’s where the abuse and the mistreatment of these women come into play. Hopefully something is done soon to help the women who have no voice when it comes to this matter.

Invisible Privilege

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When people refer to the invisible privilege, I consider it to be in reference to social class. The determining factor is usually dependent on the family’s income. The first day of class, during a conversation about feminism, someone behind me said, “I know the world is male dominated and complaining about it won’t help. To achieve equality women have to overcome their differences with men, not complain about them.” While the article doesn’t complain about sexism, it says the social class is race dependant, and the saying applies to racial differences as well. People who have been victims of racial class separation and inequality need to stop complaining about being treated differently and need to rise up and demand the equality. If someone wants the “prestige” and complains that it is because of the hand they were dealt or the race they were born with that prevents them from achieving professional or social goals need only look into the mirror for who to blame. History is filled with people who overcame their lack of privilege and gained it for themselves and their people. The fact of it is simple in order to change something you have to fight (not necessarily violently) for it. Given equality does not have the same value as equality (freedom, prestige, money, etc.) that is earned through struggle.
Privilege is usually only known to people who have earned it. Reason being is that they have been without privilege so they know the difference. People who are born with “the invisible privilege” often don’t recognize that they have it because people seem to think of everything as self accomplished and rarely acknowledge he or she received help or had an advantage. When Andrea entered Jewel’s Newark home she was uncomfortable because she was experiencing culture shock. She was being made aware of their social differences and forced to a level she has never known before. This shock can easily be overcome with practice. If Andrea’s mother exposed her to more uncomfortable situations she would develop and tolerance to her surroundings forcing them to become more familiar and less taboo. School funding is not a form of invisible privilege as far as public schools are concerned. I for one went to an out of district school but had to make up the difference in transportation costs. College is where the invisible privilege is most prevalent, with expensive ivy leagues and state universities upper middle and upper class children are usually the only ones who can afford them. I think the invisible privilege is less with race and more with income.
By Nick

Invisible Privilege

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Privilege is often invisible to many people. People are born into this world with what their parents could provide to them. Some people can be more privileged than others due to being in a certain class, race, or gender. Some people need to work harder than others to provide their family a comfortable life. Others don’t need to do much because they are already privileged with a more than comfortable life. It almost isn’t fair because not all people can work up to get to what they want. It’s nice to see people work from the bottom up knowing they deserve everything in their lives including living in a nice home in a beautiful neighborhood with great job. People who work hard to get to where they want to be are more aware of privilege. They set themselves expectations to conquer and are rewarded with privilege. As others don’t see what privilege is because they were born into it and seeing nothing less than what they have.

Andrea was uncomfortable in Jewels Newark home because it was a totally different environment that she was used to. Jewels home was different than Andreas. It was dark, lifeless, and small. It wasn’t homey and comfortable as Andrea had expected. Andrea’s home was big, beautiful and roomy.  It almost scared Andrea because she wasn’t used to these conditions, which made them lose their friendship between one another.

I feel that people can overcome the social differences just like the one explained in this story. I feel that one needs to learn how others live before judging and coming to conclusion. It seems like it was a hard transition for Andrea to see her friend’s home because it was so different. She was too young to understand that her friend’s family is going through a hard time and struggles to keep up with everyday life including making money, powering their house with electricity and feeding themselves. It was two totally different environments they live in, and a person can only understand what they are going through unless they have been through it themselves. I believe people can overcome this as long as one can understand another in order to accept their social differences.

Schools that are better funded have better education to provide for the public. When schools aren’t funded they aren’t able to provide the same quality of education. Things like teachers and learning materials may be worse in the less privileged schools. This can lead to problems because families want their children to go to a school that can provide their needs for a better education. Children don’t see that they are attending a nice school until the go to the less privileged school and see the differences. When people of a lower class can’t afford their children attending these more privileged schools, they also don’t understand the difference between what they have and don’t have until its right in front of their face.

BY ALCIA

Women and the birth of Sociology

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To say that women have been “written out” of sociology’s history means that women were unrecognized throughout sociological history. Women at the time of their findings were taken seriously and the majority of them were seen as public figures. They were once seen as a presence in a community and then they were erased from records, as though they never did any research or had any findings. All of sociology’s women founders had several things in common. They all published books,  founded theories and studies. The Hull House was the working base of most of Chicago’s women and it was visited by all of the women of sociology.  These women all contributed to the theories and studies of sociology and they should be recognized for that and given credit.  Sexism was a very large part to the reasoning of women getting “written out” of sociology’s history. Society needs to become equal with men and women, which is why the women sociologists needs to be recognized.

By: Mia

Thinness in America

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In the world of five dollar foot long subs, supersized drinks, and going to all you can eat buffets as a challenge rather than a meal choice, food isn’t an issue in this great country of ours. Some countries a meal comes after a day of walking to get water or hunting for your food but in America the 5-5-5 deal at dominos can easily be ordered from the comforts of one’s own couch. Now with all this accessibility you have to understand that with one blessing comes a curse as well. Obesity is at an all-time high and obesity directly corresponds with eating disorders.  Eating disorders can be anything from gorging to purging. ‘CULTURAL OBSESSIONS WITH THINNESS:’African American, Latina, and White Women” by Becky W. Thompson gives us three approaches to eating disorders: Biomedical, psychological and a feminist approach. The biomedical approach acknowledges scientific research that which measures the physiological causes of eating problems and the damage it can do to ones body. The Physiological approach is a mixture of biological, psychological and cultural issues. The problem with the Physiological approach is that it doesn’t acknowledge race and gender. The feminists look at gender and race and how society affects the eating disorders.  The chapter talks about how black women have different pressures than just do to race. African American women are more accepting of obesity as they are known for being strong and self-driven.

Another very strong point is how sexual abuse can lead to gorging oneself. This is because when someone is sexually abused they can feel so used up that they find themself in a situation where depression isn’t just an emotion that they suffer with from time to time, its life 24/7. This numb feeling is so exhausting that when indulging in food gives a feeling of satisfaction that can be misinterpreted as love and the disease begins. Women are prone to these eating disorders because of the fact that they are constantly being depicted as sexual figures in society. The stereotype in culture of the “perfect woman” leaves the average female completely hopeless and facing a challenge that they will not meet. Even the women that are used in magazines and commercials are altered digitally to take off of their “imperfections”.  As long as there are insecurities in our culture you will continue to find and abundance of eating disorders.

Thinness

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Have you ever experienced or observed the struggle a person faces when dealing with weight issues? For many, weight gain and loss is similar to a rollercoaster ride at an amusement park. The ride excels an individual from one extreme to another, struggling to achieve and maintain thinness, which is acknowledged as beauty and success, through the eyes of our society.

Understanding eating disorders, through research, is critical to learning the attributes that contribute to the design of the struggle. Three theoretical models used to explain and treat eating disorders are the (1) biomedical model, (2) psychological model, and (3) the feminist model. The biomedical model presents “scientific research about the possible physiological causes of eating problems and the physiological dangers of purging and starvation”. Critical review of the biomedical model, argues that it “ignores many social, historical and cultural factors that influence women’s eating patterns”. The psychological model exemplifies eating disorders as “multidimensional disorders” which are shaped by “biological, psychological and cultural factors”, constructive “in its exploration of effective therapeutic treatments”. However, critical review of the psychological model argues that, “like the biomedical model, tends to neglect women of color, lesbians and working-class women”. In addition, the third theoretical model is the feminist model, which “asserts that eating problems are gendered”. This model “explains why the vast majority of people with eating problems are women, how gender socialization and sexism may relate to eating problems, and how masculine models of psychological development have shaped theoretical interpretations”. This model proposes that “thinness is a culturally, socially, and economically enforced requirement for female beauty”. A critical review of the feminist theoretical model argues “bias in research has consequences for women of color”. This statement is supported by Thomas Silber who “asserts that many well-trained professionals have either misdiagnosed or delayed their diagnoses of eating problems among African Americans,” which as lead to “be more severe due to extended processes of starvation prior to intervention”. Research that recognizes African America women, Latinas, and lesbians in effort to “seek to understand how race, class, gender, nationality, and sexuality inform women’s experiences and influence theory production”.

Furthermore, there is an association between sexual abuse and eating disorders, linking sexual abuse “to the origins of their eating problems”. Some women have stated that they resort to binging to help “anesthetize their feelings” while others sedate themselves through eating to “alleviate anxiety and combat loneliness”. Thompson argues that eating disorders are survival strategies, exemplifying food as a resource that provides comfort and security to an array of issues including sexism, heterosexism, and abuse.

Moreover, racism and class standings contribute to eating disorders. For example, “an African American woman, remembered when her white grandmother telling her that she would never be as pretty as her cousins because they were light skinned”. In addition, her grandmother objected to her weight” leading Joselyn to “think that even though she could not change her skin color, she could at least try to be thin”. Class standing than impacted Joselyn’s self-concept. For example, when her father’s business began to prosper, their immediate social circle of people and standards also changed. The “class expectations that their parents experienced exacerbated standards about weight that they inflicted on their daughters”.

In conclusion, Thompson maintains that women’s eating problems are a response to poverty, racism, acculturation, and social class inequality. We might explain the low rates of eating disorders among Black, ethnic, and low-income men as they may resort to other obstructive avenues of behavior, in which they dominate the higher percentage. We often use first impressions of people, especially appearance, to form a theory about who that person is. However, we must remember how important it is to judge a person based on their character, and personality while remaining conscious of not falling into the realm of “judging a book by its cover”.

BY JESSICA

“Invisible Privilege”

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I feel that privilege is often invisible because we as people don’t see what we have is always a privilege,but what we feel like we need to get by everyday. I’m not sure if I would category people as having a privilege. I can say if someone has something and makes there life better to live and you don’t have the same you might feel jealous. I would say Andrea was uncomfortable because she saw that Jewel didn’t live the same way as she lived, but notice how Andrea liked playing with Jewel before Andrea knew how Jewel lived or what her family was like. I did like how they said Andrea’s mom didn’t show any sighs that she was uncomfortable at Jewels house, but how it explained the people that were there was only Jewel’s family members and Andrea was the only friend ,but pointed out that Andrea was the only”white friend.”  I do feel like people should over come differences in other people. We all don’t live our lives the same way, just think how borrowing that would be if we all lived the same way.I do feel that we are all the same no matter of the color of your skin or how much money you make or if you don’t make money at all. I also feel that we as  HUMAN BEINGS should always help out the person next to you if you can. what I mean by that is if you are living a good life and you are lucky to have the privilage life you should give to those in your community that don’t it as privilege. I do feel that funding for schools is a form of “invisible privilege.” We all should have to pay the same tax. We all should have the right to go to what ever school we want, as long as the parent can provide transport of the child to and from school.

BY KELLY

Women and Sociology

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Women have been written out of sociology’s history in that their contributions are no longer recognized despite having been influential and respected in their time.  The early female sociologists were an integrated part of the community shaping the discipline’s eventual direction.  They are not included among the historical founders of sociology alongside their male counterparts.  In that way, they were more visible figures who have now been “written out” of sociology’s history.
This could have happened for many reasons all of which are ways to ignore the work of female sociologists outright or recast their work in a way that makes it much less influential in mainstream sociology than it might otherwise be.  Some female sociologists are recognized historically but under the headings of other disciplines.  They may be considered social reformers or political activists but not active sociologists.  For example, Addams and Hull House are used as illustrations of immigrants rights movements and the problems of industrialization within the context of American History without mentioning the parts of Hull House that were a research institution.

Alternatively, some women’s work remained within sociology but was recast in ways that removed the female from it.  Some female sociologists published alongside their husbands.  Unfortunately, often, the work became entirely attributed to the husband.  Marianne Weber worked with Max Weber or in some cases critiqued his work in her own.  However, Max Weber went on to be considered one of sociology’s historical founders and Marianne Weber was written out of history.  Webb and her husband co-authored many works but her role is easily ignored by accrediting them to him more strongly.

Sociology’s women founders all focused on issues related to social reform.  They addressed different social or economic inequalities.  Consequently, the particular focus of their reforms differed.  Addams worked with immigrants and trade unions.  Gilman worked on women’s rights and early feminism.  Wells-Barnett was an anti-lynching and civil rights advocate.

The importance of recognizing the contribution of sociology’s women founders is threefold.  First, women and did contribute in their time.  In order to understand sociology as a discipline and its underpinnings, we must understand all its founding figures, including the women.  Two, recognizing how women contributed to sociology and were then “written out” can lead to a sociological study of sociology itself.  This can be used as an opportunity to study the impact of male dominance or male-centric view points in academia.  Finally, bringing female theorists into the mainstream can produce a more integrated picture of where sociology has been and where it is going.  It allows a chance to extend the range of perspectives, ideas and research available to sociology as a whole.

BY XAVIER