What Is Peggy Mcinntosh Invisible Children
Christopher
SOC 101
22 November 2013
Invisible Children
“Invisible package of unearned assets” is how Peggy McIntosh defines invisible privileges. Invisible privileges are special rights or advantages that one expects when they inform someone of their religion, race, or a group they are involved in. In my life I have been given invisible privileges in my education. In California, it is difficult to get into a good public high school because there are so many people in the area who all want the best education. At a young age you do not have many achievements so your admission is based on where you come from and what type of family you have. I was lucky to come from a well-off family so I was automatically placed above other students. …show more content…
It would most likely be harder for my parents to find a home and jobs. At school, I may not be helped as much due to discrimination. When looking for a job I may be sent somewhere else and it may be harder to get hired. When a crime or violation occurs around me I may be more likely to be questioned than my fellow white counterparts for no apparent reason besides the color of my skin. In general people may be less likely to assist me, denied or not offered things that people in other groups are given, and my personal opinions and feelings are more likely to be overlooked or poorly represented. Peggy McIntosh compares privileges to an invisible knapsack and states, “privileges are like an invisible knapsack full of provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks”(McIntosh). In this analogy I have a large invisible knapsack with lots of helpful things inside. She calls it invisible because we are not meant to even recognize these privileges because we are so used to having them and because they have been with us our entire lives. Our social structure and society is set up to place wealthy white men at the top and everyone else
SOC 101
22 November 2013
Invisible Children
“Invisible package of unearned assets” is how Peggy McIntosh defines invisible privileges. Invisible privileges are special rights or advantages that one expects when they inform someone of their religion, race, or a group they are involved in. In my life I have been given invisible privileges in my education. In California, it is difficult to get into a good public high school because there are so many people in the area who all want the best education. At a young age you do not have many achievements so your admission is based on where you come from and what type of family you have. I was lucky to come from a well-off family so I was automatically placed above other students. …show more content…
It would most likely be harder for my parents to find a home and jobs. At school, I may not be helped as much due to discrimination. When looking for a job I may be sent somewhere else and it may be harder to get hired. When a crime or violation occurs around me I may be more likely to be questioned than my fellow white counterparts for no apparent reason besides the color of my skin. In general people may be less likely to assist me, denied or not offered things that people in other groups are given, and my personal opinions and feelings are more likely to be overlooked or poorly represented. Peggy McIntosh compares privileges to an invisible knapsack and states, “privileges are like an invisible knapsack full of provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks”(McIntosh). In this analogy I have a large invisible knapsack with lots of helpful things inside. She calls it invisible because we are not meant to even recognize these privileges because we are so used to having them and because they have been with us our entire lives. Our social structure and society is set up to place wealthy white men at the top and everyone else