PPD Chapter 4

We as individuals make privilege happen. Johnson states that racism leads to sexual violence and harassment against people of certain races in different organizations. Privilege leads to organizations not working out and open to being shut down. Privilege also can lead to a lack of diversity in an organization which many people think alike and this results on failure of the organization. Johnson provided some very surprising statistics on men versus women in the work force. One of the most interesting to be that families with college-education householders that are also of an ethnic group other than Caucasian are two to three times more likely to live below the poverty line than those Caucasian families.

Johnson states that “sometimes” racism happens openly and on purpose. I would have to disagree that it is only sometimes. Anytime one is about to speak they go through the thought process of what they are about to say. If they are in doubt about what they say might offend someone then they probably shouldn’t be saying it. I truly feel that we as people need to be more careful about what comes out of our mouths and how it might hurt someone. While it is true as young children we learn to know what to say and when it is appropriate this needs to be even stronger as we grow into adulthood. However, I also believe that we need to be able to be open and honest with our questions and concerns about those who are different. We can first say we don’t mean to offend you or hurt you in anyway when beginning a conversation in which you plan to ask questions about their differences.

While reading this chapter I found myself trying to think of many different ways in which people make power and privilege obvious in everyday life. Johnson points out a gesture as simple as whether you look at someone or not when you talk to them. I had never before considered that to be a way of showing privilege and power but now I see where someone could be offended if you don’t look at them when you talk to them. It made me much more aware of how I can avoid offending people and made me be more careful to not hurt feelings unintentionally. If all people could just be a little more careful and think before they speak a lot less unintentional hurt feelings would go on.