White Privilege Research Paper

Words: 1857
Pages: 8

This paper was conducted as a research to better understand the privilege Whites experience as opposed to other minority groups. It discusses white privilege and the impact it has on whites as well as minority groups. While doing research about the existence of white privilege, a range of articles and excerpts were found with the opposite point of view on related information. White privilege is defined as the difference in power between white people and people of color, including the advantages white people automatically take for granted and the apparent disadvantages for minorities (8 Examples of "Black Privilege").
Key words: discrimination, white privilege, racism, minorities

Peggy McIntosh creates an interesting opinion on the
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So long as those who benefit from white privilege do not recognize it for what it is, a system of advantage and disadvantage given to people based solely on race, it will continue to reinforce all structures of culture and society. Due to its foundation as a basis for the society we live in, it will take a great force of awareness and comprehension of what it means to be privileged and how racism is more than “individual acts of meanness” (McIntosh). It will also require the willingness of the privileged to give up the privilege they have grown so accustomed to having, and accepting it for the unfair advantage it is. Only then we, as society, can truly begin to change the ways that our systems of culture and society work.
“The Myth of White Privilege”, written by Selwyn Duke was published in an online magazine “American Thinker” on July 28, 2011. Selwyn Duke, is a columnist, public speaker, and Internet entrepreneur whose work has been published widely online, and also in print. He was motivated to write this column by learning about “The White privilege conference” and their ideas such as “Whites are taught not to recognize White privilege” and “special freedom or immunity from some liabilities or burdens to which nonwhite persons are subject.” The column is appealing to people of all races
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Duke also refers to the essay written by Professor Louis Pojman, who cites a case in which the brilliant Ph.D. philosopher was not able to get a job at a particular University, because the opening legally belonged to a woman, specifically, a black woman. To further demonstrate how Selwyn Duke believes that, white privilege is in fact propaganda, he states that American Jews earn two times more than their compatriots who are not Jews, referring to the commentary about American Jews by Dr. Gerhard Falk. Explaining the case in which certain races or ethnic groups dominate within diverse fields is not just an American phenomenon, he cites Professor Walter Williams, who wrote about the privileges of Chinese minority in Malaysia. He also mentions the talk-show host Michael Savage who, after he earned his Ph.D., had trouble finding a job in his chosen field, and was told in so many words that "white men need not apply”