Let’s talk about white privilege
What is white privilege and what does it represent in society? In this article, I want to explore the concept of whiteness and the social structures that allowed it become the default for progress and righteousness while creating what we call white privilege.
By analyzing white privilege through the lens of structural violence, it is possible to identify how it is formed while also exposing the deeper concept of whiteness. As we have seen in structural violence, the limitations imposed on certain groups are created by the normalization of a standard which consequently blindsides society and makes these limitations invisible. White privilege, in this context, would be the social structure that normalizes behaviours that advance white people while excluding and making BIPOC invisible to society, consequently blindsiding their struggles, exclusion and value.
“Structural violence directly illustrates a power system wherein social structures or institutions cause harm to people in a way that results in maldevelopment or deprivation” (Lee, 2016, p. 110). Whiteness as a concept and a social idea of an exemplary life becomes then the main frame, the normalized pattern, the goal to be achieved, the main structure of power. Consequently, when white and the concept of what it represents becomes the goal to be achieved as well as the norm, it automatically brings white people to the top of the power system, and that is white privilege.
It is essential though to understand the structures and the social construct around whiteness to avoid any misleading conclusions. “Because it is easily hidden within the social structures, structural violence can easily be confused with social injustice and normalized by social patterns and behaviours which are not identified as the cause of harm towards someone else” (Galtung, 1969, p. 188). Thus, it is not because white became the norm, that white people are the villains. Just like with gender, it is not because we live in a male-dominated world and sexism is the structural norm causing harm to women, that men automatically become the villains and the perpetrators.
The goal here is to understand how the concept of whiteness and the narrative about it leads not only to the exclusion of other groups and the development of structural violence but also contributes to negative narratives about other social groups and races. Once whiteness is the norm, anything else becomes less than acceptable and this gives fruition to all of the aspects of structural violence, such as social exclusion, marginalization, the invisibility of certain social groups, inequality. All of which can be translated into racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia and so on. Not only whoever does not fit into the standard is excluded, but their struggles and challenges also become invisible. It is important to understand what exactly the idea of whiteness comprehend because that also allows us to identify gaps and exclusions even within the white people.
Consequently, the advantages that the group of people who fit the norm also get blindsided, this is because they do not see the challenges of others. Once one believes that one’s life and opportunities are open to all, they cannot see the exclusions and thus give continuation to the structures that cause harm.
The reason why we all struggle so much with the concept of white privilege is that it is normalized by the social structures we live in. Moreover, it is a consequence of the same structure that leads to invisible harms in our society. It goes beyond skin colour and falls into an ideal of what whiteness should represent and social structures that we all continuously perpetuate.
Although the structural concept of white superiority was created by white people, its perpetuation is part of a larger social process. One in which we all contribute, but to continue this conversation we would have to dive into intersectionality, and I am sure this was enough for you to deconstruct for one article.
