In my foundations of social justice class we
have been given an assignment in which we are supposed to put ourselves in a
position, for half an hour to an hour, where we are the minority. It must be
somewhere that makes us feel nervous or uncomfortable, but should not be potentially
dangerous. We also have the option of going with someone, like a fellow
classmate.
When
we were first assigned this my initial thoughts were that it would not be
difficult to find a temporary place to visit where I was the minority. It seemed
easy to me to be able to find a place where I was the only female on campus or
in the surrounding area. What I was struggling with was what place would make
me feel vulnerable or uncomfortable. I realized, as a white female it has not
been an issue for me to feel comfortable and accepted in a majority of places
all around Austin. It made me wonder how potentially more difficult it can be
for other students in my class. This assignment has made me realize how much I take
for granted by being able to go somewhere without getting looks or having
people wonder why I am there.
Observation: When running downtown I notice the
nice buildings and well-dressed business men and women walking among the
homeless people on the streets.
I think you hit on a huge concept when it comes to being the minority in any situation, which is visibility. When I think about privilege, it can mean the lack of visibility or the opposite of that, which is hyper-visibility. Being a female means playing a supporting-role. It is hardly ever the lead. Male privilege is so visible it's invisible - the standard by which everything is judged. Good on you for going to those uncomfortable places to gain perspective in an effort to educate.
ReplyDeleteI think that you hit the nail on the head when it comes to seeing how one can overlook the privilege that they have in certain situations. Being a minority sometimes I feel uncomfortable in a lot of situations and feel at times that I don't belong. I really appreciate you taking this assignment head with the willingness to understand how others may feel.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy how areas of the most concentrated wealth often have very high homeless populations. I even think about my own neighborhood. There are many homeless people that hang out around my house on the benches and the bus stops.
ReplyDelete