What is privilege?
Privilege is a set of advantages shared by
a majority group. Basically, privilege
is the opposite of oppression. Some major
examples include male privilege, white
privilege, heterosexual privilege,
able-bodied privilege, and economic
privilege.
Privilege is tied to cultural and social
power structures, which is why it’s so
important to understand. You didn’t ask
for privilege, but you still have it.
Acknowledging that your
privilege exists is the first step to
working towards dismantling the systems
that create and sustain oppression. It’s
also important to recognize that a person
can have privilege and be oppressed
simultaneously. For example, just because
a person has male privilege doesn’t mean
that they aren’t oppressed by racial
injustice. This is where feminism also goes
beyond patriarchy to explore how various
social systems and institutions keep all
intersecting oppressions in place.