The first general problem I have with the term ‘white male privilege’ doesn’t
have to do with whether it exists (I think it does), rather it has to do with where it
lands on the ranking list of privileges. Here are several privileges that (often)
outrank being a white male:
-Family wealth
-Good looks
-High intelligence
-Natural talent
-Country of birth
In fact, for many contexts, I wouldn’t rank being a white male in the top 5
privileges that an individual can possess, but of course, it can still be an unjust
privilege. And some might argue, with real validity, that being a white male is
correlated with some of the above listed privileges due to having, for example,
some degree of societal bias or perception in their favor. The issue isn’t
whether there are groups of people who are privileged due to being white and
male, but whether all individuals who are white and male are fundamentally
privileged compared to everyone else. Here are a few burdens that some
individuals who are also white and male must bear:
-Being physically unattractive
-Being physically or mentally disabled
-Having a mental disorder
-Growing up in poverty
-Going through severe trauma to their body or mind
Hence the term ‘white male privilege’ is a problem. In fact, we could say that
such broad categorizations of groups involving so many different individuals is
always a problem. One can argue it is a ‘mildly’ racist and sexist term. The
reason I use the word ‘mild’ is because I will not ignore the numerous atrocities
of history toward non-white people perpetrated by largely white males
compared to the reverse. Nonetheless, it is a form of discrimination
towards white males despite some members of that group possessing genuine
unethical privilege.
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This leads into another issue with the blanket statement ‘white male privilege’,
which is that it can alienate groups of white males and discourage them from
being on the side against genuine unethical privileges that other groups of
people possess. Ironically, this would include other groups who are largely white
males. In a more dangerous note, if one is made to feel guilty or is discriminated
against for being born a certain way, but while having gone through real
suffering in life, this will likely make them feel hurt and angry…which could have
its own backlash. What (I hope) these movements against ‘white male privilege’
are trying to accomplish is to create societies with equal opportunities for all
individuals. The term ‘white male privilege’ will always be a problem when one
doesn’t simultaneously consider other crucial privileges that people are born
with (or not) and the large amount of suffering that some white males have
undergone as individual human beings.