Power Inversions: A reflection on privilege
When I mention to my male friends that I am in a Women’s and Genders Studies class, their first reaction is a breath of “ughh” with an eye roll that follows along. Every single time, without a doubt, every male that I have personally spoken to. In the reading by Peggy McIntosh, she writes, many men think that women’s studies do not bear in their own existence because they are not female; they do not see themselves as having gendered identities. Another example in my own life revolving around privilege is white privilege. This past winter break I took a roadtrip to help move my best friend back into college. While driving over the New Mexico border, I had to go through customs. The car in front of us, which was full of what looked like a bunch of hispanics were being questioned for quite a bit of time. When my best friend and I rolled up to the guard, we did not have to show any form of identification, the only questions we were asked were if we were American citizens and with a quick response of yes, we were able to continue our trip. McIntosh explains white privilege as, White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, vias, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks. Furthermore, another “advantage” I believe I have is by identifying as a female. This is because in the reading by Evin Taylor, he writes, gendered privilege is the collective advantages that are accepted, most often unknowingly, by those who are not positioned in opposition to the dominant ideology of the gender binary. In simple terms, a person who is able to live in a life either man/male or woman/female generally needs to spend less energy to be understood by others. When it comes to this, I do not mean to sound rude or as one would say privileged, but I understand what gender privilege is, but I am curious to know if it is used in a negative context. If it is used that way, I think that is odd to say that I am privileged by choosing to follow the gender I was born with.
As an identified female, I feel as if that in itself holds quite a bit of advantage as well as disadvantages in privilege. Throughout my time, especially once getting into my teen years and more so now in college, I have experienced many situations in which being a female with female physical attributes has given me invisible power/privilege. The times I have gone to a bar or club, I am able to receive free drinks and/or more alcohol poured into my order. This could be done through flirting, talking with my eyes, or even just by being considered someone who may be appealing (writing that grossed me out talking about myself like that, I am not trying to come across conceited). When I have to get my car fixed at the shop, sometimes the owner covers my bill, in which I noticed he only does if I am dressed in nice clothes, whereas the other times I show up in sweats and he will keep to minimal talking. I do not use this to an advantage, it is just an observation. As being an identified female, times in which I feel I am at a disadvantage is when it does in fact come to some men.
