Dean, K. L., & Forray, J. M. (2021). Small silences: Privilege, power, and advantage as management educators. Journal of Management Education, 45(2), 163–176. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1052562921990420
In Dean and Forray's (2021) article titled "Small Silences: Privilege, Power, and Advantage as Management Educators," the authors delve into the complexities of privilege and its implications in the context of management education. Here's a summary of the key points discussed in the article:
Understanding Privilege: Privilege is described as a complex lived experience that entails special advantages derived from socially sanctioned norms. It includes various aspects such as knowledge, wealth, family background, and ethnicity. Privilege often goes unnoticed and unchallenged, perpetuating systemic inequalities.
Intersectionality: Privilege is intersectional and multifaceted, with no clear boundaries in terms of identities. It encompasses factors such as class, geographic identity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, and neurotypical learning capacity. Recognizing the intersectionality of privilege adds complexity to understanding and addressing it.
Privilege as a Verb: Privilege is not just a static condition but is sustained through everyday actions. Educators play a role in either challenging or perpetuating privilege through their teaching practices, course design, assessment methods, and interactions with students.
Challenging Privilege: The authors discuss various strategies for challenging privilege in management education, including changing assignment modalities, offering extended deadlines, providing formative feedback, valuing student effort over scores, integrating discussions on privilege into the curriculum, and promoting inclusivity and diversity in course norms and conversations.
Replacing the Status Quo: There is a call to take on social justice as a strategic imperative in management education. This involves recognizing and addressing the ways in which academic systems contribute to inequalities and privileging certain groups over others. It also entails embracing teaching and learning innovations that stem from marginalized perspectives and demonstrate exceptional learning outcomes.
Overall, the article underscores the importance of recognizing, challenging, and addressing privilege in management education to promote inclusivity, diversity, and social justice.
McIntosh, P. (n.d.). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. National Seed Project. https://nationalseedproject.org/images/documents/Knapsack_plus_Notes-Peggy_McIntosh.pdf
Introduction:
Peggy McIntosh's article discusses the concept of white privilege and how it operates in society.
McIntosh reflects on her own experiences and acknowledges her initial unawareness of white privilege.
Men's Denial of Overprivilege:
Men often resist acknowledging their overprivilege, hindering efforts to address women's disadvantage.
McIntosh observed this resistance when attempting to integrate women's studies materials into the curriculum.
Understanding White Privilege:
McIntosh's realization about white privilege led her to conceptualize it as an invisible backpack of unearned assets.
She describes this privilege as a set of everyday advantages that white people can count on without even realizing it.
List of Privileges:
McIntosh provides a list of privileges that white people often enjoy in society, including:
Being in the company of people of their own race most of the time.
Renting or purchasing housing in desired areas without obstacles.
Expecting neutral and pleasant treatment from neighbors.
Shopping without being followed or harassed.
Seeing people of their race widely represented in media.
Receiving curricular materials that acknowledge their race's existence.
Finding publishers for their work without difficulty.
Counting on financial reliability regardless of skin color.
Protecting children from hostility based on race.
Making choices without facing negative racial biases.
Feeling confident in public speaking without race being questioned.
Excelling in challenging situations without racial attribution.
Not being expected to represent their entire racial group.
Remaining oblivious to other cultures without penalty.
Criticizing government policies without being seen as an outsider.
Expecting to encounter people of their race in positions of authority.
Not fearing discrimination during interactions with law enforcement or government agencies.
Finding products and media that represent their race.
Feeling included in group settings without feeling isolated or feared.
Securing jobs without colleagues suspecting affirmative action benefits.
Choosing public accommodations without fearing racial mistreatment.
Accessing legal or medical help without racial bias.
Experiencing bad days without worrying about racial overtones.
Selecting bandages that match their skin color.
Silence and Denial:
McIntosh highlights the silence and denial surrounding white privilege, which perpetuates systemic inequalities.
She emphasizes the need to acknowledge unseen dimensions of privilege and dismantle systems of dominance.
Conclusion:
McIntosh calls for systemic change and a dismantling of privilege by acknowledging its existence and working towards equity.
She challenges individuals to use their privilege to weaken hidden systems of advantage and reconstruct power structures on a broader basis.
Overall Message:
The article underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing white privilege as a step towards achieving a more equitable society.