Awareness of Privilege
In an increasingly diverse society, it is imperative that those who are in the helping professions, particularly counselors, be aware of the issues that could threaten the mental health of those who come from different backgrounds. Counselors have to be diligent in staying abreast of ideas and habits of people from other cultures, and they also have to be aware of any bias that might exist within them. As a result, white privilege is a topic of interest among future counselors, particularly as applied to white future counselors.
It helps to understand the difference between privilege and oppression. Privilege consists of unearned advantages that are given to individuals based on membership in a dominant group (Israel, 2012). Oppression generally involves the mistreatment of individuals based on their membership in a group, usually a minority group. Research indicates that the idea of white privilege started centuries ago. According to Tim Wise, a prominent propagator of the idea of white privilege, white elitists enlisted the aid of poor whites to help force black people into the institution of slavery. Poor whites were given the choice of indentured servitude, while poor blacks were forced into slavery.
Numerous graduate studies programs, especially for the mental health professions, are beginning to address the concept of white privilege with their students. Failing to address the concept of white privilege could negatively influence the overall multicultural competency of future mental health care providers (Mindrup, et. al, 2011). Mindrup and colleagues (2011) state that while racism is a problem for people of all races and ethnicities, it seems that white European-Americans have less awareness of their own racial privileges as compared to other minorities who have not had the privileges afforded to white European-Americans. The same study shows that white privilege is “mostly unacknowledged by its beneficiaries” and “results in psychosocial costs and consequences to white European-Americans.” The study also found that greater levels of racial exposure were “significantly positively associated with one’s willingness to confront white privilege and to have remorse about white privilege.” This indicates that a goal of multicultural awareness programs should be to increase students’ awareness of other races and cultures, white privilege, and their own reaction to the concept of white privilege.
In her 2012 essay, Tania Israel examines the costs of privilege. Systems that uphold privilege for certain groups or refuse to address that it exists harm those who hold the privilege as well as those who do not. Some of those costs include limited exposure to people of other races, a reliance on stereotypes, and a denial of the existence of racism (Israel, 2012). In order to avoid these costs, we must make ourselves aware of the existence of privilege in our society. Israel states that counselor trainees, in particular, resist acknowledging privilege in a variety of ways, including “anger and defensiveness, attributing differential treatment to nonracial factors, resentment toward racial and ethnic minorities for their perceived privileges, and resentment that others did not recognize the participant’s own marginalized status.”
While the concepts of privilege and oppression are ultimately perception-based, it is essential that future counselors make sure they are aware of their own perceived privileges and oppressions, as well as those of other races, ethnicities, and cultures. An awareness will help to result in a more balanced and culturally competent counselor.
Peggy McIntosh wrote a popular scholarly article on white privilege, titled "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Read her informative article to learn more about white privilege!
To watch her commentary about this article and see a list of ways in which she believes privilege exists:
To watch her commentary about this article and see a list of ways in which she believes privilege exists:
The following is an interesting presentation on White Privilege:
References
Israel, T. (2012). 2011 Society of counseling psychology presidential address: Exploring privilege in counseling psychology: Shifting the lens. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(1), 158-180. doi: 10.1177/0011000011426297
Mindrup, R. M., Spray, B. J., & Lamberghini-West, A. (2011). White privilege and multicultural counseling competence: The influence of field of study, sex, and racial/ethnic exposure. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 20, 20-38. doi: 10.1080/15313204.2011.545942
Challeng ingMedia (2008, February 19). Tim Wise: On white privilege. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xe1kX7Wsc
To listen to an informative podcast on this subject, click here.
To listen to an informative podcast on this subject, click here.
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