Understanding Privilege

Photo Credit: Amorium Coutinho

The concept of privilege and its effects on an individual person and their surroundings is bigger than we know. Before taking COM 348, Beauty & Diversity in Fashion Media with Professor Harriet Brown, I did not fully understand privilege and how it impacts every person differently daily. According to Oxford Languages, privilege can be defined as “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group” (Oxford Languages). Some of the privileges we discussed in this class include but are not limited to economic status, social class, sexuality, race (whiteness), gender (maleness), body size (thinness), able body, neurotypical, ability, age, health, and location. There are so many factors, both inside and outside that can influence one’s privilege, how they are viewed and how they are treated. I think the first step to understanding privilege, is acknowledging the privileges you currently carry. Throughout this article, I am going to acknowledge some of the privileges I am aware of and how they impact me from both my perspective and my outside surroundings. 

While my parents have always taught me to be grateful for what I have and to be generous to others, it was not until recent years that I truly understood what privilege means and how mine has impacted me. I first truly began to understand my privilege during the Black Lives Matter movement in June of 2020. I was never taught about how systematic racism still occurs in today’s society in either California or Arizona, so when this movement started, I had a complete life realization. I have always grown up in a safe, suburban area that has sheltered me from the reality of cruel things happening in the world surrounding me. While growing up in two incredibly privileged neighborhoods, Belvedere, California, and Paradise Valley, Arizona, I was never really exposed to how systematic racism affected the world. Proving how my ‘whiteness’ or race has been a privilege of mine because I did not even realize it until there was a worldwide movement.

As a young, white female who was raised in a middle/upper-class family living in today’s society, I have grown up with a great amount of privilege, including economic status, social class, race or whiteness, body size or thinness, gender, location, able body, ability, health and age. With both of my parents being doctors, I hold a privilege medically and in the health world. My parents have access to exclusive medical equipment and connections in the medical field that have benefited both my family and our surrounding friends immensely throughout my life. Many of my parent's friends with health issues have come to them asking for help and with a quick phone call, my parents can easily connect them to some of the best doctors in the world. A large part of this is not just because they are doctors, but because of my parent's educational background and studious expertise. This has allowed them to create such a large network in the medical field and while my parents are very generous and want to help others, I can’t even begin to list the number of times people have abused my parent's ability to call in prescription medication and constantly ask for favors over the years. It always upsets me when I see people abuse my parent's privilege and walk all over them because I know they truly do want to help others. I am privileged to have two parents who are so smart and educated. 

In addition to location, race, and economic background, another privilege I am lucky enough to hold is education. My parents have always given me access to an education system that has allowed me to learn and grow as an individual. Throughout my life, I have had access to educational help including tutors, college counselors and extracurricular activities. As both of my parents are doctors, they have always pushed me to go to college and educate myself to grow up and become a successful professional. They both went to prestigious universities and I was told from a young age that my parents had the financial means to pay for my college tuition. Living under this umbrella, I did not understand that there were so many people in this world who could not afford an education and go to college. I am now super grateful and I acknowledge how lucky I am to afford a college education. 

While I have not always understood the deeper meaning behind the concept of privilege, after educating myself and taking COM 348 with Professor Brown, I now understand what privilege is and how it applies to me, impacting both me and my surroundings. I acknowledge that I am privileged in many ways and am very fortunate to live the life I have lived thus far. While my parents have always taught me to be grateful for everything I have and to be as generous as possible, I now can truly understand how it influenced outsiders' perspectives of me and my perspective on the world.