General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Tackling Asian Privilege [View all]RainDog
(28,784 posts)And why I say people misunderstand the term.
It's not a stereotype to talk about the way people who are the majority in a population (i.e. white people) aren't aware of the issues other people face because they aren't part of that majority.
People are talking about the way society operates based upon stereotypes, often. Since this society is composed largely of one group, that's the group that may be sheltered from seeing the experience of someone else.
It's not a conscious choice, necessarily. It has to do with all sorts of factors - someone who has shared your experience may be someone you feel more at ease with and this can subconsciously factor into hiring, for instance.
So, the issue is more about looking beyond a "peer group" to see how others who are not part of that group function to survive when they are not part of that "peer group."
It's not about specific advantages. It's about asking the majority population to look outside of their group to see what's going on with someone else.