The Trouble Were In: Privilege, Power, and Difference Allan G. Johnson Thetroublearounddifferenceisreallyaboutprivilegeandpowertheexistenceofprivilege andthelopsideddistributionofpowerthatkeepsitgoing.Thetroubleisrootedinalegacyweall inherited,andwhilewerehere,itbelongstous.Itisntourfault.Itwasntcausedbysomethingwedid ordidntdo.Butnowitsallours,itsuptoustodecidehowweregoingtodealwithitbeforewe collectivelypassitalongtothegenerationsthatwillfollowours. Talkingaboutpowerandprivilegeisnteasy,whichiswhypeoplerarelydo.Thereasonforthis omissionseemstobeagreatfearofanythingthatmightmakewhitesormalesorheterosexuals uncomfortableorpitgroupsagainsteachother,1eventhoughgroupsarealreadypittedagainstone anotherbythestructuresofprivilegethatorganizesocietyasawhole.Thefearkeepspeoplefrom lookingatwhatsgoingonandmakesitimpossibletodoanythingabouttherealitythatliesdeeper down,sothattheycanmovetowardthekindofworldthatwouldbebetterforeveryone. Difference Is Not the Problem Ignoringprivilegekeepsusinastateofunreality,bypromotingtheillusionthedifferenceby itselfistheproblem.Insomeways,ofcourse,itcanbeaproblemwhenpeopletrytoworktogether acrossculturaldividesthatsetgroupsuptothinkanddothingstheirownway.Buthumanbeingshave beenovercomingsuchdividesforthousandsofyearsasamatterofroutine.Therealillusionconnected todifferenceisthepopularassumptionthatpeoplearenaturallyafraidofwhattheydontknowor understand.Thissupposedlymakesitinevitablethatyoullfearanddistrustpeoplewhoarentlikeyou and,inspiteofyourgoodintentions,youllfinditallbutimpossibletogetalongwiththem. Forallitspopularity,theideathateveryoneisnaturallyfrightenedbydifferenceisacultural myththat,morethananything,justifieskeepingoutsidersontheoutsideandtreatingthembadlyif theyhappentogetin.Themerefactthatsomethingisneworstrangeisntenoughtomakeusafraidof it.WhenEuropeansfirstcametoNorthAmerica,forexample,theywerentterriblyafraidofthepeople theyencountered,andthetypicalNativeAmericanresponsewastowelcometheseastonishingly differentpeoplewithopenarms(muchtotheirlaterregret).Scientists,psychotherapists,inventors, novelists(andtheirfans),explorers,philosophers,spiritualists,anthropologists,andthejustplain curiousarealldrawntothemysteryofwhattheydontknow.Evenchildrenprobablythemost vulnerableformthatpeoplecomeinseemtolovetheunknown,whichiswhyparentsarealways worryingaboutwhattheirtoddlerhasgottenintonow. Thereisnothinginherentlyfrighteningaboutwhatwedontknow.Ifwefeelafraid,itisntwhat wedontknowthatfrightensus,itswhatwethinkwedoknow.Theproblemisourideasaboutwhat wedontknowwhatmighthappennextorwhatslurkingbehindtheunopeneddoororinthemindof thestrangelookingguysittingacrossfromusonthenearlyemptytrain.Andhowwethinkabout suchthingsisntsomethingwerebornwith.Welearntodoitlikewelearntotieourshoes,talk,and justabouteverythingelse.Ifwetakedifferenceanddiversityasreasonsforfearandoccasionsfor trouble,itsbecausewevelearnedtothinkabouttheminwaysthatmakeforfearandtrouble. Mapping Difference: Who Are We? 1White,MaleandWorried,BusinessWeek,January31,1994,pp.55 Issuesofdifferencecoveralargeterritory.Ausefulwaytoputitinperspectiveiswiththe diversitywheeldevelopedbyMarilynLodenandJudyRosener.2Inthehubofthewheelaresixsocial characteristics:age,race,ethnicity,gender,physicalabilityandqualities(left/righthandedness,height, andsoon),andsexualorientation.Aroundtheouterringareseveralothers,includingreligionmarital status,whetherwereparents,andsocialǦclassindicatorssuchaseducation,occupationandincome. Anyonecandescribethemselvesbygoingaroundthewheel.Startinginthehub,Immale, EnglishǦNorwegian(asfarasIknow),white(alsoasfarasIknow),fiftyǦfouryearsold,heterosexual,and physicallyable(sofar).Intheouterring,Immarried,afather,andamiddleǦclassprofessionalwitha Ph.D.IvelivedinNewEnglandformostofmylife,butIvealsolivedinothercountries.Ihavea vaguelyChristianbackground,butifIhadtoidentifymyspirituallifewithaparticulartradition,Idlean moretowardZenBuddhismthananythingelse.IservedabriefstintintheArmyreserves. ItwouldbeusefulifyoustoppedreadingforamomentandowhatIjustdid.Goaroundthe diversitywheelandgetasenseofyourselfintermsofit. Asyoureflectontheresultsofthisexercise,itmightoccurtoyou(asitdidtome)thatthewheel doesntsatmuchabouttheuniqueindividualyouknowyourselftobe,yourpersonalhistory,the contentofyourcharacter,whatyoudreamandfeel.Itdoes,however,sayalotaboutthesocialreality thatshapeseveryoneslifeinpowerfulways. Imagine,forexample,thatyouwokeuptomorrowmorningandfoundthatyourracewas differentfromwhatitwaswhenyouwenttobed(theplotofa1970moviecalledWatermelonMan).Or imaginethatyourgenderorsexualorientationhadchanged(ashappenedtothecentralcharacterin VirginiaWoolfsnovelOrlando).Howwouldthataffecthowpeopleperceiveyouandtreatyou?How woulditaffecthowyouseeyourself?Howwoulditchangethematerialcircumstancesofyourlife,such aswhereyouliveorhowmuchmoneyyouhave?Inwhatwayswouldthechangemakelifebetter? Worse? 2BasedonTheDiversityWheel.FromWorkforceAmericabyM.LodenandJ.Rosener,McGrawǦHill,1991. Inansweringthesequestions,trytogobeyondtheobviousconsequencestoseetheonesthat areperhapsmoresubtle.Ifyoureheterosexualnow,forexample,andwakeupgayorlesbian,your sexualfeelingsaboutwomenandmenwouldbedifferent.Butwhatabouthowpeopleperceiveyou andtreatyouinwaysunrelatedtosex?Wouldpeopletreatyoudifferentlyatschoolorwork?Would friendstreatyoudifferently?Parentsandsiblings?Wouldyoufeellessincludedamongfriends?In similarways,whatchangeswouldyouexperienceinswitchingfromfemaletomaleorfrommaleto female,fromwhitetoAfricanAmerican,fromAsianorLatino/atoAnglo,orfromphysicallyabletousing awheelchair?Again,focusonthesocialconsequences,onhowpeopleperceiveyouandtreatyouif suchathinghappenedtoyou.Whatopportunitieswouldopenorclose?Whatrewardswouldor wouldntcomeyourway? Formostpeople,shiftingonlyafewpartsofthediversitywheelwouldbeenoughtochange theirlivesdramatically.Eventhoughthecharacteristicsinthewheelmaynottelluswhoweas individualsareintheprivacyofourheartsandsouls,theymatteragreatdealinoursocietybecause theylocateusinrelationtootherpeopleandtheworldinwaysthathavehugeconsequences. Thetroublearounddiversity,then,isntjustthatpeopledifferfromoneanother.Thetroubleis producedbyaworldorganizedinwaysthatencouragepeopletousedifferencetoincludeorexclude, rewardorpunish,creditordiscredit,elevateoroppress,valueordevalue,leavealoneorharass. Thisisespeciallytrueofthecharacteristicsinthecenterofthewheel,whichhavetheadded qualityofbeingalmostimpossibletochange.ItstruethatsexǦchangesurgeryisavailableandthatits possibleforsomepeopletopassforaraceorsexualorientationthatisotherthanwhattheyknow themselvestobe.Butthisisquitedifferentfrombeingmarriedonedaydivorcedthenext,orgettinga newjobthatsuddenlyelevatesyourclassposition.Unliketheouterportionofthewheel,theinner portionconsistsofcharacteristicsthat,onewayoranother,wemustlearntolivewithregardlessof howwechoosetorevealourselvestoothers. Peoplesperceptionsaredifficulttocontrol,however,fortheytendtoassumetheycanidentify characteristicssuchasraceandgendersimplybylookingatsomeone.Weroutinelyformquick impressionsofrace,gender,age,orsexualorientation.Sometimestheseimpressionsarebasedon blanketassumptionsthateveryone,forexample,isheterosexualuntilprovenotherwise.Orifthey lookwhite,theyarewhite.Peopleusuallyformsuchimpressionswithoutthinking,andtheyrelyon theminordertoseetheworldasanorganizedandpredictableplacefromonemomenttothenext. Wemaynotrealizehowroutinelyweformsuchimpressionsuntilwerunintosomeonewho doesntfitneatlyintooneofourcategories,especiallygenderorsexualorientation.Passsomeoneon thestreetwhomyoucantidentifyasclearlymaleorfemale,forexample,anditcanjoltyourattention andnagyouuntilyouvefigureditout.Ourcultureallowsforonlytwogenders(comparedtoother culturesthatrecognizeseveral),andanyonewhodoesntfitclearlyoneortheotherisinstantly perceivedasanoutsider.Thisiswhybabiesbornwithamixtureofsexcharacteristicsareroutinely alteredsurgicallytofittheculturallydefinedcategoriesoffemaleandmale.Mostofourwaysof thinkingaboutsexualityarealsobasedonsocialconstruction.Whetherhomosexualbehavioris regardedasnormalordeviant,forexample,dependsontheculturalcontext,asdoesthelarger questionofwhethersexualorientationisperceivedasdefiningthekindofhumanbeingyouareandthe wayyouliveyourlife. Sothecharacteristicsatthecenterofthewheelareveryhardtochange,aretheobjectofquick andfirmimpressions,andcanprofoundlyaffectourlives.Clearly,diversityisntjustaboutthevariety thatthewordsuggests.Diversitycouldjustbeaboutthat,butonlyinsomeotherworld.3 3ThesectionsthatfollowareorganizedaroundtypesofbehaviorthatarediscussedintermsofracismbyJoeR.Feaginand MelvinP.Sykes,LivingwithRacism:TheBlackMiddleǦclassExperience(Boston:BeaconPress,1994)pp21Ǧ22.Iapplythem morebroadly. The Social Construction of Difference ThegayAfricanAmericannovelistJamesBaldwinoncewroteanessayinwhichheofferedthe provocativeideathatthereisnosuchthingaswhiteness,orforthatmatter,blacknessor,more generally,race.Nooneiswhitebeforehe/shecametoAmerica,hewrote,Ittookgenerationsanda vastamountofcoercion,beforethisbecameawhitecountry.4 WhatdidBaldwinmean?Inthesimplestsense,hewaspointingtoabasicaspectofsocial reality:mostofwhatweexperienceas"real"isaculturalcreation.Inotherwords,it'smadeup,even thoughwedon'texperienceitthatway. Takerace,forexample.Baldwinisntdenyingtherealitythatskinpigmentationvariesfromone persontoanother.Whatheissayingisthatunlessyouliveinaculturethatrecognizesthose differencesassignificantandmeaningful,theyaresociallyirrelevantandthereforedonotexist.A blackwomaninAfrica,therefore,whohasnotexperiencedwhiteracism,doesnotthinkofherselfas blackorexperienceherselfasblack,nordothepeoplearoundher.African,yes;awoman,yes.Butnot