Was justice served fairly in the Micheal Brown tragedy, whats your opinion ? (page 12)

Pacopoolio

Just as a quick, broad resposne before I leave on the dating analogy that got turned into a derail.

(Specific and not borad, ie. gender or healthiness) Attraction is probably based on familiarity. People are basically attracted to what they learned to be attracted to in childhood over a ridiculous number of micro-influences. Since people tend to be around their own race more, due to social structures, it often hedges towards that, but it also often changes when people are adopted into other races or brought up in other areas where the minority/majority shift changes.

A huge influence, as well, is what media SHOWS as attractive, which is something that can definitely be adjusted, and is being adjusted over time, with seemingly positive results.

Dating sites have search preferences or "who do you want to date" toggles that cover age, race, height, weight, etc. Sites have published their findings on the administrative end (they have access to that data), and on sites like Match, that actually shows up on one's profile, so it can be searched manually yourself in whatever area you wish (and some of this data has been combined and published as well).

lisaBObeesa

It's a (debatable) advantage but it's not privilige.

It is a fact that because you and I have white skin we have more dating options.

what should be the word for that?

we can use whatever word you want to use for the specific advantages that come only because of the color of our skin.

We can call it 'white advantage' if you like.

Most people use 'white privilege' but we just need a name for it so we can discuss it.

If we lived in a population where 85% were black / latino and 15% were white then would that alter whether I had advantage or privilege?

quite possibly yes, but not necessarily..

Simon

You gave the dating site as an example, not an analogy as you are now suggesting.

I tend to use less controversial examples ... For instance, being white means that if you were to join a dating site, you wouldn't be excluded from 85% of the women's searches because they completely and purposely exclude your race from a search (can provide citations).

You haven't provided those citations and I think if you're making a claim like this as an example of something being "white privilege" is important to do so.

I think your backpeddled explanation above is more accurate: it is not privilege or anything untoward but basic attaction that applies more or less to all races and between various combinations of races to greater or lesser degrees.

You have described a larger population with a larger pool of choice which is an advantage but not a privilege which is the sort of thing people associate with smaller groups having a system unfairly skewed in their favor. I don't think a dating site is an example of this.

The other issue of basing things on population size is that it can be easily manipulated. In Ferguson there was a majority black population so are they enjoying "black privilege" as a result?

Simon

It is a fact that because you and I have white skin we have more dating options.

what should be the word for that?

we can use what ever word you want to use for the specific advantages that come only because of the color of our skin.

We can call it 'white advantage' if you like.

Most people use 'white privilege' but we just need a name for it so we can discuss it.

To call it "white advantage" suggests that the advantage is inherent to being white and not simply because of the current distribution of population.

The correct word is simply "advantage". No race is required. Yes - it's possible for race to *not* be the reason for everything! Race in this case is incidental. If the proportion changed so that there were more black people on the site then they would then have the "advantage" but would you still want to call it "white advantage"? No - it shows it's the wrong term.

The factor is the group being the "largest", not the color. "predominant group" would be more accurate but carries other connotations.

lisaBObeesa

To call it "white advantage" suggests that the advantage is inherent to being white and not simply because of the current distribution of population.

White advantage or white privilege is not the about the WHY of the advantage. The why could be population, wealth concentration, power structures....any number of things or any number of combination of things. There is no inherent difference between the races, you are correct.

'white privilege' is just the name for the advantages (more dating choices, etc) that you and I have because we have white skin and would not have if we had dark skin, in this particular society.

Race is brought into it because it is a label for advantages that one race has over another race. that is what we are talking about, racial advantages/privileges in our society. It is just a label so we can talk about it.

There are other privileges, like male privilege. We can't leave the 'male' of the label because it is a label for the privileges males in this society have.

Simon

It is a fact that because you and I have white skin we have more dating options.

That is not a fact. That is an opinion.

I think women date or don't date people based on far more than skin color.

Perhaps you are projecting some of your own beliefs and biases onto others?

Last time I was out with my wife and some of our girl friends they were all very impressed with the spanish waiter we had. Apparently it was because he was "European". When I pointed out that I too was European they all tried for a while not to laugh but the strain became too great. Maybe I should have reminded them I was white and quite a catch with my whiteness - "hey, let's all go out into the sun so I can dazzle you".

lisaBObeesa

I didn't say WHY we have have more dating options.

I just said, we HAVE more dating options.

We also have more entrainment options that reflect our culture.

We also have more people control of the government that look like us.

This has nothing to do with WHY.

Just saying what is.

new hope and happiness

Dating options, have a lot to do with social class, and money.

In my world, i still believe in personality...

Simon

'white privilege' is just the name for the advantages (more dating choices, etc) that you and I have because we have white skin and would not have if we had dark skin, in this particular society.

Race is brought into it because it is a label for advantages that one race has over another race. that is what we are talking about, racial advantages/privileges in our society. It is just a label so we can talk about it.

As I've already tried to explain, you are incorrectly injecting race into it. You would have more success and make more progress if you talked about the challenges of being a minority population rather than accusing others of having "white privilege".

The former would probably elicit more sympathy and support vs the latter which is accusatory and antagonistic and suggests intentional unfairness.

So why not talk about the challenges facing a particular minority instead?

because we have white skin and would not have if we had dark skin, in this particular society.

Maybe I should move to spain where I'll be the exotic foreigner.

Simon

In my world, i still believe in personality...

I too cling to that lie. Damn spaniards.

Was justice served fairly in the Micheal Brown tragedy, whats your opinion ?

Share this