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Paperback
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
This brief book is a groundbreaking tool for students and non-students alike to examine systems of privilege and difference in our society. Written in an accessible, conversational style, Johnson links theory with engaging examples in ways that enable readers to see the underlying nature and consequences of privilege and their connection to it. This extraordinarily successful book has been used across the country, both inside and outside the classroom, to shed light on issues of power and privilege. Allan Johnson has worked on issues of social inequality since receiving his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan in 1972. He has more than thirty years of teaching experience and is a frequent speaker on college and university campuses. Johnson has earned a reputation for writing that is exceptionally clear and explanations of complex ideas that are accessible to a broad audience.
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| An Emphasis on Difference,no doubt |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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I did not walk into Privilege, Power, and Difference with the highest of expectations, but I walked out of it disappointed nonetheless. Dr. Johnson takes a message that screams with potential, infuses in it a heaping portion of sociological theory, dilutes it in a solution of wordy generalizations, and ends packing about the same punch as a feather landing on the pavement.
In all sincerity, the book could have been written in about a quarter of the pages. The result is a text that reads like an episode of E! True Hollywood Story; recapping at every commercial break, or in this case, every few pages. Certainly the wording itself is easily decipherable, as Johnson makes considerable effort to avoid sociological jargon, and when he lapses, explains himself immediately. But still the text lacks specificity.
Another reviewer, Hadley Lehman, mentioned that Johnson "writes in a witty, conversational style, using many personal examples." This was not my impression. It seemed to me that a prevailing portion of the book was the author's personal opinion, and when he needed to back it up, he would briefly refer to a repetitious and generalized set of examples, in the following formula: "they are the [insert profession, race, or other identifier of the oppressor] who [insert instance of oppression and description of the oppressed; usually in a subordinate group]." For instance, on pages 70 and 71, Johnson explains the resistance to change often displayed by openly prejudiced members of dominant groups, citing examples in the format I described above. He writes, "They're the white executives who talk in racist ways in the privacy of their offices, the Army drill sergeants who sexually assault female trainees...or a presidential candidate who vows not to appoint gay or lesbian Cabinet secretaries." Which executives is he referring to? Which drill sergeants? Which presidential candidate? Johnson doesn't answer these questions, but these remain his examples; colorful, but hugely impersonal and unspecific.
But perhaps this is because Johnson restricts himself to little more than abstract concepts in the first place. He is constantly referring to systems, and seldom relating to the individual, except to discredit the independence of her or his actions. The only personal experiences he shares are of his playing style in the game of Monopoly, and the occasional reference to an interaction he's had with another person, usually a member of one of the disadvantaged groups he outlines. But even during these interactions, we spend most of our time in Johnson's head, a space crowded with his own hypotheses and conclusions. From these I suppose it is intended that we garner some sense of how to apply Johnson's ideas to our actions, but they are so far from real life that it is nearly impossible.
Then there are the ideas themselves. Johnson takes much time to present obviously theoretical explanations for human behavior, which is not only careless, but also unnecessary to make his point. For me, this quickly resulted in a rather frustrating reading experience, as I was constantly distracted from the powerful concepts--the invisible acceptance that dominant groups give for oppression, resultant of their silence--by the more controversial hypotheses--the proposition, without citation I might add, that any theory presenting biology as a determinate for gender roles is an attempt to suppress. His phrasing here makes it tempting to take his statement at face value, as he writes that patriarchal culture enforces the idea that "male superiority is a natural arrangement dictated by genes and other biological imperatives (113)," which, he goes on to indicate, is just another effort to oppress women. Obviously using the word "superiority" is going to make us inclined to take Johnson's side and become angry. But replace "superiority" with, perhaps, "gender roles," and the expression takes a more complex meaning. This is a subtle example of the black-and-white cultural determinism that permeates Johnson's book. While such theory is no doubt subscribed to by many, cultural determinism is by no means the only theory, and is perhaps not even the most widely accepted as an explanation of human behavior.
All of these technical problems--the presentation of unproven theory as proven fact, the repetitive writing, and the abstract, over generalized examples--would be forgivable were there a significant driving force behind them. But there is not. For all the societal issues he outlines, Johnson offers minimal advice on solution. I read through chapter after chapter, problem after problem, waiting for a redeeming conclusion, for some hope for the future of mankind, and all I got was a lousy quote from Gandhi (132), and some advice to go to an abortion rally (see the National Abortion Rights Action League reference on page 152). What about the atrocities outlined in the first eight chapters? What do I do with this if I am against abortion? But that is another problem with the book, it only appeals to those who share Johnson's rather liberal point of view. Not only does it not include anyone else, but it ostracizes their opinion, as Johnson clearly points out that every opposition to his ideas is an attempt to perpetuate the power of the oppressors, and the subdual of the oppressed (see pages 69-71).
On a final note, I had an overwhelming sense of hopelessness when I put down Privilege, Power, and Difference for the last time. It seemed as though the world that Johnson is advocating for would be as bleak as his writing. It would be a world in which we could not say anything for fear of offending another; it would be a world of politeness--perhaps even a safe place for "emotional expression"--but there would be no vibrancy, no passion, no place for the deep love between each human being that I dream is someday possible. In short, there would be no emotions worth expressing. Despite Johnson's assurance his way of dealing with people as members of systems only is effective, it in fact leads only to sweeping problems under the rug, ending ultimately in a society devoid of offense, but also of expression. As long as we divide our suffering up into his categories, we divide ourselves. We will constantly be vying for the position of dominance--in this case, who suffers most--and never acknowledging the fundamental experience we share: the experience of a human being. Without awareness of this commonality, we can never care for one another more than for ourselves. And to change our language or our media in the face of this would be to ignore the problem as a whole, which is, ironically, the characteristic shortcoming of Johnson's approach.
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| Useless and Worthless |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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This book is required for an English class I am taking. The author has never been discrimated against in any way but makes many unfounded claims about race, gender and ability. I just want to know how someone can write a book full of their own opinions when they have no experience with the subject. This author is ridiculous.
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| A++++++++++++ |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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really great seller
good communication and really fast shipping
the book is in mint condition
a really satisfying purchase
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| Hurt people- hurt people |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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This book adds nothing that isn't known about problems with discrimination and does nothing to heal. the idea the author makes that we must stop wounding before we can experience healing gives me an uncomfortable feeling he's out to throw bricks through supermarket windows and to breed hate and contempt until he becomes one of privilege. I feel this book is filled with venom that will hurt and not heal. If you are a person of privilege and have no idea and are looking for a book to give you a clue into the hurt and pain that minorities feel read this book. If you want to fill yourself with rage and fuel your hatred for the privileged read this book.
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| It opened my eyes |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Dr. Johnson takes the "isms" and turns them on thier head. In doing so, he transforms the vase into two faces, and concepts that seemed alien became clear.
He masterfully illustrates why he uses the concept of privilege instead of the "isms", and explains the ramifications of this in everyday life. He shows how we perpetuate privilege in how we teach our children and how we shape our institutions. By showing how the system is complicit, he shows how none of us are to blame - and yet all of us are responsible. He even manages to make it clear how the more subtle, "reasonable" forms of privilege still have a profound impact today.
The one thing this book lacks is a discussion of what the end-goal would look like. With the more "reasonable" and subtle forms that privilege takes today it's hard to discern the motive behind the actions. Simply saying that motive is irrelevant doesn't give us an end-state to work toward.
Despite this missing element, this book is a fantastic and easy-to-read (and easy to understand) journey into a new way to look at all the "isms" that confront us today.
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