Connotations of "privilege"

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:47:43 GMT

What are the connotations of the traditional English word "privilege"? I think I would say:

It's unfair that someone has X when other people don't.
A minority of people have X
By default, but not necessarily, X is something that people have that they shouldn't be entitled to

You might quibble with the details, but I think that's roughly what people would expect, even though, as with just about every other word in the history of language, it's used in varying ways.

How do they match up to the related-but-different modern usage of male privilege, white privilege, etc?

I think (1) is the big one, and why the term was coined at all, that it refers to things that men get from society by default and women don't and that that IS unfair, and the word was chosen to emphasise that.

However, I think a lot of the confusion is because (2) and (3) don't really apply. "privilege" is naturally used equally much for groups which are a minority (rich privilege), about equal numbers (male privilege), or a majority (non-disabled privilege). And it's used much more often for things that other people want to be able to do (eg. the privilege of walking down the street without expecting catcalls) rather than things they wish no-one could do (eg. the "privilege" of being able to catcall people walking down the street).

So, it may be the case, that the name correctly captures the aspect of "unfair", but by bad luck also sounds like it means "you shouldn't have that", when most people using it probably actually mean "everyone should have that". As Moses says, he's not jealous of other people being prophets -- he wishes everyone could be prophets, he just happens to be lucky that he's achieved it first when many other people haven't.

I'm not saying we should avoid the word[1], but if I have a moment of negative reaction I think it's useful to recognise why we do. Since if I understand why I feel like I'm being blamed or threatened, even if that's not the intention, it may be easier to separate those feelings. And hence actually listen to what's being said, rather than reacting with a general blanket of resistance and negativity.

Footnote [1]

At least, without a positive suggestion for another term which would suggest "unfair" equally well, but with more accurate connotations for "everyone should have it". I doubt it, but is there word that might be better but equally understandable?

As always with discussions about this sort of topic, I find it very very difficult to say that "people who are drawing attention to an injustice don't have an obligation to keep trying until they find language that the person with the problem is comfortable with" while also saying "but it needn't be completely and utterly verboten in every conceivable OTHER circumstance to discuss which terminology is most actually useful at being understood".

(And even if it's the best term we have, I don't think it's necessary to pretend that the unintended connotations never cause problems, even amongst people familiar with the terminology.)

comments

jack

Connotations of "privilege"

Footnote [1]