I came as an open book, ready to write my next chapters along the way. I had nothing planned for me, and it was the most refreshing feeling ever. After all, what was the worst thing that could happen?
I’m going to throw this out there: there’s no natural-fit position for the religious studies major. And that’s not a bad thing.
There is a need to be nuanced about this word. We need to focus on the systems that create oppression, and yet what do we do with the body, the body that experiences the tangible affects of a lack of privilege? Where do people and there experiences go?
When we tell an individual to “check your privilege,” we are in fact, putting ourselves in a position of power. It is as if our knowledge of their perceived privilege removes us from having any role within this system—enabling us to judge them.
But with this positive realization of privilege comes discomfort and shame; this guilt silences people. How then, can we discuss and acknowledge privilege in a constructive way that continues dialogue and motivates social action?
