Different aspects of identity in contemporary societies play different roles in presenting specific individuals with power and privileges compared to others. Behind specific forms of identities, there exists an imbalance of both power and privileges that directly underpins certain groups in societies. Privilege and power tend to describe specific benefits that belong to individuals since they fit in a given social group or possess particular dimensions of identity. Having power implies that one has an advantage beyond persons, which was not asked for by them. The leading aspects of identity that present some persons with more power and privileges include skin color or race, gender, socio-economic status, and religion that are commonly determined by societies and the privileged group.
Skin color is among the leading elements of identity in most societies that give people more power and privileges over others. In many countries in Europe and the rest of the world, the whites always obtain more benefits at the expense of the people of color and other races (Cheek & Cheek, 2018). This conclusion demonstrates that the whites are often considered above the black community, and they directly typecast and treat this marginalized group differently. This is the most common aspect of identity that provides the whites with increased power and privileges. Race makes the people of color feel as though they are not catered for by their respective societies making them feel powerless. Therefore, this demonstrates that race or skin color is a notable aspect of identity that gives the whites more power and privileges over the blacks in many countries.
Gender identity also presents some people, particularly women, with more power and privileges. Gender, as an aspect of identity, majorly refers to male privilege that looks down on females in various societal aspects. According to Carpenter et al. (2020), gender identity involves a set of specific privileges that is commonly distributed among men, particularly on the basis of their gender. This form of identity provides the men with more power and privilege since they are always considered and catered for in their career advancement. Gender identity presents men with more power and privileges by being listened to and treated more respectfully compared to women.
Socio-economic as an aspect of identity provides individuals that occupy the top social status with more power and privileges. The other class discriminates against persons occupying the lowest socio-economic class. Socio-economic identity is a relatively complex entity primarily because it is viewed very differently by everyone (Destin et al., 2017). For example, while it could imply the ability to afford luxury products to some, to others, it could be associated with the capacity to afford college finances or have a place to call home. Religion is also another predominant aspect of identity that gives people more privileges and power. In this case, the most dominant religion in a given nation always has more power and privileges compared to other religions. Christianity is the most dominant religion in the world; therefore, it gives Christians more power and privileges in Christian-majority countries.
Different situations related to identity cause specific persons in societies to determine the type of differences that matter in general. In every society that is governed by whites in the government, the white folks often determine that the white race matter in all conditions. This means that the white, under the impression of white privilege, decide that the white race matter compared to the blacks in contemporary societies. The men determine the kind of gender that matters, which is the males over the females. This is done by the men dominating almost all aspects of societies ranging from healthcare, business, leadership, and education, among others. The rich determine the society’s economic status that matters by making it clear that the high-class tend to control the low-class. Finally, the dominant religion in a given nation determines the type of religious differences that matter.
In most cases, individuals do not go along with these decisions because the people have more power and privileges than others end up discriminating against the other group. This leads to individuals with less power experiencing instances of stress and poor mental health. This causes these people to be unproductive in their respective job places. The individuals also do not go along with the decisions because it creates a somewhat poor culture among the underprivileged group. On the other hand, the privileged and more powerful groups often go along with these decisions because it favors them and makes things easy for them.
In conclusion, almost every person has at least one identity aspect that ought to present them with more power and privilege. These identity elements include skin color or race, gender, socio-economic status, and religion that allow a person to be privileged in society. The differences are determined mainly by people who hold the highest tier in a given category. Almost all individuals often do not go along with their decision because it puts them in a disadvantaged position.
References
Carpenter, C. S., Eppink, S. T., & Gonzales, G. (2020). Transgender status, gender identity, and socioeconomic outcomes in the United States.ILR Review, 73(3), 573-599. Web.
Cheek, N. N., & Cheek, J. M. (2018). Aspects of identity: From the inner-outer metaphor to a tetrapartite model of the self.Self and Identity, 17(4), 467-482. Web.
Destin, M., Rheinschmidt-Same, M., & Richeson, J. A. (2017). Status-based identity: A conceptual approach integrating the social psychological study of socioeconomic status and identity.Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(2), 270-289. Web.