Privilege is the advantage of a particular person, which is associated with their belonging to the dominant social group, and which gives them expanded access to material benefits compared to other people. The division of society into the privileged and the unprivileged leads to the existence of inequality and discrimination (Brännmark 510). Often the separation is based on gender, race, class, religion, and financial status. Representatives of privileged groups tend to consider themselves more worthy of recognition, respect, and encouragement than those who belong to unprivileged groups. Although the division provokes discrimination and hostility between people, it still exists today.
I believe that such a division generates discrimination, which entails a negative attitude of people towards each other, murders, wars. In this regard, I do not consider myself a person of one group or another. I treat people of different socio-economic statuses, religions, genders, and races equally. I consider that the division of society into the unprivileged and the privileged do not bring any practical benefit but only provokes a split between people. My decision was influenced by various situations in the world that are related to discrimination of people.
The fact that due to the significant difference between social, economic, racial, or any other characteristics, people conflict with each other and even kill, had a considerable impact on my perception of privilege. Undoubtedly, some people have spent a lot of time and effort to earn prestige and have access to the benefits of privileged people, but this still does not give them the right to discriminate against other people. There should also be no privilege based on gender and race since this is what should have the right to exist and what is given from birth.
In conclusion, many people want to have privileges to have access to the benefits that may not be available to everyone. People should realize that even if they consider themselves privileged for some reason, they should not think of themselves as better than others and even more so, show aggression towards other people. Society must exist according to social justice because otherwise, people cannot avoid war and civil conflicts.
Works Cited
Brännmark, Johan. “Social Positions and Institutional Privilege as Matters of Justice.” European Journal of Political Theory, vol. 20, no. 3, 2021, pp. 510–528.