Johnson CH. 5: The Trouble with the Trouble

In Chapter 5, Johnson states that dominant groups don’t look at privilege as a problem. It is crucial that members of privileged groups start to see both privilege and oppression as a problem instead of nonexistent. If this realization never comes to be, then privilege will never progress to be resolved in the future of society. One reason dominant groups don’t view privilege as a problem is because they don’t know it exists in the first place. “The reality of privilege doesn’t occur to them because they don’t go out of their way to see it or ask about it because no one dares bring it up for fear of making things worse” (68). Being ignorant of this reality allows people to go on with their lives without having to deal with the problem. Another reason is because they don’t have to. Paying attention to any kind of trouble doesn’t happen unless perhaps it’s pointed out. The next reason is because they think it’s just a personal problem. These dominant groups believe that people get what they deserve. Johnson uses an example, “This means that if whites or males get more than others, it’s because they have it coming – they work harder, they’re smarter, more capable. If other people get less, it’s up to them to do something about it” (69-70). Moving on, the next reason why dominant groups don’t look at privilege as a problem is because they want to hang on to their privilege. Prejudice also takes part in this ignorance, as well as being afraid. People are afraid of blame in general, but dominant groups are afraid of “being blamed if they acknowledge that it exists.”

Johnson mentions the tin cup approach, which is “an appeal made to privileged people’s sense of decency and fairness, their good will toward those less fortunate than themselves” (71). The do-a-good-deed approach is also brought up, as well as the business case approach. It is safe to say that there would be no future for privilege and oppression if the dominant groups actually saw these concepts as a problem. I think that this is a major issue in today’s society. The point is, if a person is privileged in one aspect of their life, they are most likely oppressed in another aspect. These dominant groups don’t have the right to use their privilege to ignore this problem all together. People should become more aware of their privileges in life, but they should be sure not to use that to make anyone feel worthless or low.