Johnson CH. 6: What It All Has to Do with Us

This chapter deals with the concept of diversity, among other things. Johnson believes that people don’t talk about the problem of privilege because it feels too risky. He said that feelings of discomfort and fear hold us back long enough for us to find a way to deal with the problems of even talking about privilege. What people don’t know is that the risk isn’t as big as it may seem. There is a universal human fear, which happens to deal with strangeness and being unfamiliar with certain aspects. This whole problem stems from “the way people think about things and who they are in relation to them” (76). Privilege holds its own certain path with diversity. People are unlikely to cross diversity lines to offer opportunities or privilege to others, which means they’re more likely to do this with someone of equal privilege.

Sexism and individualism are brought together to help get a better understanding of what Johnson is talking about in this chapter. As individuals, we think that everything has to do with individuals and has nothing to do with social categories. “If we use individualism to explain sexism, for example, it’s hard to avoid the idea that sexism exists simply because men are sexist – men have sexist feeling, beliefs, needs, and motivations that lead them to behave in sexist ways” (77). Using this concept to talk about privilege doesn’t work because it’s what causes the circular motion of never solving the problem. This also uses the blame game because it allows everything bad in life to be seen as somebody’s fault. This individualistic way of thinking makes us unaware or blind to the fact the privilege even exists. Johnson states that “privilege, by definition, has nothing to do with individuals, only with the social categories we wind up in.”

The path of least resistance is another main concept discussed by Johnson. In society, we have institutions, socialization any many other aspects that individualize us. In most cases, it is likely that if given options, we will choose the path of least resistance. By this, Johnson means making our decisions based on what people “normally” do. He gives the example of being in an elevator. Once you walk in, people are likely to turn back around and face the door so when it opens, they are able to walk straight out. This is considered a path of least resistance because that is the norm in today’s society. People need to realize that there is a problem with privilege before we can take steps to change it. It is better to look at social categories in general, than blaming things on individuals. Our world is much too big it be placing blame on certain people day by day.

I really learned something from Johnson’s final paragraph of chapter 6. “As long as we participate in social systems, we don’t get to choose whether to be involved in the consequences they produce. We’re involved simple through the fact that we’re here. As such, we can only choose how to be involved, whether to be just part of the problem or also to be part of the solution. That’s where our power lies, and also our responsibility” (89).