General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If you are the member of a privileged group AND call yourself progressive [View all]Major Nikon
(36,927 posts)So more so than invisible at some point it also becomes willful ignorance.
If you want to talk societal privilege as it relates to race, the subject is pretty easy to approach. There are virtually no societal privileges associated with being black, yet plenty exist for being white.
If you want to talk societal privilege as it relates to gender, the subject is not as cut and dried as you might think. Men and women are both privileged in different ways. That's why quite a few people here want to conflate white privilege with "male privilege" and generally refuse all attempts to approach the subject without such conflations. When men get the shit end of the stick on virtually all societal statistics, it's pretty hard to see where the societal privilege comes in.
Your definition of privilege isn't bad, but misses the mark on a few points. "Being able to walk in places" because of your race has everything to do with civil rights, and almost nothing to do with societal privilege. Privilege and outcomes also don't always equate very well. If two groups have the same advantages and disadvantages but diverge for other reasons, privilege has nothing to do with it. If men earn more than women because they work more hours, take more risks, and seek less non-monetary benefits, but otherwise have the same opportunities, this is not an example of privilege. Privilege means one side has an advantage not afforded to the other. If you look at outcomes as your only metric, you are fallaciously equating outcomes to opportunity.