Increasing Awareness of Group Privilege with College Students.

A qualitative study was conducted with 850 participants in 36 different classes including Child and Family Studies, Human Relations, Aviation, and Community Studies in a university in the Midwest. The study conducted was based on a simulated discrimination exercise to increase awareness of group privilege and preferential treatment among college students. Based on the reviewing and coding of the participants' reflections, the following five major themes were identified: awareness of differential application of rules based on group identity; the emotional impact of being treated unfairly; the effect of a person in power's nonverbal and verbal behavior on participants; individual reactions within and between groups; and what makes it hard to talk about race.  When asked about their racial views members of the dominant group endorse abstract principles of racial equality and fairness yet continue to oppose pragmatic initiatives and programs to reduce racial inequality (Schuman, Steeh, Bobo, & Krysan, 1997; Sears, Hetts, Sidanius, & Bobo, 2000; Bonilla-Silva & Forman, 2000). Many dominant group members also do not consider themselves prejudiced, but hold negative racial stereotypes, have feelings of resentment and dislike towards minorities, deny the existence of racial prejudice and discrimination, attribute lack of minority economic gains to a lack of hard work, and believe intervening programs have unfairly advantaged minority groups at the expense of the those in the dominant group (Henry & Sears, 2002; Sears & Henry, 2003). This belief system reflects what social science scholars have termed modern racism (McConahay, Hardee, & Batts, 1981). While old-fashioned racism, overt racist practices and the belief in the biological inferiority of Blacks, continues to exist, modern racism reflects the apparent contradiction between endorsement of racial equality, the rejection of policies to bring about racial equality, and prejudice attitudes; culminating in economic, social, educational, and political adverse consequences for minority groups (Kinder & Sears, 1981; Feagin & Sikes, 1994; Dovidio & Gaertner, 1986; Feagin & McKinney, 2003; McConahay & Hough, 1976). An important factor embedded within the notion of modern racism is the influence of group privilege on the racial positions of those in the dominant group. Group privilege is the unearned advantage conferred to the dominant group; unearned because advantages are obtained not by ability or effort but rather by solely being a member of a privileged group (Johnson, 2006; McIntosh, 1989; Whitley & Kite, 2006). A consequence of group privilege is it is often self perpetuating because the unearned advantages are often oblivious to those that hold them (Johnson, 2006; McIntosh, 1989), which helps maintain systems of privilege and advantages for members of the dominant group (Johnson, 2006). Another consequence of group privilege is prejudical attitudes, discrimination or undeserved negative treatment occurs against members of a minority group (Dovidio & Gaertner, 1986), which can take many forms; from avoidance, exclusion, to outright rejection (Johnson, 2006; Feagin & McKinney, 2003). What culminates from group privilege is a culture of inequality- "the disadvantages of experiencing prejudice and discrimination and the advantages of unearned privilege" (Whitley & Kite, 2006, p. 15). Colleges nationwide have been increasing their diversity initiatives through infusing multicultural content within individual course curricula, or requiring a diversity course(s) to satisfy graduation requirements (Nesbitt, 2004; Greens, 2000; Humphrey, 2000). Diversity education programs aim to not only prepare students for an understanding of and appreciation for diversity within the broader society, but also to stimulate critical thinking about issues such as racism, prejudice, oppression, privilege, and discrimination (Abrams & Gibson, 2007; Garcia & Melendez, 1997; Benjamin & Schwartz, 1995; and Lyons-Lawrence, 1994). …

Field of study: Education