Johnson-Chapter 3

In chapter 3 of “Privilege, Power, and Difference,” Johnson discusses white racism and capitalism. Looking back at history, white racism has not been around for a very long time. The word and idea of race developed in the Americas and Europe as economic system’s and capitalism expanded. As white privilege was developed, capitalism had played a role.
The main goal of capitalism is to turn money into more money. Capitalists employ workers to produce goods. Often times they pay workers less than what they should for their work but they have a lot of power and therefore have the ability to do such things because the workers have no other choice. Capitalism produces an overall abundance of goods and services, but distributes that wealth unequally. Therefore, it produces conditions of scarcity for most of the population. Today, jobs are offering less pay and fewer opportunities for advancement. This will lead to the possibility of moving up in the class system to be rather unlikely. Capitalism provides an important social context for the trouble that surrounds privilege.
Racism began in America when whites got what they wanted from Native American tribes through genocide and by ignoring several treaties. Whites justified this by developing the “idea of whiteness to define a privileged social category that rose above everyone who was not included in it.” Therefore developing racism.
According to Johnson, one can feel privileged in a certain category and not feel privileged in another. With each category related to privilege, there is either a cost or benefit to it. For example, being a white male is very beneficial in today’s society. However, being a gay white male may lower one’s social status. Today, people do not look at each other and simply see them for who they are but instead see gender, race or even class. Racism will not go away without getting rid of sexism and classism because all of them are in a way connected.
I found this chapter to be interesting. I liked the comparisons Johnson made in reference to privileged categories. Although our country has come a long way in relation to racism I believe we still have a ways to go. Why do people judge one another based on appearances? Until judgments about others are stopped I do not believe racism will end peacefully.