Privilege, Power, and Difference [Paperback]

Allan G. Johnson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072874899 | ISBN-13: 978-0072874891 | Publication Date: February 11, 2005 | Edition: 2

This brief book is a groundbreaking tool for students and non-students alike to examine systems of privilege and difference in our society. Written in an accessible, conversational style, Johnson links theory with engaging examples in ways that enable readers to see the underlying nature and consequences of privilege and their connection to it. This extraordinarily successful book has been used across the country, both inside and outside the classroom, to shed light on issues of power and privilege.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is one of the best texts I have read for introducing the concepts of privilege, power, and difference. . . It is an excellent work covering critically important ideas in an easily accessible style."  Amber E. Kinser  -- Feminist Teacher

Privilege, Power, and Difference is an outstanding discussion of how social systems work to perpetuate privilege, how individuals choose to interact with those systems, and how we can create positive change." Charles Dickey -- Leftunder Books

From the Back Cover

"Allan Johnson really understands how interlocking systems of oppression work and knows how to share his understanding in a way that will be immediately accessible to students at all levels. Privilege, Power, and Difference should serve as an invaluable tool for teaching about privilege and oppression."  Paula Rothenberg, author of Race, Class, and Gender

"In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Allan Johnson teaches us how to think critically about inequality and oppression without getting mired in guilt or despair. He gently but firmly removes the blinders that keep us from seeing our own privileges and how those privileges harm others. Then he shows us how to walk the talk and turn our beliefs in justice and equality into practice. This is a book that will change lives."  Michael Schwalbe, author of Unlocking the Iron Cage: The Men's Movement, Gender Politics, and American Culture.

"I adopted this very readable book and it has had a tremendous impact on my students.  Johnson explains the concept of privilege in ways that allow my students with privilege to hear and understand without getting defensive.  I recommend it highly for both college and high school students and the general adult population."  Jane Connor, SUNY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 2 edition (February 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072874899
• ISBN-13: 978-0072874891
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > History > Americas > United States > African Americans

More About the Author

Allan G. Johnson is a nationally recognized writer, novelist, and public speaker who has worked on issues of privilege, oppression, and social inequality since receiving his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan in 1972. His nonfiction writing has been translated into several languages and excerpted in numerous anthologies. His novels, The First Thing and the Last and Nothing Left to Lose, come from a lifelong devotion to the art of writing coupled with a passionate commitment to understanding what it means to be a human being in a complex world full of unnecessary suffering. He shares his life with Nora L. Jamieson, a writer, healer, and gatherer of women. They live in the hills of northwestern Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Content, Gentle Delivery, October 1, 2003

By 

M. Khalil Islam-zwart (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Privilege, Power, and Difference (Paperback)

When I first saw the title for this book, I thought it was going to be another of those books that make you feel sick and worthless once you get to the end. This couldn't have been further from the truth. Allen's book was engaging, gentle, but powerful. It was thorough in describing the impact of power and privilege in a way that can be felt and understood even by those who are not familiar with (or generally interested in) critical studies and sociology. I found this to be a text that I could engage with, but also one that I could share with those who had a hard time seeing the lines of power and how they impact all of our relationships in many different ways.

I highly recommend this book both to those who have worked with the material of oppression for a long time as well as for those who are struggling to understand what it's all about. The book is powerful and gentle at the same time - something that is very important when dealing with issues of oppression and equity.

78 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really makes a difference!, May 14, 2001

By 

Jane Connor (Binghamton, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Privilege, Power, and Difference (Paperback)

I adopted this very readable book as one of several required books for my Multicultural Psychology class and it has had a tremendous impact on my students. Johnson explains the concept of privilege, as it applies to race, gender and sexual orientation, in ways that allow my White students and other students with privilege to hear and understand without getting defensive. He desribes why change is difficult but not impossible, what we can all do to stop supporting "the system" and why we should. I recommend it highly for both college and high school students and the general adult population.

44 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, non-threatening and helpful, July 15, 2005

By 

J. Kelly-Moore "humanitarian" (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Privilege, Power, and Difference (Paperback)

As an instructor working in the Humanities, finding non-threatening ways to talk about privilege, whiteness, and/or racism is very challenging. As I read the negative reviews, I am even more aware of how difficult it is to get these ideas across without being accused of self-hatred, etc. In an effort to encourage positive self reflection on these complex issues, I have read many of the foundation works Dr. Johnson mentions. His recapituation of these ideas is indeed gentle. One of the best things he does is make it possible for individuals to recognize that, while they may have unearned entitlements in one area, they may not have them in another. In this way, it is possible for practically everyone to recognize the feeling of being an outsider and this can lead to a compassion and understanding that has NOTHING TO DO with guilt. This work can create a bridge. As an instructor in the area of cultural studies, I often must challenge individuals who believe feeling guilty is all they can do. It isn't. Dr. Johnson gives us actions that we as individuals can actually engage. BTW the chapter on Capitalism is elegant dynamite.
If you are open to the possibility that things can get better through a personal self-reflective understanding of our socio-economic location, read this book. If not, don't waste your time.