Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Understanding what it's like to be (dis)privileged

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Can a person privileged in some respect understand what it is like to be disprivileged in that respect? Some say yes; some say no. I argue that both positions are correct, because ‘understand what it is like to be disprivileged’ is ambiguous. Sometimes, it means grasp of the character of particular experiences of disprivileged people. Privileged people can achieve this. Sometimes, it means grasp of the general character shared by experiences of disprivileged people. Privileged people cannot achieve this. However, there is a general kind of understanding that they can achieve: understanding of why individual experiences have their character, in relation to privilege and disprivilege. This understanding is a skill, not knowledge. It is difficult and discomforting for the privileged to acquire and is easily conflated with knowledge of general experiential character. Distinguishing and characterizing these kinds of understanding clarifies whether, and how, the privileged might understand what it is like to be disprivileged.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)320-356
Number of pages37
JournalPacific Philosophical Quarterly
Volume102
Issue number2
Early online date2 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jun 2021

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Understanding what it's like to be (dis)privileged'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this