Tag: Privilege theory

Written by camilabassi

Privilege theory: a political impasse?

On the 1st May 2014 (International Workers’ Day) I attended a session titled “Intersectionality” at the launch event of the Free University of Sheffield. The strap line to the session – “checking our own privilege” – was a more accurate descriptor, since the session itself advanced privilege theory rather than explored intersectionality. Ideas on intersectionality […]

Written by camilabassi

Racism 101: what is it?

“the construction and reproduction of the idea of ‘race’ is something that requires explanation.” (Miles, 1989: 73) I. The idea of ‘race’ Primarily to offer an explanation of European history and national formation, the idea of ‘race’ entered the English language in the early sixteenth century. The idea of ‘race’ came under scientific investigation from […]

Written by camilabassi

Edward Said’s “Orientalism”: a critique through the spirit of Marx

“[…] Orientalism was ultimately a political vision of reality whose structure promoted the difference between the familiar (Europe, the West, “us”) and the strange (the Orient, the East, “them”).” (Said, 43) I. Introduction Edward Said’s book Orientalism (1978) is a retort to his conceptualisation of a dual camp schema of the world called Orientalism, which […]

Written by camilabassi

On privilege theory and intersectionality

What are privilege theory and intersectionality? And what’s the appeal? Privilege theorist Peggy McIntosh talks of white privilege as “an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank cheques”. The term privilege is seen to go beyond the concept of ‘economic class’ to enable […]