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Terms: Performative Allyship, Privilege
Performative Allyship
Definition:
“An ally is someone from a non-marginalized group who uses their privilege to advocate for a marginalized group. Being an ally is a good thing.
Performative allyship, on the other hand—also sometimes referred to as ally theater—is when an individual from a majority or privileged group (white/straight/cis/abled) professes their support of and/or solidarity with a marginalized group (identifies themselves as an ally) in a way that either isn’t helpful to that group, draws attention away from that group, or actively harms that group.
A person rants passionately on social media about various injustices but doesn’t actually do anything about those injustices.
Examples:
A real ally:
Doesn’t just call themself an ally, they do the work.
Calls out people who make racist remarks.
Educates themself. Marginalized folks don’t have the time or the energy to educate you.
Examines their motives. Are they involved in advocacy work because it feels good or because there are injustices that need addressing?” Kristen Mae
Sources:
Here’s The Problem With Performative Allyship 2018
Resources:
Here’s The Problem With Performative Allyship
Performative Allyship Is Deadly (And What to Do Instead) | Forge
Privilege
Phonetic Pronunciation: priv-uh-lij
Definition:
Privilege is an unearned advantage relative to, and perhaps at the expense of, others (4). From a social justice perspective, it refers to the social benefits, opportunities, and respect individuals receive because of the groups they belong to, such as race, gender, religion, income level, ability, sexuality, age, or education (2)(3).
History:
Privilege was historically used in Europe as a legal designation (5), deriving from Old French privilege meaning “right,” “priority,” “special advantage,” and from the Latin privilegium, referring to a law applied to a specific individual, either in their favour or against them (8). As social and religious hierarchies became more entrenched, privilege increasingly came to describe the exclusive advantages associated with certain groups and positions within society. Over time, this understanding expanded beyond legal status to encompass broader systems of social power and inequality.
Current Usage:
In contemporary usage across academic and social justice contexts, privilege refers to the unearned advantages individuals or groups may experience due to their social position, often in relation to race, gender, or socioeconomic status (1). The term is commonly used in activism and critical scholarship to highlight how everyday advantages and disadvantages are shaped by systemic inequalities, including those that may go unrecognized in daily life (11). More broadly, its modern usage emphasizes identifying and challenging the structures and power dynamics that produce unequal outcomes in society (1).
Examples:
Situational: A queer woman of colour can still have the privilege of being financially well-off, living in a liberal and tolerant city, and having access to healthcare (7)
Sentence: “some of us have never had the privilege of having enough food to eat to keep our bodies healthy.” (10)
Perspective:
Privilege exists in many areas of life, whether it is recognized or not, and is not limited to white people, men, or those who are wealthy. Individuals who experience disadvantage or oppression in one aspect of their identity may still benefit from advantages in others. For example, privileges can include having supportive parents, financial stability, physical mobility, access to education, or the ability to move through daily life with a sense of safety and security (11).
The term privilege can be perceived as accusatory, implying that someone’s life has been easier or that they have not worked hard for their achievements. However, privilege does not negate individual effort or accomplishments. Rather, it refers to the absence of certain barriers or disadvantages that others may face due to factors such as their identity, background, history, or culture (11). Understanding privilege paves the way for empathy and helps to build a more inclusive culture.
Did you know?
The conceptual foundation of privilege was first described by thinker W.E.B. Du Bois back in 1935 in the context of class and racism in America. He noticed that white people often got "unearned" bonuses, like better schools and more respect from the police, just because of their race. This discovery is a big reason why we now understand privilege as a hidden head start that some people get in life (4, 9).
Sources:
(1) https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-privilege/
(3) https://unitedwaysem.org/equity-challenge-days/day-3-what-is-privilege/
(4) https://reagle.org/joseph/pelican/2015/privilege-history.html
(5) https://amyjuliabecker.com/what-privilege-is/
(6) https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15210/15210-h/15210-h.htm#Chapter_II
(7) https://medium.com/live-your-life-on-purpose/what-privilege-actually-means-5ff309460e39
(8) https://www.etymonline.com/word/privilege
(9) https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-origins-of-privilege
(10) https://roxannemanning.com/about-privilege/
(11) https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeseq/2021/03/29/privilege-is-not-a-dirty-word/