Sociology is, by and large, a revolutionary field. More controversial than the hard sciences and more socially conscious than the arts, sociology has a long and deep history in fighting for social change. Despite this, sociology also has its limitations. Having been founded by three straight, able-bodied white men who form the canon of the field—Weber, Marx and Durkheim—much of sociology is seen through a single perspective. While all groups and societies are studied and analyzed, only white, able-bodied men are seen as the norm.
This issue can be seen in a wide variety of academic fields. Because straight, able-bodied white men form the majority of those in power in this country, the world of research tends to revolve around them and they are standardized as the norm. To illustrate this idea, try visiting the greeting card aisle of any store in any city across the country. The vast majority of greeting cards will feature white, able-bodied characters. Seeing a birthday card for a Black woman in a wheelchair or an anniversary card for two wives rather than a husband and a wife is virtually un-heard of. We have been conditioned to view the straight, white, able-bodied population as the norm against which all subsequent groups must be compared.
This sense of normalization is harmful for many reasons. By labeling one particular group as the norm, all other groups become abnormal. Women are compared to men, members of the LGBTQ community are compared to heterosexuals, the disabled are compared to the able-bodied and all races are compared to the Anglo-Saxon. One article that truly captures this sense of harmful normalization in regards to race is White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. In this article, McIntosh argues that members of the white majority in the US are taught not to see their own race. Despite the significant roles that race and racism have played—and continue to play—in the founding and ruling of this country, white people are “carefully taught not to recognize white privilege” (McIntosh 49). This observation deficit is dangerous because it ignores the vast and plentiful privileges bestowed almost unknowingly upon white people and held away from people of color. This ignorance, however, is comforting because it allows for the propagation of the “myth of meritocracy” that allows members of America’s majority the ability to comfortably live guilt-free.
I believe that this same limitation can be seen in sociology. Being white, male, able-bodied and straight has become such an inherent assumption that social theorists rarely discuss other groups without comparing their statistics to those of their straight, able-bodied white counterparts. Despite the fact that sociologists often fight for equality and change, we see the world through a tainted lens and often find it difficult to analyze diverse groups without comparing them to this standard.
In order to truly use sociology to change this world for the better, this limitation must be taken into consideration. It is not enough to simply study the canon of sociology. We, as sociologists, must learn to see different issues with a broader perspective. Straight, able-bodied white men should not be seen as the assumed standard, for they compose just one, single, distinct group amongst millions.
Works Cited
McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Independent School (1990). Print.
This issue can be seen in a wide variety of academic fields. Because straight, able-bodied white men form the majority of those in power in this country, the world of research tends to revolve around them and they are standardized as the norm. To illustrate this idea, try visiting the greeting card aisle of any store in any city across the country. The vast majority of greeting cards will feature white, able-bodied characters. Seeing a birthday card for a Black woman in a wheelchair or an anniversary card for two wives rather than a husband and a wife is virtually un-heard of. We have been conditioned to view the straight, white, able-bodied population as the norm against which all subsequent groups must be compared.
This sense of normalization is harmful for many reasons. By labeling one particular group as the norm, all other groups become abnormal. Women are compared to men, members of the LGBTQ community are compared to heterosexuals, the disabled are compared to the able-bodied and all races are compared to the Anglo-Saxon. One article that truly captures this sense of harmful normalization in regards to race is White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. In this article, McIntosh argues that members of the white majority in the US are taught not to see their own race. Despite the significant roles that race and racism have played—and continue to play—in the founding and ruling of this country, white people are “carefully taught not to recognize white privilege” (McIntosh 49). This observation deficit is dangerous because it ignores the vast and plentiful privileges bestowed almost unknowingly upon white people and held away from people of color. This ignorance, however, is comforting because it allows for the propagation of the “myth of meritocracy” that allows members of America’s majority the ability to comfortably live guilt-free.
I believe that this same limitation can be seen in sociology. Being white, male, able-bodied and straight has become such an inherent assumption that social theorists rarely discuss other groups without comparing their statistics to those of their straight, able-bodied white counterparts. Despite the fact that sociologists often fight for equality and change, we see the world through a tainted lens and often find it difficult to analyze diverse groups without comparing them to this standard.
In order to truly use sociology to change this world for the better, this limitation must be taken into consideration. It is not enough to simply study the canon of sociology. We, as sociologists, must learn to see different issues with a broader perspective. Straight, able-bodied white men should not be seen as the assumed standard, for they compose just one, single, distinct group amongst millions.
Works Cited
McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Independent School (1990). Print.