Johnson chapter 3

In chapter 3 Johnson talks about capitalism developed white privilege. Capitalism, race, gender, and privilege are all interconnected in a way. Capitalism connects to racism in direct and indirect ways.
Johnson talks about how capitalism works. Capitalists sell the goods and services that the workers produce, meaning they are not the ones who are really working. Some people have no choice but to work for little money that the capitalists offer. Although white racism has not been around forever some people are sill confused of how it came about. Land and raw materials have also been incorporated into the capitalists’ connection to white racism. Capitalists have used racism as a way to keep their workers wages low, and their productivity high. Workers did not ask for higher wages for the simple fact that they would be fired for asking such questions. Being privileged can also be complicated in a way. People who may be privileged in one category, ant then not privileged because he or she may fit into a different category.
Privilege can serve as dominating over others. For example when a woman challenges a man and he calls her a lesbian or the women just gets quiet and may not say much. People take these insults seriously because it does hurt a woman’s reputation, and there is not much she can say to the man for calling her that because the men are perceived as dominant. Why is it that men make more money than women on average? Why do women have to be considered a lower status compared to men? No mater how times change these issues will still seem to be present.
I think this was an interesting chapter in how capitalism and class are related, but also how he gives examples of why people feel the way they do if they are privileged or not. Sometimes I do not understand peoples’ greed to succeed and be powerful is done at the expense of others. People should not be afraid to ask for a bonus or any kind of pay increase if they have been hard workers and have held a superior job title for many years. Johnson states that part of the misconception is that privilege is all about individuals and I agree with him. Sometimes I just do not understand why people put others in categories that make them feel “less like a man” or how women are the weaker sex compared to men.