Forms of privilege

Answer

Various forms of privileges can still be found in the contemporary society, despite the heated campaigns for equality and fairness. The white privilege is a preferential treatment given to those individuals with phenotypic white skin, while the rest are considered as minorities (Kendall, 2006). The straight privilege is a preference towards individuals with normal sexual orientations, while those homosexual, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals (LGBTs) are considered social misfits. The Christian privilege favors those people who proclaim Jesus Christ as their savior, while those who believe in other faiths and deities are segregated. Lastly, the economic privilege recognizes the class society, where the haves and the have-nots do not share a common platform (Alfred, 2002, Kendall, 2006). More respect and preferential treatment seem to be channeled to the rich, while the poor languish in lack of basic social amenities, and limited access to public resources.

These privileges disadvantage adult learning process in multiple ways. More basically, the access to basic requirements is limited to the minorities of each category, for instance, getting chances of enrollment and acceptance into adult schools. Even if one gets to enter the program, discrimination and preferential treatment of one’s counterpart would ensure an unbalanced acquisition of knowledge and learning minorities (Kendall, 2006). In some parts of the world, there are some institutions which still bear the “whites only” mark. This is a disadvantage to other colored people living in those areas, as they cannot easily mingle with such class of people.

 In addition, economic bias, which stems from the economic privilege, has seen people of higher economic class receive better funding and provision of ideal environments of learning, while the lower class lack basic requirements. Poor funding leads to poor teaching and training methods, limited resource allocation to students, and poor motivation and appreciation of teachers’ efforts (Alfred, 2002). These coalesce to result into a poorly managed learning program that lacks the capacity to assess performance, train and implement lifelong learning program.

Besides, religious segregation helps to build tension among individuals living together, and robs people of a sense of belonging minorities (Kendall, 2006). This has seen the constitution of religious-based institutions, e.g. the Muslim schools, Catholic institutions among others. This is a limiting factor to many individuals who exercise their freedom of worship. In lifelong education, collaborative learning and interrelatedness are championed as the sure ways to acquisition of knowledge, skills and attributes (Alfred, 2002). When there is lack of freedom among learners, such unity and collaboration cannot exist, thus impeding the entire process.

An individual adult educator can subvert these practices by exercising equity in resource allocation, avoiding preferential treatment to students regardless of their economic status, race, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation minorities (Kendall, 2006). By teaching equality in class sessions and promoting togetherness through group formations, an educator can preach unity and acceptance among students of diverse backgrounds. Normally, preferential treatments are manifested in administering of punitive measures against misbehavior. By strictly giving the punishment outlined and commensurate for a particular crime to the perpetrator, regardless of social bearing is an ideal way to show non-preference and outsmart the pervasions championed by the various forms of privileges.

 Lastly, an individual educator can manifest sound judgment and non-partisan behavior through the process of curriculum development. By construction an inclusive program that incorporates the interests of persons with diverse backgrounds and social orientations, an educator can eliminate biases associated with myopic organization of the adult learning program.