bashoGWSS1

Johnson’s model of power as a social hierarchy seems to represent our society the best. Johnson states that power is correlated closely to privilege. Privilege on the other hand is linked to difference. Not everyone can be privileged, because we are all very different and are “valued� or “devalued� differently. He also says that we inherit this power, you are the person you are and that comes with or without a privilege.
This power operates through norms with what Johnson calls the “+5 “ system. In the western world if you are white, man, heterosexual, middleclass and Christian you have all the points you need to be privileged and therefore have more “power� compared to the less privileged ones. I guess this all a result of difference. People have come not to use difference as a positive aspect of our culture instead they are afraid of it. People are “afraid “to approach a homosexual because they are not considered “normal.� People use this deference to reward or punish, value or devalue people.
Johnson’s system of “+5� is a very clear reflection of our society; expect when it comes to gender I seem to disagree a little with him. I guess women do have a harder time since they have to take care of the kids and give birth and all that, but stills that never seemed a barrier to me of reaching my career goals. I never thought that women are devalued and men have more privilege than them. However, I do believe that women have to work harder to take care of the children and have a career. As I remember reading somewhere, men who are lawyers are expected to be aggressive but that’s easy for them because their outside gender role is expected to be aggressive too, unlike women lawyers that are expected to be aggressive, but their gender role is to be soft and affectionate.