Carrell 1

Hailey Carrell

LIS 5033

Dr. White

31 March 2017

Privilege and Power in Information Society

Information has long been a marker of power in society. Throughout history, those who

had extended educations were in a higher class than those who did not. Even now, though there

is less focus on formal education, society is built on information and information gives

individuals even more power. However, there is an inequality in the access to said power. This

can be seen through an examination of the availability of information and education to

underprivileged citizens. People of minorities do not necessarily have the same access to

education as the white population. This contributes to the ongoing inequality and white privilege

that exists in society today. In addition, it enhances the idea that those who are higher in society

are more powerful, both in wealth and information. With information as power, students who

face disadvantages in their education already have less power than those who attend affluent

schools.

To begin this discussion, one must first define privilege in this context. Rose and Paisley

(2011) define privilege as, “entitlements, advantages, immunities, or permissions enjoyed by a

group or individual while oppression is the willful expression of power by a group or individual

to dominate (140).” An important thing to note is that these privileges exist “even when no

minoritized populations are participating (145).” The absence of those in poverty does not mean

that there is no privilege at play. Rather, it is often when this demographic is absent that privilege

is in effect. These oppressions are prominent when it comes to education. Because of these
 Carrell 2

privileges, some are left without the same access to information, which leaves them less

powerful in society.

The area in which these privileges are most apparent is in public schools. The average

white student “attends school with a majority of non-poor students.” However, the average

minority student attends school with students “living below the poverty line (Logan, 2002;

Saporito and Sohoni, 2007, quoted in Logan & Burdick-Will 2016, 324). In turn, “urban high

schools…have much lower graduation rates than their suburban counter parts (Swanson 2008,

quoted in Logan and Burdick-Will 2016, 324). Students in these schools are already at a

disadvantage because of their social status. However, this is not the only disadvantage these

schools face. Not only are the students underprivileged, but the schools often employ teachers

who are inexperienced and underqualified and have less funding than most suburban schools

(Eaddy, et.al., 2003; Hochschild and Scovronick, 2003; quoted in Logan & Burdick-Will 2016,

324). These inequalities are setting children up for a life of struggle against the more privileged.

In an age of information and knowledge, these disadvantages can be detrimental. More affluent

students are already ahead of those who are underprivileged. With the contrast in schooling,

some students are deprived of what could be the power that could help them rise up.

Public schools are not the only institutions in which privilege is evident. Logan and

Burdick-Will (2016) examine the performance of students in charter schools versus non-charter

schools, focusing on test scores of students, the racial diversity of these schools, and the poverty

level of the students. They conclude that “almost invariably,” schools with lower poverty

perform better on standardized tests. (336). In addition, many black, Hispanic, and Native

American students still face segregation, putting them in “the most disadvantaged schools

(338).” This is a prime example of privilege affecting certain groups’ access to the power of
 Carrell 3

information. There are still many hardships underprivileged students must face in their quest for

information. These students do not have the same disposable income as more privileged students.

They may not be able to afford to buy all of the school supplies they need. Some students do not

have internet access at home. They may have the option of using a public library, but they are

limited to the library’s hours of operation. These students face many disadvantages that harshly

affect their access to information.

This discrepancy in power is not only evident in the classroom, but also in other forms of

education. For example, Jeff Rose and Karen Paisley (2011) discuss the effects of privilege in

the area of experiential education. Experiential education is based on outdoor activities’, such as

camping, ropes courses, and other character or leadership building exercises. Individuals who are

accustomed to their privileges will not face the same challenges as underprivileged individuals

will in experiential education (144). For individuals who face struggles day to day, these

“contrived challenges…may produce situations that are inappropriately and injuriously

challenging (145).” Privileged individuals see may see these challenges as a light-hearted

experience, but for some these challenges are daily life. This is another aspect in which privilege

affects the power to which individuals have access.

One way which society can work to end this disparate quality of education is to work

toward fair inclusion of students from all demographics. Some higher education institutions are

given additional federal funding for meeting certain diversity standards. This is a way to

encourage these institutions to be more inclusive. To ensure that these grants are used

effectively, the institution must demonstrate how the funding aided in their students’ progress

(ASHE Higher Education Report 2015, 78). This is a way for institutions to combat the negative
 Carrell 4

effects that many minorities face in educational institutions. Focusing specific funding to ensure

that these students have the same opportunities as others is vital in the equity of power.

Unfortunately, while funding such as this can be beneficial, there is still work to be done.

The downside to this is that it focuses on the overall improvement of the school, rather than that

of the group that allowed them to qualify for the grant. It is important that this funding goes to

improving the experiences of these groups, and the results of the school as a whole may not

accurately represent that. The institutions may be seen as not treating these demographics as a

“priority” or not “account[ing] for maximizing their success (ASHE Higher Education Report

2015, 78).” This is very counterproductive. These grants are supposed to celebrate and encourage

diversity, not the opposite.

Information can create a sense of power for individuals who feel powerless otherwise.

Unfortunately, there is still a large gap in the quality of information accessible to varying

demographics. Minority students on average attend lower performing schools than white

students. They also attend schools with higher poverty levels, less funding, and underqualified

teachers. Even in university, while there are grant option for institutions, there is still a struggle

to ensure that money goes to assisting their success.

 Carrell 5

References

2015. "Advancing Scholarship and Advocacy to Achieve Equity in Higher Education." ASHE

Higher Education Report 42(1): 72-83.

Eaddy, R., Sawyer, C., Shimizu, K., McIlwain, R., Wood, S., Segal, D., & Stockton, K. (2003).

Residential segregation, poverty, and racism: Obstacles to America’s Great Society.

Washington, DC: Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law.

Hochschild, J., & Scovronick, N. (2003). The American dream and the public schools. New

York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Logan, J. (2002). Choosing segregation: Racial imbalance in American public schools, 1990–

2000. Report of the Lewis Mumford Center, March 29.

Logan, John R, and Julia Burdick-Will. 2016. "School Segregation, Charter Schools, and Access

to Quality Education." Journal Of Urban Affairs 38(3): 323-343.

Rose, Jeff, and Karen Paisley. 2012. "White Privilege in Experiential Education: A Critical

Reflection." Leisure Sciences 34(2): 136-154.

 Carrell 6

Saporito, S., & Sohoni, D. (2007). Mapping educational inequality: Concentrations of poverty

among poor and minority students in public schools. Social Forces, 85, 1227–1253.

Swanson, C. (2008). Cities in crisis: A special analytic report on high school graduation.

Washington, DC: Editorial Projects in Education Research Center.