Privilege exists when advantage and benefit is given to members of the dominant group at the expense of members of other groups. Power exists when an individual or group exercises authority over others; specifically minority groups. Positionality can be defined as the combination of social constructs such as, race, gender, and sexual orientation, and how the culmination of these factors creates your identity. Moreover, your positionality could potentially create blind-spots that may bias your worldview. I identify as a white, cis-gender, heterosexual female. These identities grant me immense privilege, and as a counselor, I am responsible for first identifying this privilege, and second, being aware of the ways in which these factors influence the way that I interact with the world as well as, how others see me. Power, Privilege, and Positionality impact my role as a counselor who can lead, serve, and advocate for clients and communities because societal norms dictate what groups have social advantage, and peoples social positions in the world influence their experiences. For example, a white man may experience walking through a parking lot at night differently than a white woman because of the position that being a man places him in in society. Social norms dictate that a man (male: as a dominant group in society) has more power and privilege than a woman in society. Intersectionality can be defined as the interconnectedness of social categories such as, race, gender, and socioeconomic status, and how these layers of a persons identity overlap to create different levels of privilege and discrimination. For example, my identification as white grants me social privilege because society gives advantage to white individuals over members of a minority group (i.e people of color). On the other hand, I also identify as female and society places the lives of men as superior to the lives of women. This group membership creates disadvantages and discrimination based on my gender.
As my work as a counselor continues to evolve, I recognize the importance of cultural humility, and how the development of this competency is a life-long process of self-awareness and learning. My membership in social groups deemed dominant by society provides me with power and privilege that if left unchecked, will hinder my work with clients and communities. My positionality (white, cis-gender, female, heterosexual …) creates implicit biases that could have the potential to cause the breakdown of the therapeutic relationship. I will continue to learn about the ways in which my power, privilege, and positionality impact the way that I interact with the world. Through continued self-checks, I hope to better lead, serve, and advocate for clients and communities.