Thin Privilege Research Paper

1330 Words6 Pages
When walking around in any mall or department store, most people don't have to worry about not finding their size of clothing, clothes that fit them properly, or even an employee willing to help. That is called Privilege, or more specifically “Thin Privilege.” Many people around the world, and specifically in the United States, feel that Thin Privilege does not exist or that thin people have body issues too. While thin people may have difficulty with their self esteem, our society does not look at them with hatred, disgust or disappointment, purely based on their looks. Thin Privilege is a fairly unrecognized form of oppression rooted from years of societal pressure to be “beautiful” by a specific set of requirements. Thin Privilege manifests…show more content…
However it did not gain recognition until the early 20th century. Privilege is the sociological concept that some groups of people have advantages relative to other groups. The term is commonly used in the context of social inequality, particularly with regards to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability and social class. The concept of privilege dates back to 1910 when American sociologist and historian W. E. B. Du Bois published the essay The Souls of White Folks, in which he wrote that although African Americans were observant about white Americans and conscious of racial discrimination, white Americans did not think much about African Americans, nor about the effects of racial discrimination. In 1935, Du Bois wrote about what he called the "wages of whiteness," which he described as including courtesy and deference, unimpeded admittance to all public functions, lenient treatment in court, and access to the best…show more content…
Last year the song “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor faced much controversy over whether or not the it contained was skinny shaming. Much like reverse racism, in this context skinny shaming does not apply. By saying she “is all about that bass, no treble”, implying, she is a fan of being large, not small, simply says she approves of larger girls/women and thinks they should be more represented. As mentioned before, because it is not mainstream for the media to appreciate and love bigger girls, the song is positive in its message, not negative for skinny girls. When you are faced with fatphobia on a daily basis, and a song comes on about appreciating your body, it should be viewed as a good thing, not something to
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