Undoing Privilege - 2nd Edition by Bob Pease (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For every group that is oppressed, another group is privileged. Here, Bob Pease argues that privilege, as the other side of oppression, has received insufficient attention in both critical theories and in the practices of social change. As a result, dominant groups have been allowed to reinforce their dominance.

The second edition of Undoing Privilege extensively revises the six sites of privilege from the first edition: Western dominance, class elitism, white and patriarchal privilege and heterosexual and able-bodied privilege to reflect policy shifts and new social movement initiatives as well as the latest research and resources. This edition also includes four new chapters on anthropocentrism, cisgender privilege, adultism and Christian privilege. Pease points out that while the vast majority of people may be oppressed on one level, many are also privileged on another. He demonstrates how members of privileged groups can engage critically with their own dominant position, and explores the potential and limitations of them forming relations of solidarity against oppression and their unearned privilege.

The second edition includes new theoretical developments in privilege theory, collective responsibility, complicity in systemic injustice and allyship. It is an essential book for all who are concerned about developing theories and practices for a socially just world.

Review Quotes

"This new, fully revised and updated edition of Undoing Privilege is a major publishing feat, distilling and refining a huge critical literature, and offering ways forward in confronting privilege, politically and academically. Not only does it expand considerably, from the first edition, the dimensions of privilege examined, but it prompts the reader explicitly to locate themselves and implicitly to reflect on what still further privileges, oppressions and erasures operate in time and space" --Jeff Hearn, Hanken School of Economics, Finland; author of Men of the World and Age at Work

"With new chapters on cisgender and adult-centric privilege, this timely text is even more comprehensive than the first. Essential reading for anyone committed to social justice and dismantling systems of privilege!" --Abby L. Ferber, Director of the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, USA

"Many of us in the social justice struggle focus primarily on exposing and indicting oppression. Bob Pease's clear and compassionate analysis reminds us that unearned privilege and advantage are the other side of the oppression coin, and that equity cannot be achieved without engaging with all aspects of this complex dynamic. In an era where intersectional analysis is gaining intellectual ground and authority, Pease's book on the effects and need to dismantle systems of privilege is an essential tool for those seeking ideas that can liberate and empower." --Donna Baines, Director and Professor of Social Work, University of British Columbia, Canada

"[T]he second edition of Undoing privilege explores important and necessary social identities, locations, and experiences of domination, power, and control. Pease utilizes relevant and up-to-date literature, credits activists and scholars for their ideas and voices, and utilizes critical reflexivity to position himself throughout the book in a way that is transparent to the reader." --Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work

About the Author