?intelligence? must be passed down from generation to generation. Therefore it seems reasonable to suggest that if all
environmental factors were controlled we would still end up with varying degrees of intelligence across all populations. Viewed
in these terms, intelligence seems to give a great deal of privilege quite arbitrarily. However, intelligence does not develop in a
completely passive manner. We are not slaves to our environment or our genes. The development of intelligence is also
dependent on effort. Learning is not easy regardless of much intellectual privilege you might have. The dimension of merit further
complicates the assessment of intelligence as a privilege. If effort was the only factor which determined intelligence than it could
not be considered a privilege. It would seem that there are limits to effort, one who does not have a certain level of intellectual
capacity may never be able to attain high levels of intelligence regardless of effort. But conversely, there are those who may be
underachievers as a result of lack of effort. We can however assume that all socially constructed groups are apt to show similar
patterns of effort although being the oppressed might make one complacent about their chances to advance and reduce their
willingness to make the required effort The ultimate privilege Are there different levels of advantages? We know that certain
groups are given a host of privileges solely based on their membership to a socially constructed group. Peggy McIntosh lists
some of these privileges that are endowed to whites in her essay ?White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of
Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women?s Studies (1988). She illustrates quite poignantly how we take for
granted many little and big privileges that the colour of our skin gives or takes away from us. She also cautions us about finding
parallels between the privileges given to different groups. ? Since racism, sexism, heterosexism are not the same, the advantages
associated with them should not be seen as the same? (p.104). I think this also points to the suggestion that various privileges
give us varying degrees of unearned advantages. Therefore the advantages given to a white male might be mitigated severely if
that male is homosexual or the privileges given to a heterosexual male might be entirely negated because of the colour of his
skin. Where does the privilege of intelligence fit in? We have seen that SES correlates with intellectual development and that if
you belong to an ethnic minority you are more likely to be part of a low SES. We have also seen that intelligence manifests itself
in a variety of forms and to varying degrees across all socially constructed groups. Therefore if everything else was equal, we
should see even distributions of all groups in our educational institutions. We know however, that things are not equal. Ethnic
minorities are put a decisive disadvantage when it comes to factors such as SES, which have been shown to correlate with
intellectual development. They lack all of the privileges that white skin endows. Therefore it would seem that the disadvantages
that ethnic minorities endure should translate to an under-representation in our educational institutions. A group of Canadian
researchers looked at the representation rates of visible minorities among 1990 university graduates and the average 1992
earnings of these graduates. The results indicate that visible minorities comprised just over 10% of the graduates compared to
their nine-and-a-half percent share of the 1991 population. Their representation increased from 10% at the undergraduate level
to 19% at the Ph.D. level. Their earnings for 1992 were on average 101.9% of non-minorities. These results go in the opposite
direction of what could be predicted based theories of white privilege. What I believe these results to indicate is that intelligence
is the ultimate privilege. Someone who is given the privilege of above average intelligence is able to overcome all other
disadvantages they experience as results of socially constructed stereotypes. In the knapsack of privilege, intelligence occupies
the main compartment while other privileges fill the smaller pockets. This does not mean that those ethnic minorities that are
endowed with above average intelligence do not suffer from the lack of privileges that whites might enjoy but that the
advantages gained from intelligence overcome these socially constructed inequalities. The effects of white privilege become
negligible in terms allocation of resources but are undoubtedly still present in terms of the more taken for granted privileges that
Peggy McIntosh illustrates. Conclusion It is apparent that inequalities permeate our social structure. The sources of many of
these inequalities are often subjective social constructs, which are kept in place for the benefit of those who reap their rewards.
The deconstruction of these social groupings is essential if we wish to create a society in which everyone is given the
opportunity to fulfil their potential. However, our potentials may not be equal in the strict sense of the word. Intelligence is a
dimension of human existence, which may not be evenly distributed for the good of the collective. If everyone were really
intelligent no one would have the patience to do more repetitive tasks that are essential to our survival. Viewed in this light,
rewarding higher levels of intelligence with privilege seems to be a social construction in itself. However, as mentioned earlier
the acquisition of intelligence requires hard work and should thereby be rewarded. If it were possible to devise a magical
equation that could take into account privilege, potential and effort we might be able to endow the advantages of intelligence in
an equitable manner. As researchers in many fields have come to realize, intelligence is an extremely difficult concept for us to
wrap our concrete definitions around. However acknowledging that it manifest itself in various forms at varying degrees may
help us to see some of the diversity that life has to offer in a more favorable light.