privilege
privilege is not all about race...obviously...
class, wealth, culture contribute to the definition. additionally, privilege does not negate or change your class/wealth/culture [or race, (once again) obviously]
so, through using various definitions of privilege, one can separate any of the above traits from any of the others rather nicely..and certainly, if the usual default setting of white/male/thin/Protestant/middle (to upper middle) class is employed, comparisons to the 'norm' can be made to judge those who meet or do not meet the varied criteria
i found this meme too interesting to pass up, as it highlights my own privilege so starkly. i hope no one ever finds me denying my clearly charmed life - as i am, indeed, very grateful for all the advantages afforded me from being born into my family. it's not been quite the walk on easy street that some might imagine, but there have been some bright, shining moments.
on we go:
{From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.}
following convention, I've bolded what applies and italicized internal comments.
Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college (both of my parents have masters degrees, actually. something that my dad never lets me forget, as i have no degree past my BS, as of yet.)
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. My sister is in law school. Does that count?
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. i've never been that sure about identifying the class of my teachers...most of the time i never thought about them existing on their own time. but i guess, for the most part, we were all of the same class. mom's a teacher - so, i guess that follows...
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home (probably not 500...maybe closer to 300)
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 (Piano, hula)
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively this is not taking gender or race into account, so...it's kinda strange to answer. generally speaking, there is ambivalence [IRL and the media] for black people who dress and talk like me. the desire to call my style 'preppy' [casual], and my speech 'white' is still around. i think the media actually encourages it.
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs thus far - that's a long-@ss time in undergrad...but it was reasonably inexpensive
Went to a private high school yeah...i guess...i was in private school, then i went to college [which served as my HS] and that started out private...but then i went public..so...how do you count that?
Went to summer camp well, i was in this church club called Pathfinders - and we went on camp-outs now and then...
Had a private tutor before you turned 18 i never had a tutor. maybe i should've gotten one for my study skills....
Family vacations involved staying at hotels or more frequently, time-share resorts
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them yeah, but it was in a wreck and refurbished - i drove that saturn for 12 years, tho.
There was original art in your house when you were a child i actually got to hang a piece they acquired from a local artist in my room...which traveled with me when i finally moved out and got my own house.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18 got my own [to share with my sister] line when i was about...16? this line also served as our dial-up link to AOL back in the dawn of the internets
You and your family lived in a single family house always
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home always
You had your own room as a child always
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course i took the SAT once. in the 7th grade. that's part of how i got into PEG. now - i could've used a prep course for the MCAT or the GRE....
Had your own TV in your room in High School once again, HS makes things murky, but yeah - i got a tv in my room at ~17/18
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 my first flight (that i remember) was to Puerto Rico, when i was five. before i turned 16 i'd flown to Honolulu, Hilo, LA, and Denver
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family there's no age here...my parents didn't tell me actual prices until i was MUCH older, but they always told me heat/electricity was expensive and that i should never leave a room without turning out the light.
so that's the nutshell - privileged lil me. of course, there's a fair amount of detail ignored here - but overall, i've been given pause to reflect and summon a bit more gratitude to begin my new year....
class, wealth, culture contribute to the definition. additionally, privilege does not negate or change your class/wealth/culture [or race, (once again) obviously]
so, through using various definitions of privilege, one can separate any of the above traits from any of the others rather nicely..and certainly, if the usual default setting of white/male/thin/Protestant/middle (to upper middle) class is employed, comparisons to the 'norm' can be made to judge those who meet or do not meet the varied criteria
i found this meme too interesting to pass up, as it highlights my own privilege so starkly. i hope no one ever finds me denying my clearly charmed life - as i am, indeed, very grateful for all the advantages afforded me from being born into my family. it's not been quite the walk on easy street that some might imagine, but there have been some bright, shining moments.
on we go:
{From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.}
following convention, I've bolded what applies and italicized internal comments.
Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college (both of my parents have masters degrees, actually. something that my dad never lets me forget, as i have no degree past my BS, as of yet.)
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. My sister is in law school. Does that count?
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. i've never been that sure about identifying the class of my teachers...most of the time i never thought about them existing on their own time. but i guess, for the most part, we were all of the same class. mom's a teacher - so, i guess that follows...
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home (probably not 500...maybe closer to 300)
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 (Piano, hula)
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively this is not taking gender or race into account, so...it's kinda strange to answer. generally speaking, there is ambivalence [IRL and the media] for black people who dress and talk like me. the desire to call my style 'preppy' [casual], and my speech 'white' is still around. i think the media actually encourages it.
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs thus far - that's a long-@ss time in undergrad...but it was reasonably inexpensive
Went to a private high school yeah...i guess...i was in private school, then i went to college [which served as my HS] and that started out private...but then i went public..so...how do you count that?
Went to summer camp well, i was in this church club called Pathfinders - and we went on camp-outs now and then...
Had a private tutor before you turned 18 i never had a tutor. maybe i should've gotten one for my study skills....
Family vacations involved staying at hotels or more frequently, time-share resorts
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them yeah, but it was in a wreck and refurbished - i drove that saturn for 12 years, tho.
There was original art in your house when you were a child i actually got to hang a piece they acquired from a local artist in my room...which traveled with me when i finally moved out and got my own house.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18 got my own [to share with my sister] line when i was about...16? this line also served as our dial-up link to AOL back in the dawn of the internets
You and your family lived in a single family house always
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home always
You had your own room as a child always
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course i took the SAT once. in the 7th grade. that's part of how i got into PEG. now - i could've used a prep course for the MCAT or the GRE....
Had your own TV in your room in High School once again, HS makes things murky, but yeah - i got a tv in my room at ~17/18
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 my first flight (that i remember) was to Puerto Rico, when i was five. before i turned 16 i'd flown to Honolulu, Hilo, LA, and Denver
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family there's no age here...my parents didn't tell me actual prices until i was MUCH older, but they always told me heat/electricity was expensive and that i should never leave a room without turning out the light.
so that's the nutshell - privileged lil me. of course, there's a fair amount of detail ignored here - but overall, i've been given pause to reflect and summon a bit more gratitude to begin my new year....