hmmm

Continuing adventures of a very small cubicle. In that there aren't any adventures. There is, however, a creepy amount of CNN reading. That can't be healthy.

So this is going around my flist. Privilege meme, below cut. Honestly, I had to read it a few times, because these are--to me--deeply random questions.



The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

To participate, copy and paste the list (below) into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. (comments added in italics)

Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers

Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
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

The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
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
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels motels count?

Your clothing was bought new before you turned 18. - sometimes. It depends on what year.
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
There was original art in your house when you were a child
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18.

You and your family lived in a single family house

Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home - does owing one and a half times the value of the house count as owned?

You had your own room as a child
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College

Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and/or art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. - literally or figuratively? As in, did I see the bills, or as a child, was I aware that the utilities were hideously expensive?


Okay, I give up. What is that supposed to prove? Somehow--call me crazy--a question on whether one could afford electricity and heat at all, whether one's family vehicles were repossessed regularly, and whether or not pawning things for food might have been slightly higher priority than museums.

Feel free to explain how I'm wrong. I just have no context for what these questions are supposed to be slanted toward--for privilege, there's a very odd mix of socioeconomic/educational without actually hitting the main points and what appears to be culture. Is there supposed to be some kind of correlation between education and parenting skills/parental emphasis on certain things and not others?

ETA: context here from siderea, picked up from another livejournal.

Even with that context...this still doesn't make sense. I have a vague thought on the standard being set here is lower-middle class, reading through, which explains why so many of the questions are an utter mystery for me, but I'm not sure what specifically is being tested for. Involved parents, educated parents, really motivated kid while in school?

Comments

[snarkist.livejournal.com]

I think I kind of get it. Most people read the word "privileged" as meaning sort of well off, or a higher class than others. But that isn't really the only definition of the word.

For example, my family wasn't well off, but my parents made sure that even though they couldn't afford to buy me private lessons, I was signed up through school for the cheaper rates. That way I still had the privilege of being taught an art that was not automatically taught to children. Do you know what I mean?

I mean, I've had friends who were financially way better off, but their parents did not make sure that they were offered chances to experience summer camp, or learn an instrument, or have some time where the entire family spent a week of two together on a vacation. These were privileges that my parents made sure I had, that my friends lacked, because their parents didn't make sure they got them, despite totally being able to afford them.

My parents were huge readers, so I always had the privilege of having books around, and was read to at a very young age. My brother and his wife have more money now than my parents had when I was young, but they never go out of their way to make sure that their kids have books outside of school, and I doubt my niece and nephew are ever read to, if they don't ask for it.

I think the idea was that while many college kids who were in the class first given these questions often came from the same socio-economical background, their parents did not make sure the all had the same privileges and experiences. Of course, with this meme going around LJ, I think it's taken way out of context, as many of us do not come from the same socio-economical background, thus totally losing the point of the questions in the first place.

[cleito.livejournal.com]

privileges that my parents made sure I had

That's exactly it. Parents giving their children access to opportunities. I think that 'privilege' is the wrong word to use. Perhaps 'advantageous experience' would be better.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I think the idea was that while many college kids who were in the class first given these questions often came from the same socio-economical background, their parents did not make sure the all had the same privileges and experiences. Of course, with this meme going around LJ, I think it's taken way out of context, as many of us do not come from the same socio-economical background, thus totally losing the point of the questions in the first place.

Except -- speaking as someone who went to and works at a private university -- I really doubt that these kids did come from the same socio-economic background. The original page says it is aimed at residence hall staff; I think it is more likely intended to educate those staff about the various differences in experiences the students they're working with may have had.

[snarkist.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well that may be, but it doesn't change my essential arguement about the context with the use of the word "privilege."

I think it is more likely intended to educate those staff about the various differences in experiences the students they're working with may have had.

I think this only helps to prove my example, if anything. It may have been to open teachers eyes to the facts that while many students may come from a well-off backgrounds, or even all from lower class backgrounds, the privileges they've been given by their parents and/or families can vary greatly, and to not make assumptions about life experiences.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

It seems like you're talking about students as if they all come from one particular socio-economic background, but have different particular experiences within that background.

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about students from all socio-economics backgrounds being at one institution.

I grew up upper-middle-class, and attended an elite private university. One of the guys I dated while a student there grew up on welfare. It would have been easy for the RAs to assume that everyone at our university was, well, like me. But they weren't.

As someone who currently also works for an elite private university, it is worth it to me to keep exercises like this one in mind. (Not this particular one, which I think is not a good example of its type. But _in general_, I think items like this are good to have around -- the same way university faculty and staff pass around lists of defining generational events for each new generational batch of students.)

[snarkist.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have actually been to college, and - in fact - have a degree, so I do get that students - and even teachers - come from entirely different socio-economical backgrounds. That is honestly entirely beside the point I'm making, which you seem to be either missing completely, or just ignoring.

The point I'm making is that it does not matter at all what a students or teachers social or economic backgrounds are, as the privileges that they've been given by their parents or family will vary greatly. The poorest parents can still make sure that their child had to chance to learn a piano, or read at a very early age, or spend a week all together as a family for a vacation, while well-off parents will have completely ignored these options, and their child can reach college age without being given any of these privileges. I imagine that it might be possible that a professor that has been teaching for many years may, after walking into a room of new students, who are probably about three-fourths all the same race, and probably all wearing about the same style of popular clothing, may make assumptions about the privileges and experiences the students have had. The questions may have been to simply remind them how everyone has had different privileges, no matter their money or look.

Do you understand what I'm arguing here? The reason I was responding to the OP, and sort of to a lot of the replies to the OP, was because I thought that people might not be seeing that the word privilege might actually not really refer to the idea of money or class, which is what most people seemed to think the questions were about. I was simply arguing that it might not have had anything to do with that, which is why your continued arguments with me about socio-economical backgrounds are missing the point entirely.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I don't think you were being very clear, then -- it seemed to me like you were talking about everyone in a group being from the same socio-economic group, but having different experiences (which, while that certainly happens, is not at all what this set of questions is intended to illuminate).