Ecogeofemme has this interesting meme that I thought I'd do. She got it from Flicka Mawa who got it from Watershed, who asked that credit be given to the original authors:
This is based on “From What Privileges Do You Have?,” an exercise about
class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen,
Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at
Green means I answered yes.
1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college (junior college, AA degree in accounting or something similar)
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (don’t know. Likely same.)
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home (also don’t know. I did have a lot of my own books. I don’t remember any family books or those that belonged to my parents only)
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 (never private lessons but was in sports and band; oh except I did do batting lessons one season)
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (is anyone really portrayed positively? But I guess as a white women I’m portrayed better than some.)
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. (way to go grandparents-they paid tuition I did the rest, no rent first two years then my mom got divorced and we moved out and shared rent somewhere)
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school.
17. Went to summer camp (I was a camp fire girl).
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels. (we also camped or stayed in houses with my mom’s sisters and their family.)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. (a lot but I also remember shopping at thrift stores)
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. (we saved my second dad’s truck after he passed away for me. It was made the same year I was born, it was painted for me for my 16th bday)
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home. (Not any more since the divorce my mom can’t afford to buy anything).
25. You had your own room as a child. (I was an only child until 18.)
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16. (I think I was 13 when I went on a trip in our same state with my mom, aunt and five cousins.)
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. (I think only for field trips, I did go to aquariums with family and we probably did some museums so I’ll check this one.)
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. (my mom and second dad fought a lot about money but I don’t remember heating bills)
16 out of 34.
In my own analysis I wouldn’t say I was privileged but definitely spoiled, and definitely more well off than a lot of people in this world. I didn’t realize this until later in my life and I don’t think I acted spoiled. I rarely remember my mom telling me no to anything. But both my mom and step father were blue collar folks who worked very hard, and they themselves didn’t come from very privileged families. My biological father died in a motorcycle accident before I was born, and I think because of this his parents became very active in my life. I stay at their house every other week-end until I was in 6th grade and we went to church every Sunday and I later found out they had a small college fund for me, and me only. None of the other grandchildren had a fund, although I think my grandma helps out my cousin who now goes to junior college with her books and other supplies. This fund was enough to go to a UC and paid tuition for 3-4 years. I also had a grant one year. My grandma told me she expected I’d spend two year in a JC and then go to a 4-year school, but I had other plans, she thought she didn’t save enough for a 4-yr university. Both options I think are good, my husband did a JC first because his high school years didn’t really prepare him for college.
And in summary, I think my children will score much higher on the privilege list that I did, and isn’t this always the hope: to provide for your children what you didn’t have?
3 comments:
It is always the hope to provide for your children what you didn't have, but it's not always in the form of a higher score on the privilege test. My husband and I are much more concerned with providing a loving and mentally stable environment for our children's emotional growth than we are with giving them the financial privileges of being upper-middle class or above. I imagine my children might not have a higher score on this than I do, although they will probably have a higher score than Husband.
good point
:-)
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