Comments on: Point of Privilege http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:23:51 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: walker http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9125 walker Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:09:16 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9125 What makes you think this was developed by "academics"? It sounds like student-life/residence-life administrators did it. If it's applied to all incoming students, then it's definitely not a part of the curriculum but is part of the typically-lame dorm intro. It's not worth getting alarmed over unless you think the higher-ups allow it to continue. What makes you think this was developed by “academics”? It sounds like student-life/residence-life administrators did it. If it’s applied to all incoming students, then it’s definitely not a part of the curriculum but is part of the typically-lame dorm intro. It’s not worth getting alarmed over unless you think the higher-ups allow it to continue.

]]> By: grendelkhan http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9124 grendelkhan Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:44:29 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9124 It's kind of informative that, while <a href="http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/socialclass/step_into_social_class_2.htm" rel="nofollow">the actual quiz</a> assumes that anger will be the primary response of anyone reading the quiz, a more <i>refined</i> answer is instead, "NO U". If you look from a high enough altitude, the folks here berating the list-makers for their "PC crap" and the imaginary upper-middle class college student protesting that <i>other</i> people might be privileged, but not <i>them</i>... look a lot alike. It’s kind of informative that, while the actual quiz assumes that anger will be the primary response of anyone reading the quiz, a more refined answer is instead, “NO U”. If you look from a high enough altitude, the folks here berating the list-makers for their “PC crap” and the imaginary upper-middle class college student protesting that other people might be privileged, but not them… look a lot alike.

]]> By: MarkD http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9123 MarkD Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:30:00 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9123 Evidently I went from unprivileged to privileged courtesy of the Vietnam era draft. Money for college, see the world, stay in a hotel, fly to exotic countries, own a car, tv... $128.50 a month to start. I did, however, always have books. I'm only semi-kidding. I'm not the audience for this survey, my kids are. They have it materially easier than I did, but they all ended up with student loans and had most of the electronic toys... I don't really see where these differences are important. The Marine Corps certainly never cared. Evidently I went from unprivileged to privileged courtesy of the Vietnam era draft. Money for college, see the world, stay in a hotel, fly to exotic countries, own a car, tv… $128.50 a month to start. I did, however, always have books.

I’m only semi-kidding. I’m not the audience for this survey, my kids are. They have it materially easier than I did, but they all ended up with student loans and had most of the electronic toys…

I don’t really see where these differences are important. The Marine Corps certainly never cared.

]]> By: mike http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9122 mike Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:19:20 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9122 Just for the record: Indiana State University is NOT Indiana University. Indiana State U is in Terre Haute, Indiana University is in Bloomington. Indiana State U is known for Larry Bird, Indiana University is known for Joshua Bell (among others). And I cannot imagine any student at Indiana State having to get SAT prep to get admitted there. Just for the record: Indiana State University is NOT Indiana University. Indiana State U is in Terre Haute, Indiana University is in Bloomington. Indiana State U is known for Larry Bird, Indiana University is known for Joshua Bell (among others). And I cannot imagine any student at Indiana State having to get SAT prep to get admitted there.

]]> By: Corby Kennard http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9121 Corby Kennard Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:07:08 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9121 I had very few friends growing up, and still have very few. Anyone with many friends they have kept through their lives I would consider privileged. One of my step-fathers drank and beat on my mom and me. I would consider anyone whose father did not beat them up whilst drunk privileged. I didn't meet my dad until I was 28. I didn't have a TV in my bedroom until I got my own room at 17. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 17. I didn't get to go to a decent high school because of busing regulations. I never finished college (but I did get an associates degree.) I only got to go to Europe because I joined the Navy. For almost a year, I was unemployed (not for lack of trying) and my friends had to buy me food. I managed to keep the electricity on and a roof over my and my brother's heads. My wife is a different story. She's a vet and comes from a wealthy family (even though she doesn't think of them that way.) Privilege is what one thinks of as privilege. Generally it pertains to what they didn't have but wanted, and since someone else has it, they consider that other person privileged. It's a completely subjective concept viewed solely from the person who feels left out. In some ways I'm more, some ways I'm less. Same with everybody. I think it is a ridiculous thing to even pay attention to for longer than it takes to suck it up and move forward with your own life. People need to stop measuring their lives against others. Stop tending to my backyard when yours needs a good weeding, I say. I had very few friends growing up, and still have very few. Anyone with many friends they have kept through their lives I would consider privileged.

One of my step-fathers drank and beat on my mom and me. I would consider anyone whose father did not beat them up whilst drunk privileged.

I didn’t meet my dad until I was 28.
I didn’t have a TV in my bedroom until I got my own room at 17.
I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 17.
I didn’t get to go to a decent high school because of busing regulations.
I never finished college (but I did get an associates degree.)
I only got to go to Europe because I joined the Navy.
For almost a year, I was unemployed (not for lack of trying) and my friends had to buy me food. I managed to keep the electricity on and a roof over my and my brother’s heads.

My wife is a different story. She’s a vet and comes from a wealthy family (even though she doesn’t think of them that way.)

Privilege is what one thinks of as privilege. Generally it pertains to what they didn’t have but wanted, and since someone else has it, they consider that other person privileged. It’s a completely subjective concept viewed solely from the person who feels left out.

In some ways I’m more, some ways I’m less. Same with everybody. I think it is a ridiculous thing to even pay attention to for longer than it takes to suck it up and move forward with your own life. People need to stop measuring their lives against others.

Stop tending to my backyard when yours needs a good weeding, I say.

]]> By: Patrick Nielsen Hayden http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9120 Patrick Nielsen Hayden Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:12:06 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9120 I liked John's post. I also liked <a href="http://alicublog.blogspot.com/2008/01/lifes-been-good.html" rel="nofollow">Roy Edroso's response</a>. I liked John’s post. I also liked Roy Edroso’s response.

]]> By: Youngblood http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9119 Youngblood Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:22:12 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9119 JFP: Thanks! I'm glad that you found them interesting. JFP:

Thanks! I’m glad that you found them interesting.

]]> By: Youngblood http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9118 Youngblood Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:21:26 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9118 Artemus: The list doesn't center on unearned advantages, it focuses primarily on fairly trivial measures of family wealth and, as a result, it gets a lot of things very wrong. By using the loaded language of "privilege" to describe these trivial measures, the exercise's authors seek to communicate their lesson through the use of strong negative emotions, not reason. This makes it an effective tool for indoctrination, while its utility as a teaching or learning aid is suspect. Artemus:

The list doesn’t center on unearned advantages, it focuses primarily on fairly trivial measures of family wealth and, as a result, it gets a lot of things very wrong. By using the loaded language of “privilege” to describe these trivial measures, the exercise’s authors seek to communicate their lesson through the use of strong negative emotions, not reason. This makes it an effective tool for indoctrination, while its utility as a teaching or learning aid is suspect.

]]> By: Stuart Buck http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9117 Stuart Buck Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:54:03 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9117 Dental care isn't a very good marker of "privilege." Its <i>absence</i> is a sign of a <i>lack</i> of privilege, to be sure, but that's not the same thing. Dental care isn’t a very good marker of “privilege.” Its absence is a sign of a lack of privilege, to be sure, but that’s not the same thing.

]]> By: JFP http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/01/03/point-of-privilege/#comment-9116 JFP Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:57:01 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=270#comment-9116 Youngblood, thanks for the very insightful comments. Youngblood, thanks for the very insightful comments.

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