We had an awesome New Year’s at home with just
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,
,
and
and a bucketload of leftover wedding wine and beer. We were hoping for
and
but they were unable to make it and it sounds like they had an awesome time anyway from
‘s post. I almost wish we’d known to go and join them because, well, drumming circle and poi!
We had great, rambling conversations about literature and privilege and gender. Lo and behold, when I read
‘s journal today, there’s a meme about privilege, so I thought I’d share.
‘s original list.
Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to university
2. Father finished university
3. Mother went to university
4. Mother finished university
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
9. Were read children’s books by a parent
10. Had lessons (outside of school) of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons (outside of school) before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
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 university costs (costs after scholarships)
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
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels (sometimes for me, others we did house swaps)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
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
25. You had your own room as a child
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in any higher level Year 11 or Year 12 course with a view to entering University
28. Had your own TV in your room in High School
29. Owned a mutual fund or superannuation fund in High School or College
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
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
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Yes, I’m pretty aware of my privilege. Part of what we were discussing was the difficulty of acknowledging privilege for white working class men who, on this list, are not very privileged, but who are confronted with particular types of feminists who insist they acknowledge their invisible privilege as men but who don’t have a more graded understanding of the interwoven complexities of privilege. At the same time, others in the conversation were talking about the usefulness of feminist literature as a framework to start talking about invisible privilege… And without then setting a reading list of Bhabha and Appadurai, I kinda have to stop there.