Sociology is cool.

Swiped this from my friend Holly’s website:

This meme is 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 Indiana State University. More info here.  Done in a classroom setting, students would line up and take one step forward for every statement that is true.

Bolded are the ones that are true for me.

When you were in college:
If your father went to college, take a step forward.

If your father finished college.

If your mother went to college.

If your mother finished college.

If you have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.   Well, I have an uncle who’s a physicist.  Not sure if that counts but for the purposes of the experiment, it probably does.

If you were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.

If you had a computer at home.

If you had your own computer at home.

If you had more than 50 books at home.

If you had more than 500 books at home.

If were read children’s books by a parent.

If you ever had lessons of any kind.

If you had more than two kinds of lessons

If the people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.  Again, not sure.  Southerners are not, by and large, portrayed as brain surgeons.  And lord knows fat chicks aren’t getting any mad props on t.v.  But if they’re talking about white people who live in the suburbs, then I have to say yes.

If you had a credit card with your name on it.

If you have less than $5000 in student loans.

If you have no student loans.

If you went to a private high school.

If you went to summer camp.  Just once.  Brownies.

If you had a private tutor.  Only for math.  I sucked at it.

If you have been to Europe.

If your family vacations involved staying at hotels. There was a lot of camp grounding going on, but when I was really little we stayed at motels.

If all of your clothing has been new and bought at the mall.

If your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.

If there was original art in your house

If you had a phone in your room.

If you lived in a single family house.

If your parent own their own house or apartment.

If you had your own room.

If you participated in an SAT/ACT prep course.

If you had your own cell phone in High School.  Er, they didn’t really HAVE cell phones when I was in high school.  Wow. 

If you had your own TV in your room in High School.  Strictly verboten.

If you opened a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College.

If you have ever flown anywhere on a commercial airline.

If you ever went on a cruise with your family.

If your parents took you to museums and art galleries

If you were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

When the questions have all been asked, the following instructions are given:

“Now everyone recognize that you are at the same place academically.  Everyone turn around.  Everyone has permission to talk.  No one has permission to accuse any one or any group of anything.  Everyone must use “I” statements.

Note that the people on one end of the room had to work harder to be here today than the people at the other end of the room. Some of you had lives of more privilege than others. There is no one to blame, it is just the way it is. Some have privilege and some don’t.”

I just thought it was interesting.