Privilege

[andrewducker]

There's been a meme going around about privilege, which was vaguely interesting in its own right.

More interesting, though, is the post here that heron61 pointed me at, about what kind of privileges make a difference at college/university level, including all sorts of things you might never have thought of.

I, by the way, am terribly privileged. Partially because of money, which was always there for the things that mattered when I was growing up. Which doesn't mean large amounts of expensive foreign holidays (when we went abroad it was usually in a cheap, off-season way - we went to Austria by coach, for instance). But it did mean that when I needed additional tutoring to get through my English GCSE it was possible, and when I needed another year to get my degree it was never going to be an issue. Of course, nepotism helped with cash too - because my father was a doctor when I needed a summer job I was working at the hospital without any problems. And of course, I was working in IT because my father was buying computers before they were either popular or readily affordable for the general populace.

The other, and much more important, part of my privilege was growing up with educated parents who had huge numbers of books, watched documentaries and generally made sure I grew up interested in the world around me.

When I was a teenager I remember one of my brothers telling me that the kids in their class did not believe that we sat around a dinner table each evening, eating together and talking about what we'd been doing that day, or anything else that occurred to us. We could ask my parents questions and generally speaking _they would know_. Most of the other kids were eating while staring at the TV. I can't quantify the difference this made to my life, but all three of us are now well educated and earning a fair bit more than the median UK income, so I'm not about to start complaining.

Comments

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

My family almost never ordered take out. My grandmother was Head of Food, and thus every single evenings we had a meal cooked from scratch, even things like mince pie.....

Looking at that questionnaire, makes me feel mildly embarrassed, I've always been thankful for what my grandparents provided, but it sets the idea firmly in my head that I had a very privileged background.... and still do, because they were willing to fund my PhD.

However, I know how important it is for independence. From about age 19, I became financially independent from my family. I didnt ask for or need money from them. This was something important to me, to do. It was one of the few areas I could exert control over.

My MSc year was a bit different. There were a few occasions I had to ask for money to stop me going into my overdraft. Back then I thought going into one's overdraft was a terrible terrible thing and must be avoided. Now I know its a tool for dealing with tight months.

I think having financial comfort makes a HUGE difference. My grandfather's side of the family is quite well off, and I think its no crazy correlation that they're all doctors or professors or other people at/have been at the top of their career. I was always able to do what I wanted - but I wish I'd been pushed more to do things.... like piano lessons, rather than me saying "no dont want lessons, just like playing" I should have been told that that was all well and good but lessons were important to develop this. I was pushed when I was horse riding, because I was competing, and I really stopped enjoying it when it was about achievement. I felt the same way about ice skating. Competition didn't motivate me at all.

However, my parents are completely different, both stopped education around age 14... neither have any university experience. Neither read books. Both are very practical people. My mum is amazing at DIY and can fix anything. My father was basically an engineer and understands how things are put together... also was... a nurse of sorts... due to circumstances which I may explain another time.

I hope I've inheirted the best of both worlds.

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

My family almost never bought take-away either when I was growing up either. We probably only ate fast-food once or twice a year, if we were very late home from somewhere. I suppose because of this, fish'n'chips or chinese was like some sort of incredible treat when I was growing up.

Eating out was reserved for special occasions too, it was a big thing to go to a restaurant or a pub for food, something usually reserved only for birthdays or perhaps Sunday lunch when the grandparents were visiting.

I've often wondered if either of these things was unusual. My parents had an above average income, and there are certainly no shortage of fast-food outlets in the town so there was plenty of opportunity.

I also wonder whether the eating of fast food, or not eating it was the privilege.

[andrewducker]

Same here. More frequent than you - we'd have fish+chips once a month or so, and chinese/indian a couple of times a year, but it was definitely a special thing.

I think part of that was that they just didn't see the point of buying in food when they could make it themselves - and both of them were good cooks.

[ishkhara.livejournal.com]

I third that. Takeaways were seen as a special treat and very exotic! *lol*

A trip to the cinema was another special treat, although much more frequently than the takeaway food, since it involved a trip to Falkirk and usually afternoon tea at the Victorian teashop round the corner. I think the 'specialness' of the whole experience is what fostered my love of film. :)

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

That may have been something to do with it. Both my parents can and indeed do cook.