Privilege Meme

Dawn did this, and I thought it was worth doing, so I did too.

1. Father went to college

2. Father finished college

3. Mother went to college

4. Mother finished college ( I compromised on Mom. She went to Nursing School, which was technically not college. She finished with a diploma, not a BS or even associates degree, and ended up in a supervisory position).

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.

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 (Piano 2 years, Ballet 3 years, violin 1 year)

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 college costs.

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. (For spelling one summer, sigh).

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels (not regularly, but it did happen)

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 (unless this means that my mother had paid off her mortgage. In that case I think the answer is no.)

25. You had your own room as a child

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

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.

A couple of years ago Andrew went to a diversity seminar the agency sent him to. There were, I think, three kids there who were biokids of foster parents, the rest were foster kids. They lined them all up in the middle of a large room and then had them take steps backwards or forwards depending upon the answers to questions like these. Then they had to run to get a seat in one of two chairs. It made quite an impression on Andrew. He got one of the chairs, and he didn't have to run. He was only a step away.

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I am told, but cannot verify, that this is copywrited and is based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University.