Check Your Privilege -- THE QUIZ


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http://www.theguardian.com/society/quiz/2013/jun/05/check-your-privilege-quiz

 

I scored 100, and it was suggested I pay someone to check my privilege for me. 

 

 

Background:  A conservative student, who was Jewish, was debating about welfare benefits, during a class at Princeton University.  His opponent told him to check his privilege.  He responded in an editorial that he was tired of having presidential drones targeting him because he was a white male.  Just what privilege was he to apologize for?  Was it the handful of kin who were killed during the Holocuast?  Was it his grandparents who arrived in this land as penniless immigrants? . . .

 

http://sfcmac.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/princeton-student-responds-to-check-your-privilege/

 

He stirred quite a debate.  Of course, non-Princetonians found it amusing that Ivy Leaguers were debating who was and was not privileged.  :-)

 

Anyway...let us know how privileged you turned out to be.

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105 out of a possible 150

 

Sickeningly privileged; pay someone to check it for you.

 

 

I'm more privileged than you, PC!  But of course... you're a Chaplain, you're supposed to be poor.

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For a very un-diplomatic take on the situation:

 

What you call privilege is just me being better than you.

 

Their poisonous notion of privilege is really just another way for liberals to pick winners and losers based not upon who has won or lost in the real world, but upon who is useful and not useful to the progressive project at any given moment.

 

This is why you see young people descended from Holocaust survivors tagged as bearers of “privilege” when their tattooed, emaciated grand-parents landed here with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Others who grew up in luxury get to bear the label of “unprivileged” because ten generations ago some relative came from a particular continent.

 

It’s idiocy. It’s immoral. We need to say so. For too long we’ve put up with this silliness.

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It's immoral.  Yes...so right.  The phrase makes me want to slap its annunciator.  "Check your privilege," is another way of saying I have no right to speak, or that my thoughts must needs count less than that of people of other classes (poorer, darker, more female).  Oh, and the book definitely gets judged by the cover.  I took the quiz for fun, but this whole thing stinketh.

 

Nevertheless, congrats to Anatess for out privileging me.  :)

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I didn't realize it was the kid's debate opponent who made the statement.  It's been a couple of weeks since I first read the story, but I was thinking it was a professor, which is why the kid's response was so much more powerful.

 

 

 

I had two very strong opinions on the last question.  The first one gave me 105, the second gave me 100.  Mostly, I didn't like the questions at all.  They had very little to do with me as a person, or my history.  Questions regarding my ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic upbringing, marital status, family financial status, etc would have been more effective.  A few of those were in there, but not enough.  Questions about what I think are first world problems aren't actually reflective of my privilege level.  (For the record, I chose the Stella McCartney fashion show response.  Most of my clothes are from Target or Sam's Club.)  I also think that the question "How often do you go hungry" could have been the only question on the quiz, and would have given a more accurate result.

 

 

The phrase makes me want to slap its annunciator.  "Check your privilege," is another way of saying I have no right to speak, or that my thoughts must needs count less than that of people of other classes (poorer, darker, more female).

 

Yes, yes, yes!  I can't agree with this enough.

 

I remember several years ago, I was participating in a conversation about a common social and political topic.  It had been on a recent local ballot (or was coming up soon...I can't remember exactly).  I had lived in the area only about 4 months, and hadn't yet registered to vote, so I was ineligible to express my opinion on the matter in a civic way.  I shared my thoughts in the conversation with 5-6 other women, and also mentioned (because it had somehow been relevant) that I hadn't yet registered to vote here.  The woman across the table from me looked up so fast from what she was working on (craft night) and said pointedly, "You're not registered to vote?  Well, you're not allowed to have an opinion on this then."  Excuse me?  I'm allowed to think whatever I want.  Because I'm not registered to vote yet, I can't do anything about that opinion, but don't tell me what I am and am not allowed to have an opinion on.

 

Not exactly the same, but similar in that I was told I had no right to speak because of my political status.

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I had two very strong opinions on the last question.  The first one gave me 105, the second gave me 100.  Mostly, I didn't like the questions at all.  They had very little to do with me as a person, or my history.  Questions regarding my ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic upbringing, marital status, family financial status, etc would have been more effective.  A few of those were in there, but not enough.  Questions about what I think are first world problems aren't actually reflective of my privilege level.  (For the record, I chose the Stella McCartney fashion show response.  Most of my clothes are from Target or Sam's Club.)  I also think that the question "How often do you go hungry" could have been the only question on the quiz, and would have given a more accurate result.

 

Errrmm... it's satire... they're not really going for accurate result here.

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ROFL....

I think it's a flatline curve:

55 out of a possible 150

Unbelievably privileged; check it hourly.

Hmmm... That or I'm more privileged than you. Nyah Nyah boo boo.

Q

ETA... I do love though, as the resident white-chick in a lot of situations when people tell me that I don't know what it's like to be a minority. While I spent a few years in the States as a child, most of my life has been spent overseas. Asia, Middle East, Near East. Hunny. Not only do I know "what it's like", I grew up in places where I wasn't even allowed to ride on public transportation, shop in many stores/cafés/etc... And of many of those that did allow me/my race into... There was a seperate entrance, limited selection, etc. BUT WAIT... In many places pipe bombs, beatings, lynchings, etc. still happened regularly and THAT is why you don't go out on your own / learn to run fast. So your Granny and I might have a nosh & chat, but you and I are from different planets as far as "have dealt with racism in my life".

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Now you're just bragging.  You're going to have to donate 90% of your privileges to the poor.  Cough it up!

 

 

The total feedback was

 

130 out of a possible 150

 

Prince Charles has more right to an opinion than you. Unless you are Prince Charles, in which case, shut up.

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The total feedback was

 

130 out of a possible 150

 

Prince Charles has more right to an opinion than you. Unless you are Prince Charles, in which case, shut up.

 

Laugh button!

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ETA... I do love though, as the resident white-chick in a lot of situations when people tell me that I don't know what it's like to be a minority. While I spent a few years in the States as a child, most of my life has been spent overseas. Asia, Middle East, Near East. Hunny. Not only do I know "what it's like", I grew up in places where I wasn't even allowed to ride on public transportation, shop in many stores/cafés/etc... And of many of those that did allow me/my race into... There was a seperate entrance, limited selection, etc. BUT WAIT... In many places pipe bombs, beatings, lynchings, etc. still happened regularly and THAT is why you don't go out on your own / learn to run fast. So your Granny and I might have a nosh & chat, but you and I are from different planets as far as "have dealt with racism in my life".

 

All I wanna know is when do Asians finally get to have perks?  I mean... when people say Black in Starbucks they feel inclined to whisper it... like it's some sacred secret code or something.  When do they get to whisper Asian...

 

:D

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Asians actually have it worse than white people.  Most would-be college applicants perceive they should not check "the box"--the one indicating they are Asian.  They take it as gospel that they will be held to a higher standard than even their caucasian counterparts.  It is assumed that Asians are genius at math and science, and are sometimes deemed slackers if they are merely good/excellent.  On the other hand, some people are shocked when 5th-generation Americans, of Asian descent, speak like--well, like Americans.

 

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/12/asian-american-students-perceive-bias-university-admissions-and-counselors-want#sthash.gw0WhqX1.dpbs

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Asians actually have it worse than white people.  Most would-be college applicants perceive they should not check "the box"--the one indicating they are Asian.  They take it as gospel that they will be held to a higher standard than even their caucasian counterparts.  It is assumed that Asians are genius at math and science, and are sometimes deemed slackers if they are merely good/excellent.  On the other hand, some people are shocked when 5th-generation Americans, of Asian descent, speak like--well, like Americans.

 

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/12/asian-american-students-perceive-bias-university-admissions-and-counselors-want#sthash.gw0WhqX1.dpbs

 

The bias that the article presented is a natural consequence of diversity.  When you have 10 seats and 100 applicants and the top 10 qualified are all Asians, you're not going to get much diversity.  So, for the sake of diversity, the admissions department get to pull other races out to fill the seats during the merits consideration.  So, Asians get to compete with Asians for the few seats - but this is no different than all the other races.  It just so happens that the Asian culture train their children to prioritize, focus, and excel in academics over anything else so there are many Asians competing for a few academic seats.  And there are only a handful competing for the NFL draft.  This is not something a college or university can change if they want to maintain diversity.  But, if they are okay with colleges and universities being as diverse as an NFL team, then yes, they should take out demographics out of the questionaire.

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So, who should check their privilege?  The disadvantaged student who got a full-ride scholarship, despite signficantly lower grades and test scores, or the one with a A+ GPA, who golfs at 5 below par, is an all-state short stop on his school's baseball team, plays first chair violin for the community ochestra, started his own company, started a non-profit for inner city grade school kids, and who has authored four Newberry Award books, but who barely got in because he checked "the box?"

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So, who should check their privilege?  The disadvantaged student who got a full-ride scholarship, despite signficantly lower grades and test scores, or the one with a A+ GPA, who golfs at 5 below par, is an all-state short stop on his school's baseball team, plays first chair violin for the community ochestra, started his own company, started a non-profit for inner city grade school kids, and who has authored four Newberry Award books, but who barely got in because he checked "the box?"

 

The one who checked the box... what was he doing hogging all the awards and activities and taking away chances from other kids to get on those awards and activities?  Sheesh!

:D

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Maybe both are victims of racism.  The first was shoved into a situation above his/her head, and told, "There there, it's okay, because you are 'special' in your own way."  How condescending is that?  The second, of course, because s/he will indeed be told to check privilege, despite busting his southern section, and always having to run an extra lap, just to make it fair.

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Maybe both are victims of racism.  The first was shoved into a situation above his/her head, and told, "There there, it's okay, because you are 'special' in your own way."  How condescending is that?  The second, of course, because s/he will indeed be told to check privilege, despite busting his southern section, and always having to run an extra lap, just to make it fair.

 

And hence my view that if we want to eliminate racism, one must eliminate color from decision-making and let the chips fall where they may.  Forced diversity is racism.

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"A genderqueer person trapped in a cisnormative orthodoxy".

I rolled at that one. I think I know 3 people who would make that statement in all seriousness.

 

I got a 75 - "Unbelievably privileged; check it hourly."   I was a bit less than serious with some of the answers, but then so were the questions. Still, I admit to a fair amount of privilege. Private school, a sister who was a debutant, college in Europe, all that kinda thing.  Until I went to college, I thought all white people were rich. I was shockec to see a whilte janitor in the dorm, but that's probably because I grew up in DC, where, in our crowd, the white people we knew did very well.

 

The thing is, I remember seeing job ads for 'colored' and 'white' as well as segregated housing. When I was a kid, it didn't matter how much money we had, you couldn't try on clothes in a lot of the DC department stores. We ate in the car at the drive in, not because we wanted to, but because we couldn't eat inside.

 

So, if the laws changed and my parents were able to get a bit of privilige for themselves and their progeny, do you think I'm going to feel guilty about it? Am I going to feel bad because I've been able to give my son even more opportunities? No way. Like the Jewish student in the article, a lot of people 'paid' a high price for me to be where I am. I'm not going to insult them by minimizing their contribution.

 

dhalia - whose life is full of first world problems - and darned happy about it.

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