Diversity course at University of Kent

I don’t think can even get mccowans toffee anymore... and definitely not plain loaves, caboc is hard to get a hold of and I’ve never seen square sausage down here.

I'm white, and plasters (almost) match my skin colour, so I dont need to think about it. But for someone who is not white, its a daily reminder that they are a minority and thats not right

I'm not white and couldn't give a shit about the colour of my sticking plasters. In fact, if that was something I had to worry about I'd consider myself pretty privileged that I could focus on such a non-existent problem.

So it is the accessorising that is important! Think of the poor sods who have to wear blue plasters so that they don't come off and end up in food or other inappropriate places.

Are you being disingenuous 'House of Fire'? When my offspring was little (and not so little), fun coloured plasters with superhero and animation characters where the ones we used. Brightly coloured and cheerful.

I'll happily use them. Also, transparent plasters exist, you know, if you don't want to use the tan ones.

It is alienating, but that's Capitalism, kids. There's a market, and supply caters for demand.

I'm left-handed and I live in a right-handed world. It pisses me off.

OK 2 broken legs are worse than 1 broken leg, but they both need care and attention.

I'm white, and plasters (almost) match my skin colour, so I dont need to think about it. But for someone who is not white, its a daily reminder that they are a minority and thats not right

I do not doubt that the lack of correctly-shaded sticking plasters and haircare products must be a constant irritation and a constant reminder of your minority status in this society. There's a 'but.'

But, you know, women in Afghanistan losing their jobs, girls unable to go to school, told to wear binbags and threatened with forced 'marriage.' Women in Xinjan put to work in slave factories to help the Chinese export drive. People in Burma, Belarus and Hong Kong denied their democratic rights. Etc.

And there's you with your wrong shade of hair dye.

Really?

The people who are now lecturing others about "privilege" have never experienced abuse, poverty, neglect or underprivilege in their lives. They are total hypocrites

I completely agree with this (I’ve just said it on another thread but this is much more articulate!)

It does remind me of when on radio 4 a while ago some woman was saying that poor people found it hard having no money because they liked to buy more stuff than wealthier people . I guess she was trying to make a point clumsily but whaddayado?

Regarding the heritage stuff - well, that's just barmy. Totally depends on where you live. And what if I am of rather obscure heritage? You'd pass the test with flying colours if you could swear that you couldn't find Madagascan food in a supermarket or Madagascan managers to complain to.

I still think it's like a witch trial. If you deny it, you're drowned for lying. If you admit it, you're drowned for being privileged. Or, in the case of Kent, probably a big Black Mark on your student record.

NewMutiny and RoastChicory - you're spot on re the class element. I can swear and wear second hand clothes with impunity.

My son started buying all his non school uniform clothes second hand around 15 and has stuck with it to the point that at 30 he never buys anything new apart from underwear. But there's a world of difference for a teenager from his background attending a fee paying school voluntarily doing this to make some sort of point and someone who has no choice. The scruffiest second hand clothes won't ever hide his self- confidence or his accent.

Their analysis misses out the huge element class plays here.

So glad I graduated from UKC in the mid 80s, when it was a more rational and honest place

It can be done but it needs to be considered. Discussion invited. Encourage genuine reflection. Acceptance that some in the group will be essentially pissed off before they even walk in.

An online thing like this with right/wrong answers is about the worst way to do it possible.

It's well known now that things like.

Unconscious bias training
D&I training
Blunt statements about privilege

Are engaged with mostly by those in the groups that have characteristics that mean they have historically been fucked over. And even then not all by any means, IME those who have an interest in discrimination etc.

For those who are in the groups highlighted as privileged it does not go down well and for some (many?) is in fact counter productive. Instead of saying oh yes I get this and that. Loads think well that's not fair. I haven't had it easy. Why do they get special treatment. I know a black woman who has a great job. Etc.

I'm white and I'm from Kent and when I swear- which I do with great fucking frequency - people assume it's because I am very common (and probably ill-educated) because my accent is entirely that of the working class community I grew up in.

So do I have to tick the box?

What if you’re adopted or never knew one of your parents? How would you know your heritage?

As a white Irish person from a working-class background, I can’t swear or wear second-hand clothes without negative assumptions based on my ethnicity. Does that mean I qualify or am I the wrong colour for that?

Honestly, this is divisive. If you want to eliminate prejudice, focus on activities that get diverse groups of students to mix and get to know each other. Have activities where they work together to learn that they have a lot in common.

This would do so much more for inclusion than a course based on stereotypes.

Ah, my old favourite, "matching".
So to answer whether a business's manager's heritage matches your own, you are forced to assume what their heritage is? How close does it need to be? If I'm White Irish, do I need to wait til the manager speaks to have a guess at whether they are White Irish or White Other? And by expecting them to be able to speak, isn't that able-bodied privilege? What if we're both wearing niqabs, am I meant to ask?

If this was a live training session I'd have a few questions...

Gasp0de, DD has some forensic osteology masters students in one of her modules, shall I get her to ask them, presumably they and the anthropology students woudl be the ones doing the reaffirming when they dig up and analyse the bones?

HouseofFire - it's on moodle, and there's maybe been an email about it, DD thought.

This entry was posted in challenging racism, Student Guide on 8 October 2020 by Ronke Adeyemi.

Launch of the Expect Respect module
Here at Kent, we want to make sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Therefore, we have taken a few proactive steps to ensure you are well informed and know about the support available. Next Monday we are launching the Expect Respect module.

This was last year!

[quote andyoldlabour]The university of Kent is introducing a mandatory 4 hour diversity course for students where it will be concentrating on topics such as White Privilege, Microaggressions and Pronouns.
Apparently seconhand clothes could be seen as an example of "white privilege".
"The course, titled Expect Respect and seen by The Telegraph, includes a white privilege quiz where participants are asked to pick which of 13 options are societal benefits allegedly enjoyed by white people in the UK.
If the student ticks all 13, a gold star is awarded, and if not, a button appears directing them to retry.
Staff have also been emailed by faculty managers to consider adding trigger warnings to exam papers, and carry out “pronoun checks, make a note of them and use them correctly” when meeting new students, such as they/them or ze/zir."

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/wearing-second-hand-clothes-an-example-of-white-privilege-students-told/ar-AAOSULh?ocid=mailsignout&li=AAnZ9Ug[/quote]
Really?

My DC is there now, and hasn't heard anything about this at all?