What counts as a privileged background?

[Aabbaas]

Interested to understand what people mean with thatas I am not from the UK and I think there is a different perception of what privilege actually is.
I had assumed this was in relation to proper wealth mainly but came across a couple of online discussions about some influencers I follow and they were being “accused” of coming from a privileged background when I didn’t think that was the case.

What do you think privilege actually is?

Privilege is waking up with roof over your head, clean water, food to eat, and an education system, a health system ( regardless of failings they are there), etc..
Some may say its being born wealthy as in, to real money, but I believe privilege is the above.

There was a thread yesterday where an 18 year old was given £44k by his gran, and internship at his dad's company, and was somehow already established as an online influencer, presumably because he has access to fancy holidays, cars and networking opportunities. For me, that is an extreme example of privilege!

I tell my kids they are priviliged. They always have food in the fridge and cupboards, the house is always warm and clean(ish), they are healthy and loved, we can afford some extra curriculars and holidays and treats... they are privileged. Not as much as some, but it's a privilege to have enough

The meaning of 'privilege' has expanded considerably in recent times.

'Privilege' used to mean wealth - wealth significantly above the average level of wealth in the country.

Now it's also used to describe anyone who can't be perceived to be disadvantaged by something else - e.g. thin privilege (versus overweight people) white privilege (versus other ethnicities) straight privilege (versus people of other sexual orientations).

This means, in modern usage, it's quite possible to be 'privileged' in one respect and disadvantaged in another.

Couldn’t agree more

Different kinds of privilege. Mine aren’t affluently privileged although they certainly have everything they need. They won’t inherit for example. We live in a council house.

They’re very privileged in the fact they’re from a two parent, happy home. All three of mine have plenty of friends, no school problems, no mental health problems as of yet. They all seem happy, robust, resilient. They achieve good results at school, ones just done very well in his GCSEs and has took to college very easily, again making a lot of friends instantly.

We don’t have loads of money but we do appear to a happy and resilient family. So they are privileged in that way.

I find this a bit dismissive of the very real wealth and life chance differences that exist within societies where the majority have the above, i.e. most western societies.

To me privilege is being able to make big life choices that depend on having enough security to be viable. Being able to choose a career in, say, medicine or the arts because there's a safety net and enough money to support you. Being able to choose to be a SAHP or to home educate or to have 3+ children because it's financially viable. Private education or even having the option of moving to the catchment of a great state school. Taking a risk on a career change or going self employed because if it fails you won't be homeless. I suppose it's a bit nebulous now I've written it down but these are all things that speak privilege to me.

Dunno... what you have described is privilege without a doubt. If you have enough money not to have to work (as in your SAHP example) you are very privileged. But that is an extreme example and focuses primarily on wealth, which most of us don't have.

I don't have, and realistically never will have, wealth. I have always had to work. I can't jack it all in and persue a career in the arts, not without some serious sense it will pay the mortgage. I'm still privileged though. I think the main source of my privilege is my upbringing - I was raised to have confidence and self esteem, I had no ACES, I had access to education, I had the safety net of a loving home. I get what you're saying, but not everyone has that and to me you're lucky if you do

That is lovely to hear. Congratulations

As with many things it is relative. My husband was born to parents far wealthier than mine but was shipped off to boarding school at 7, which he hated and feels damaged him mentally and emotionally. I grew up much poorer, went to state schools but had a small, warm, loving family home. We were both privileged / disadvantaged but in different ways.

Some people are born with the genetics to be very beautiful, with healthy bodies that don't cause them pain. Some people are born with clever, insightful minds or warm, open personalities that draw people to them.

I suppose we can all understand how we all might have had privileges in life compared to our peers or compared to people from around the world. I think it is also possible to understand that some people have a huge degree of privilege such as the very many children of celebrities you see dominating the acting or modelling worlds and no doubt many other areas. These people both have the genetics, the upbringing and the connections to open all the doors for them. Quite frankly, that's life! I do think it's refreshing when people do acknowledge their privilege though.

There’s no easy answer. It’s all very much dependent on context. Privilege can only be discussed in relative terms. I am more privileged than someone who is homeless with no family support; less privileged than someone gifted money and property by their family. Further, the same person may be hugely privileged in one regard, e.g., economic wealth, and hugely disadvantaged in another, e.g., emotionally neglected by family, poor health etc etc. I find these conversations often get reduced down to their simplest terms and all nuance is lost. Then people get angry.

Every day I am thankful for the many ways in which I’m privileged and give myself grace for the ways in which life is more challenging for me for broader, structural/societal issues I cannot control. I then focus on my own personal responsibility to be the best I can be in those circumstances. It’s all anyone can do.

Come on, people, priviledge is definitely a warm clean dry house with food in the cupboards. As a society that should be a minimum. Some people are unlucky enough not to have that, but that doesn't make this baseline privileged

No having your basic human needs met isn’t privilege. That’s just some middle class virtue signalling wankery that is designed to keep working class people down and make them know their place. It’s not tone deaf or grabby for sentient beings to want more from life than the very basics. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a better place to start and as well as the very basic physical needs, there is the concept of self actualisation which actually very few people seem to accomplish. I would say privilege is having more than you need to meet all your needs (including the need for social connection and self actualisation). People need to stop being guilt tripped over having the basics though. As for putting the word privilege after random adjectives... 🙄

But a good argument over semantics with a side order of guilt tripping always distracts regular people from asking uncomfortable questions of those with real privilege, the wealth hoarders and highly socially-connected of the world. 🤔

Being loved and supported, feeling safe, having enough food, heating and a home.

There is no greater privilege than loving, kind, supportive parents. If you’re born into that then you’ve won the lottery

We are privileged in this country vs a country without healthcare or education systems however the privileged to me are the people who have the good jobs/live off wealth, their dc go to private or the best state schools, supported through uni, getting on the ladder etc. & the cycle continues.

Agree

I think my children are privileged - but I am not sure how one defines it. In our case, we are not rich compared to many but we have more than we need IYSWIM. We own a mortgaged 4 bed house (not SE), we have a cleaner, 2 cars, holiday abroad every other year etc. But we are not higher rate tax payers, kids are in state education and so on. They have loving and interested parents, access to extra curricular etc - all of which in consider to be privileged compared to so many.

It is monetary though , or is it greater than that? Like a pp poster said, my childhood was more affluent than my children’s , but not a happy one. My partner’s childhood was much more modest but she did not consider they lived in poverty - council house, caravan holidays etc. More stable and loving than mine.

And where does innate privilege come into play? We are both women - but we are also both white.
However, my childhood was very ‘middle upper class’ I suppose , so I ended up with the private school confidence, queens English etc. OTOH, my partner grew up in an area where women were expected to work in a shop or factory until they married - or if they were attractive and clever, become a secretary. And therefore educated accordingly. Plus a strong regional access that people judge. She is more intelligent than I am, but many people still assume the opposite, based on judging educational achievement, confidence and being articulate. My children have a combination of this - although they will have the opportunities that my wife did not.

On balance, I think my children probably have more privilege than either of us did.

It is a privilege to have food, warmth, shelter and love. Maybe when everyone has it we can start to move up to fancy cars etc, but we're not there yet. I'm privileged to have always been able to feed my kids. If you're in the same boat, you are too

It's all relative.

There are different levels of privelege.

My kids were priveleged because I could afford to pay for dance and music lessons and send dd to a specialist performing arts college and pay for ds to attend residentials with National Youth Music Theatre and buy expensive musical instruments etc. Ds had friends at school and college who were equally as talented but could not afford those things an struggled to access the same opportunities.

However when dd went to drama school she had to work 18 hours per week to keep herself whilst doing 9am-5pm in class. She was one of only a couple of students who worked because the others had very wealthy families who could afford to pay all their fees & living expenses. This impacted on her course. So they were far more priveleged than her in that respect.

For us, privilege is being able to let Dd work hard in ways that prioritize her future instead of just working hard to earn money now.

Generally means in a relatively better condition/state. Could mean many things, eg being born into the right family.Not being in constant pain, having disabilities.

I agree there. We have been able to help to work for no or low pay in jobs that will build his contacts for the future whereas his friend had to always work to help his single mum pay their way.

Well privileged can mean the obvious, as it does in any country. Such as growing up in a wealthy (or at least comfortably off) household with all the benefits that affords. But it can also mean the school you attended and your family's social standing (basically their class) which can open doors, get you good jobs and help you mix with the "right" people.