White privilege... really? In schools??!

[stellenbosch]

To quote Bastille, 'the world's gone mad' ...

Or maybe the aim goes beyond mere "awareness" after all

Once you become aware of issues, society should try and ensure that everyone has a chance to succeed, regardless of background, and that barriers should be identified and reduced?

People should have an equal chance. But it's very easy to say that - if we said that children should have a lottery allocated school system, then people would complain. Ideally, all schools should be good - rather than sending children to a mixture of poor and good schools at random (as an example)

So what? What's the policy consequence of that insight? Just "awareness", or a drive to pull down those who are viewed to have achieved what they have through relative privilege? Let's promote those who went to rubbish schools over those who attended good ones, that'll set the country straight in a jiffy!

Bertand - perhaps try engaging with the actual argument, if you can? Oh and do let me know how right transwomen are to complain that "ciswomen" are oppressing them through the "privilege" of having actual female body parts?

@Yassqueen as a black man I can say that though process is actually scary ! Your soooo happy to box away people and tell them you are a victim based off my own narrow minded world view ! I'm not a victim and nothing you say can convince me I am. Please name and shame people younfeel have held you back due to your sex, race, disability etc. The truth is in 99.99% of cases people hold themselves back and this is just finding someone else to blame.

Thought*

“Bertand - perhaps try engaging with the actual argument, if you can? ”

I did, last night. And again this morning. I’m just not saying what you want me to say. Soz.

Thats funny whales because there are 14 pages here of posters who aren’t aware of white privilege.

Added to that the OP links to an advert in a Canadian town aimed at school children. Not exactly creating much awareness there

I did, last night. And again this morning. I’m just not saying what you want me to say. Soz.

Definitely "argumentatively underprivileged" Maybe if you're lucky you can get a grant for that.

So...I would prefer a broader campaign about privilege rather than just about race (gender, sexuality, class, etc).

But I don't have any issue with discussions about racism and privilege other than that.

Also...'whataboutery' is a bit shitty. It's a way of shutting down a conversation you don't like because it's not about you.

As a feminist I'm always appalled by the 'what about men' posts so...same thing here really.

Maybe ask native canadians what they think before you clutch your pearls OP.

I agree Dad, it's like finding a reason why one is in a more disadvantaged position when also, you might be the one holding yourself back.

However, My daughter 11, has ASD, learning difficulties, she has the mind of a 5 year old, if she dud not have those, she woukd have far more opportunities, than she has now. It is swings and roundabouts. Though, she is more disadvantaged because of her disability, than a black child of the same age, without all that.

Yep aerofloat but privilege is a spectrum not an absolute. No doubt your daughter is disadvantaged. A black child with the same restrictions would be further back in that race though.

YassQueen - so in your ideal world, every single person should be measuring up their privilege/victimhood index against everyone they meet, all the time. If you score low, you can blame the people above you for your failings. If you score high, then you don't deserve your successes, and your unworthiness should be publicly denounced acknowledged

Did you miss the part where I said, and I quote -

It takes nothing away from your own struggles and your own achievements to acknowledge that other people start further back than you do

So in your ideal world, every single person should be measuring up their privilege/victimhood index against everyone they meet, all the time

No, in my ideal world, privilege wouldn't exist. But it does, so I'll settle for people acknowledging that they have privileges that others don't by virtue of race/sex/sexuality/finance, and rather than taking it as an individual criticism, doing what you can to call out prejudice where you see it.

@Yassqueen as a black man I can say that though process is actually scary ! Your soooo happy to box away people and tell them you are a victim based off my own narrow minded world view !

If you'd like to tell me where I've called someone a victim, be my guest. I've acknowledged institutional prejudice that holds people back. People succeed, people fail. There are a number of factors that influence whether someone succeeds or not. Like I said, that black woman might be a champion sprinter; the white man might sprain is ankle.

Privilege is the starting point. What happens after that is up to you, but it's going to be harder if you're disadvantaged by your starting point.

Ok dadtrying how about me acknowledging that as a young white wonan with blonde hair and blue eyes, I did better in job interviews earlier in my career because I was pleasing for the interviewers to look at and they felt they had something in common with me. How about me acknowledging that had I been a large black man with typical west African features and a heavy Liberian accent, that I wouldn’t have got those jobs? How about admitting that I know that to be the case?

Not nessesarily.

Mapluck really not so sure of that!

I think that may well be the case if we were talking about a British black man with a caribbean background though.

YassQueen

It takes nothing away from your own struggles and your own achievements to acknowledge that other people start further back than you do

You can assert that, but how can it not detract from your achievements to be told that the other runners started behind you? Usain Bolt's wins wouldn't be so impressive if everyone else had to run 200m while he ran 100m, would they? "Awareness" is a con.

Not automatically sprinkles,

You can assert that, but how can it not detract from your achievements to be told that the other runners started behind you

One issue is that people can't always see the privileges and barriers people face. They may see a white person and say that you had the advantages that someone else didn't have. But then they don't know the issues that a person might well be struggling with that has affected them.

Jesus fucking Christ. Hello BNP op!