AIBU to think that everybody should watch this? It opened my eyes

[almutasakieun]

As for where I'd be in the race, I'd probably have gotten a couple of headstarts, but by no means all.

I just thought it was interesting.

It wasn't supposed to be a nuanced discussion, it was supposed to be a blunt, graphic message for the people who have never thought about it.

I didn't like the effect it had on the people being used as the lesson. They did not look comfortable or as if they had consented.

There's a back-to-school grant for clothes and footwear, and a School Book Grant scheme.

My dd’s uniform and necessary equipment for starting secondary school came to over £400. The grant helped of course it did, but a statement like that implies that majority of costs are covered and they most certainly are not.

Oh sorry, the grant was £79.00.

We also don't know what discussion went on before, during and after the filming. We don't know what those children knew.

We also know that those males left at the back do not have male privilege, indeed they will be at a significant disadvantaged for being a black male.

I am white, and I didn't move off the start line, and many other white people I know wouldn't move off it either.

I can see what the 'message' is, I just find it incredibly ignorant, to assume everyone who is white has 'all these advantages' over people of colour.

Ridiculous left-wing propaganda. Yeah it 'opened my eyes' all right - it opened my eyes to how SOME people assume all white people have a lovely fluffy easy life, full of privilege, handouts, and good fortune.

Ignorant, patronising, and downright offensive, and as I said, left-wing propaganda. I am sick to death of this mindset (from SOME) that if you're white, your life is fucking easy!

Thanks for sharing, OP. This is so powerful and made me realise how lucky I am. I will definitely share this with my son when he's old enough to fully understand x

I would have started 10 steps ahead. I think all of them (apart from private education, private tutoring and not having to pay for uni) I have. I know I’m pretty lucky, I’m very privellaged to live the life I do, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
I think what these things do is open our eyes to the possibility that everyone has some form of privellage and that is an important lesson to learn.

I think he could have started with, "take a step forward if you think you deserve to win".

Agree. I read an interview with a teacher from Eton who said the students there believe they’re capable of doing anything they put their mind to and that’s what sets them apart as they grow up.

JacquettaW
I also did not like it. It was humiliating and demoralising for those left at the back.

Exactly. I think people are looking at this from the POV of the people at the front, not at the message that's being sent to children who are in the same position as those at the back, which is that their disadvantages are so overwhelming they'll never succeed. Also encouraging a kind of victim mentality.

Hmmm. I’m not sure how the circle can be squared here. Because, although I understand lone parents face big challenges, I don’t think it’s fair to assume that divorced parents, lone parents or those where the father is not involved are necessarily automatically disadvantaged by divorce etc.

It wasn’t entirely accurate elsewhere either. They excluded athletic ability from reasons not to pay for a scholarship, but not academic based scholarships. I’m not sure that’s fair either, natural ability that needs hard work to be developed to a high level? Certainly seems similar to me.

gamerwidow
Why are people so uncomfortable to have their advantages pointed out to them?

Because its never good to speak in generalities and claim that all people in one group got the same start in life. It is so much more nuanced than that.

I liked the video. Of course it's much more relevant to the US, but we should be aware that many young people (young men, especially) are very influenced by Jordan Peterson and his resentment towards the idea of white privilege. These ideas are dangerously appealing for a younger generation. It would be worthwhile for them to watch it.

Did you read the comments below the video? Very interesting reading.

Very powerful

Again, so many people are trying to shoe-horn this in to their lives in the UK. The video was to show the disadvantage of ethnic minority children in America compared to white.
The video is a short clip of a study looking at all of the factors mentioned - the state of state education in inner city schools with higher ethnic minorities, the racial profiling of scholarships, the racial profiling of households, racial profiling of career prospects, health and social standing.

Applying the video like for like to our society won't work but it does open up our eyes to privilege and acknowledging that some people do have a head start based on circumstances out with their control. It doesn't mean they are more deserving of success but it does make success a more achievable goal.

If you were to apply it to a UK society a focus on the 10 ACE indicators would be a good place to start - looking at your household and whether you had separated parents as well as the presence of emotional or physical abuse/negligence and sexual abuse; incarcerated parents; substance abuse in the home etc.
That would be a good start point but this video isn't about that

Juells
Exactly. I think people are looking at this from the POV of the people at the front, not at the message that's being sent to children who are in the same position as those at the back, which is that their disadvantages are so overwhelming they'll never succeed. Also encouraging a kind of victim mentality.

I wanted to say exactly what you did but couldn't put into words what I was thinking. I actually thought about if from the view of my DS who would be one of those kids near the back and then effect it would have on him of he were to be shown this in school.

sailorcherries
Again, so many people are trying to shoe-horn this in to their lives in the UK.

But it is there to start a discussion.

It's more complicated than in the video that's for sure

Sigh. Of course it is. But it does show how those who think they have none, actually do have an advantage over others. It also shows the basic premise of what privilege is. Why must these things always be talked down just because they lack nuance?

I am white, and I didn't move off the start line, and many other white people I know wouldn't move off it either.

Sure. Because racism just isn’t a thing, is it. 🙄

Boney of course it's their to start a discussion but a discussion does not mean shoe-horning the exact same scenario in to a different society and premise all together.

The intended purpose of the video was to highlight the white privilege in America based on statistics and the questions were designed in light of this.
It was not to highlight all privilege and should not be viewed in that light.

Why must these things always be talked down just because they lack nuance?

Because it's virtue-signalling hammer-blows landing on the children at the back.

gamerwidow
Why are people so uncomfortable to have their advantages pointed out to them?

How do you know they're not uncomfortable to have their noses rubbed in their disadvantages?

I read an interview with a teacher from Eton who said the students there believe they’re capable of doing anything they put their mind to and that’s what sets them apart as they grow up

Maybe it is a mentality that is in some people regardless of privilege.

As someone who barely got off the starting line with a lot of other issues I always knew I could do anything I wanted. My only restriction was the people around me and their attitude.

I come from a council house, was moved to a tower block for a while on the worse council estates in the country.

As far as I was concerned I might as well go for it as I didn't have anything to lose.

this is a metaphorical device designed to expose the effects of privilege on outcomes

I noticed that when asked to take their two steps forwards those who were allowed to do so gleefully took giant leaps forward, confidently taking full advantage of their privileges

whilst those at the back stood and watched their peers getting away from them

Those of you disputing the relevance and the relative weight of the factors mentioned are missing the point of the exercise

I watched that the first time, and thought huh, interesting if simple way to point out privilege.

Then I watched it again, and cried, because I realised: I'd be in the back row.

I don't think of myself as coming from under-privileged background. My mum worked so hard to give me as many advantages as possible, yet not a single one of those statements applied to me growing up.

I now live in a very wealthy, privileged area, and beat myself up sometimes for being less successful than my peers. Watching that the second time made me realise how well I did to get here at all.

As someone who barely got off the starting line with a lot of other issues I always knew I could do anything I wanted. My only restriction was the people around me and their attitude.

Of course there are individuals who succeed despite the odds. But you admit yourself that there were barriers imposed by others.

The Eton students referred to knew there would be no such barriers for them. It’s a cultural thing, not about individuals.