to ask you about different types of privilege women can have? e.g slim, educated

[pepperandapples]

Just that really - what are the different types of privilege that women can have that make them more or less privileged than other women?

e.g able bodied, wealth, education, slim. What else is there?

is height one? how about hair colour and accent etc?

I am trying to understand

There's no need to explicitly state that you are extraordinarily privileged and almost certainly white, with a post like this. It is a privilege in and of itself to not have to give much thought to these topics or even to care about them. Nobody is compelling you to comment on this 'tedious' thread, your input is not as valuable as you think.

This thread is either to have a go at people you perceive to have more than you or to feel sorry for yourself

There is a third way you know? Some of us can think about broad social issues in the round and in the abstract without it being about ourselves all the time. Personally I am sharing and noting my own experiences in order to consider the systemic issues underlying personal experience.

It's so tiring and boring and limiting when people can't have a discussion about society without making it all a personal story.

I think class is a huge one. I'm in touch with a lot of people from school. We're now all late 40s. The difference between those from working class backgrounds and middle class backgrounds is stark.

Blonde privilege? What vacuous nonsense. What are these women supposed to do about this supposed privilege - publicly abase themselves for having blonde hair? Commit to dying their hair mousy brown as an act of solidarity?

If I belonged to a group experiencing real discrimination, with real life consequences, e.g. gay men and lesbians whose lives are at risk because of their sexuality in much of the world, or people with disabilities who can't easily travel independently around the UK - I'd be fuming at the idea that this sort of idiocy was taking up other people's head space instead of the obvious things that they could be doing to remedy real problems.

Ooh this is an interesting debate... no need for defensive as I think OP is musing / trying to define in her own head rather than pitching certain groups against each other

Re my quoted point, you could earn more money and become wealthy I suppose - but it's still a privilege??

In the UK youth is a privilege.

Honestly OP what are you expecting from this thread? Yes i'm white, yes I'm educated, does that mean I'm privileged? And what exactly should I be doing about that anyway? Acknowledging my "privilege" every 2 minutes or fretting about it, given that I have zero control over my skin colour, the family I was born into, the education I was given, my accent? Seriously, who has time to be pondering all of this all of the time in every interaction and situation? Most people do not spend their time thinking about this stuff or starting threads about this stuff, it's perfectly possible to treat people with kindness and fairness without angst about checking your privilege about being blonde/thin/whatever.

It's all a bit student politics.

I think this is very true. Always on at dc1 and his pronunciation and modelling the best Surrey accent my foreign mouth can manage although, my influence has added words to his vocabulary that he wouldn't necessarily have. H is very hot on speaking 'properly'.

And, white privilege...for either sex goes along way.

For women, I think appearance and posture beings about certain privilege. Being slim, nicely put together and having good posture does open more doors. Literally and figuratively.

@40andlovelife I'd look to add class to the list, there's absolutely no need or justification to replace race - of course race is a privilege!

I wouldn't say being thin or educated is a privilege in the UK. I am thin as I eat the recommended calorie intake a day and exercise, I am educated because I spent 4 years at university studying and passed exams. These are privileges worldwide but in my country, Scotland, uni is free so and healthy food is available so by default people should be thin and educated without this being a privilege.

Those aren't the only options though are they...

Try being dismissed by doctors because you ‘don’t look like somebody who would have type 2 diabetes / pcos / thyroid issues’ just because your bmi is at the lower end of the range ? Having to fight for tests and treatments because of how you look ?!

Class, confidence, looks and youth

But the white element will always be. I’m not sure you can categorically say that social class has larger privilege leverage than race does. Being white will set you up for privilege in almost all settings and situations, being middle class won’t necessarily.

Having a British Asian Prime Minister (indeed the only non-white prime minster to have ever served) has very little to do with it.

I agree with you, absolutely.

@MaseratiIsYellow

I love this point - very thought provoking

Everyone then pats themselves on the back for diversity when all they've done is replace rich white people with rich non-white people. That doesn't lead to real diversity of thought, empathy etc.

No, it costs more money to eat well, and having the leisure time to exercise is not open to all.

Slim isn't a privilege as everybody could be slim. Being white is a privilege in some countries. Being born into wealth is a privilege in all countries of the world and yet class is the privilege discussed least. I wonder why that is?

I started life as a neglected abused and mentally sick child brought up in poverty.
I'm now a successful woman with my own home and career. I wasn't born with any kind of privilege, I've earned everything I have through hard work and determination.
I could just as easily have ended up in the gutter as nobody ever helped me.

I am fed up of hearing the word privilege and feel it’s hugely overused recently. I’m also fed up of hearing the word diverse for the same reason.

It’s like people have nothing original or unique to say any more and just spout the same phrases parrot fashion.

Yes, know there are certainly various exceptions - disability, health issues, medication, and on the flip side some people just have excellent metabolism.
But for the most part being slim is not a privilege - it’s something people work hard to achieve and is open to all by exercising and eating healthily.

It depends on your social conditions/environment as well, not just the availability of opportunity.

No, a wealthy, white educated woman without disability has more privilege than a poor, badly-educated, disabled man of colour.

This is too superficial and ignoring the roots of privilege. You have privilege that enabled you the steps, behavioural and physical traits to gain level of education and thinness.

YES, exactly!