Diversity course at University of Kent

[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

I’m Scottish... so I guess if I was playing at students there I’d be I then? Viking invasions, Romans, the clearances and all that jazz...

Here's an extract from the "sexism" section, with a totally new-to-me phrase, for your enjoyment:
"sex, most typically is a term used to refer to a biological imperative of one's identity often assigned at birth and reaffirmed at death"

Here's an extract from the "sexism" section, with a totally new-to-me phrase, for your enjoyment:
"sex, most typically is a term used to refer to a biological imperative of one's identity often assigned at birth and reaffirmed at death "

sorry for bolding cockup

So what happens if you don't change your answer? Do you get a bigot label tied round your neck aka 'The Scarlet Letter'.
This must emanate from HR depts, I liked them better when they were Personnel Depts.

I think they brand your cheek with a big H (horrible heretic)

"Food to match my heritage...."

Boiled Beef & Carrots? Jellied Eels and Pie & Mash, love a duck, down the old apples & pears, gawd bless the dear old Queen Mum, I'd string 'em up I would?

What the fuckimg fuck of fuck?

....Doin The Lambeth Walk, OI!

I like the supermarket style questions as it makes so many steriotypical assumptions.

If your of Chinese/Asian extract then in parts of Brum you would be labelled as white privileged as there are Asian supermarkets where the staff are mainly of Asian extract. It seems to ignore that there are places where white anglo saxon isn't the default even here in the UK.

Food - mmmmm McCowans toffee, square sausage, tattie scones, plain loaf, proper oatcakes, caboc/other cheeses, Scottish honey, Tudor crisps, anything tunnocks, scotch pie... irn bru, millionaires shortbread,

@MyVisionsComeFromSoup

Here's an extract from the "sexism" section, with a totally new-to-me phrase, for your enjoyment: "sex, most typically is a term used to refer to a biological imperative of one's identity often assigned at birth and reaffirmed at death "

What in the name of the wee man does that mean? I wonder what the Biology department makes of that. They have a medical degree programme too.

[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?

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!

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

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?

@MyVisionsComeFromSoup

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

Very odd

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...

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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

@Floisme

To be fair, I do kind of get the second hand clothes as privilege thing. I buy a lot of clothes this way but I'm looking for snatty, high end pieces to pep up my wardrobe - it's effectively a hobby and I can see how that's a privileged position to be in.

I agree re second hand clothes. The difference is whether your doing it from choice or not. I occasionally buy second hand clothes.

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.

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