Stretching Our Thinking

My results of the quiz were 62/100. The quiz results stated that I am quite privileged. Despite having a few struggles, my life has been far easier than most. It was assuring to read that this is not a bad thing, nor is it something to be ahsamed of, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me feel guilty. I think it's important to be aware of our advantages and strive to help others who don't have the same ones. 

The article explores the complex concept of privilege.  Ferguson skillfully navigates through various dimensions of privilege, shedding light on how factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status intersect to shape individuals' experiences and opportunities within society.  Through relatable examples and clear language, Ferguson elucidates how privilege operates, often invisibly, to confer advantages to certain groups while disadvantaging others.

By presenting privilege as a multi-layered phenomenon, Ferguson encourages readers to critically examine their own positions of privilege and consider how they contribute to broader systems of inequality.  Whether it's recognizing the privileges afforded by one's skin color or acknowledging the advantages of being cisgender in a cisnormative society, "Privilege 101" prompts readers to confront uncomfortable truths and take meaningful steps towards dismantling systems of oppression.  In offering this quick and accessible guide, Ferguson equips readers with the foundational knowledge and tools needed to engage in constructive conversations about privilege and work towards building a more just and equitable world.

I chose to complete the privilege checklist. Being fully transparent I checked more than half of the quiz takers and came out as quite privileged. This activity was helpful for me because it opened my eyes to things that are privilege that I had not considered. The quiz said, I have had a few struggles but overall my life has been easier than most (in regard to privilege). 

I took the quiz “How Privileged Are You?” and scored 74/100.  It said I’m quite privileged, and have had a few struggles, but overall my life has been far easier than most. This is not a bad thing, nor is it something to be ashamed of. But I should be aware of my advantages and work to help others who don't have them.  In reading through some of the statements I thought to myself that I do not even have to think of those unpleasant circumstances ever.  I feel very privileged in that sense.  I can’t imagine having to live with any of those things happening to me daily.  Other than knowing it's wrong, I don’t have any idea how it feels, to even begin to understand how others may feel.   

I took the quiz on "How Privileged Are You?".  I was actually shocked when I got the results.  I checked 45/100 of the boxes which meant I am not privileged at all.  I was shocked at this because I've always been told that I am privileged by many different individuals because I'm white and grew up in a blue collar family, I went to college, got an education and have a good job now.  However, all of this did not come easily to me.  It was a struggle.  My parents had three children in college at the same time and were unable to pay for three daughters education at one time so we all took out student loans and worked part time all the way through college.  I think the term privileged can be a very off putting term many times and assumptions are many times made due to one's background or race.  Yes, I'm white but I have worked very hard for everything that I have today and it did not come easy at times.

I took the quiz to determine how privileged I am.  I anticipated the result that came up.  It said I am quite privileged and have had a few struggles, but overall your life has been far easier than most. I particularly like how it told me this is not a bad thing, nor is it something to be ashamed of. After reading each of the questions on the quiz I was beginning to feel ashamed even though it was not necessarily my fault that I grew up and live the way I do. 

I completed this survey and noted that I am more privileged than most. Most of the areas where I was not in the privileged category were related to gender identity as a female and family financial support. This just gives an idea of how we can help our students to have access to more resources.

I found this article very interesting and an excellent means of explaining privilege to any audience. Distinguishing that privilege and oppression are opposites is the first key takeaway; if you are not being oppressed based on a particular aspect of your identity, you are privileged in that regard. I think that the bicycle analogy was also a great means of explaining that privilege does not mean that you did not work hard for something. Many people become very defensive when another person tells them that they are privileged because they do not believe they have an advantage over another person in some life situations, however, simply being born a certain way allows for living an easier life than others. For example, as a white, straight, woman, I may experience some sexist oppression in my life, yet I will not feel the oppression that a person of color or queer person will. It is important to see how privileged we are and how we can help other groups that feel oppression regularly to be heard and teach us how to help them feel less oppressed. 

How Privileged Are You? After completing the checklist I scored a 73/100, which categorizes me as quite privileged, a few struggles but overall, my life has been easier than most. I should be aware of my advantages and work to help others who are not as fortunate. The items that I did check off, I noticed were all gender-based, so being female is a disadvantage. 

I chose Privilege 101.  I like that it states that in order for us to "truly understand privilege we must keep reading, learning, and thinking critically".  We don't really understand the impact things have until we see it in writing or in action. As stated privilege is the other side of oppression.  When people personally experience negative behaviors towards them then they realize how much bigger the problem is.  I don't understand what others who fall under these umbrellas of oppression are dealing with, but know that there is a greater problem.  Until more people are willing to become educated they won't really understand the need for a change.  These groups of people have more power than they are aware of and with a few strong voices a major change can be made to educate so many around them.