Re: Growing up gifted

In article <8d1mm35og3t5mrg6o5n7hq52nv1356kiai@xxxxxxx>,
kmd <kmd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 20 Dec 2007 14:19:28 -0500, stef@xxxxxxxxx (Stef) wrote:
Here's an attempt at a definition. I've been working on it over the
years.

Privilege is the condition of being part of a group that is usually
treated well by others, in the context of a culture that encourages
people to systematically treat some groups of people well and other
groups poorly.

This especially applies to groups that are defined by their appearance
or some other superficial trait, rather than by the behavior of the
individuals in the group.

Do the concepts of "unearned" and "benefit" fit in with how you think
about privilege?

I think "benefit" is pretty obviously addressed in one of the parts you
snipped:

People who are treated well most of their lives have resources that
people who are treated poorly do not. They are more likely to have
more money or readier access to money and work. They are more likely
to have psychological resilience to hardship because they haven't been
ground down by poor treatment. They are more likely to believe in
themselves because they learn their whole lives that they are
important and worthwhile. They probably spend less time and effort
hassling with people or bureaucracies who don't trust them or who try
to treat them poorly.

As for "unearned," I think it's implied here:

This especially applies to groups that are defined by their appearance
or some other superficial trait, rather than by the behavior of the
individual...

I do think that "you have some of the resources you have because you
chose the right parents and maybe because your ancestors have been
hoarding those resources for generations" is a concept that needs to get
across.

On the other hand, I think that there's nothing wrong with privileged
people having access to resources -- except insofar as unprivileged
people don't have it. Everyone should be treated well. Everyone should
have access to resources, work, opportunities to develop psychological
resilience, an environment where they can believe in themselves, and
freedom from harrassment. No one should have to "earn" those things.

The system is currently set up as a zero sum game. I don't believe
things have to work that way. I think believing that they do is a
symptom of what's wrong.

Systemic oppression is not any one person's fault, but we who benefit
from it need to be about the business of doing what we can to
dismantle it. For our own sakes.

Yeah, that would be agreeing with the part where I said:
Some people believe that all these extra resources give such people -
privileged people - a moral responsibility [...]

I like the addition of "For our own sakes."

--
Stef ** stef@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> http://www.cat-and-dragon.com/stef
**
READ THIS BEFORE OPENING PACKAGE: According to Certain Suggested
Versions of the Grand Unified Theory, the Primary Particles Constituting
this Product May Decay to Nothingness Within the Next Four Hundred
Million Years. -- Susan Hewitt and Edward Subitzky, "A Call for More
Scientific Truth in Product Warning Labels"

.

Relevant Pages

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