Privilege refers to the advantages that individuals and groups are afforded in systems of power (communities, organizations, countries, families, etc.). Often, conversations about privilege become ones where stark lines are drawn between "haves" and "have-nots"; we're aiming for a slightly different discussion today, where we'll focus on how privilege and marginalization affect our relationships with each other and how we can navigate these dynamics to work better together.
Here's what we're going to do today:
1. Review a list of statements that describe the different ways people in our society may experience privilege or marginalization.
Everyone will interact with these statements differently because we all walk in the door today with different experiences. That diversity of experiences is a strength of our community.
These statements help illustrate how varied our experiences of privilege/marginalization are, and will help every individual in the session connect with both sides of the power dynamic.
2. Write/reflect on how, as an individual, your unique experiences of privilege and marginalization have affected your sense of connection to those around you.
Inevitably, everyone will have some experiences that roughly fit in the category of being marginalized, and everyone will have some experiences that roughly fit in the category of being privileged. One thing that these experiences share is they both seem to have a pretty profound effect on people's feeling of connection to those around them. We will set aside a period of time to write and reflect on both types of experiences.
Today's discussion will rely on taking the academic topic of privilege and relating it to our day-to-day lives. While the first exercise helps people connect personally to the topic, writing provides everyone some space to more fully process the effect of those experiences on our relationships with each other.
We'll organize in groups of 4-5 to review the material we wrote on and work together to explore the topic with one another.
Sharing and listening are both an important part of processing this material. We learn by figuring out how to articulate complicated experiences respectfully; by listening, we have a chance to learn from others and appreciate how our experiences connect us.
We'll continue discussion in the same groups, but pivot to some new questions focused specifically on ways in which privilege and marginalization shape our experience at Turing.
Today's exercise is intended to help all the individuals in your class develop awareness and empathy around privilege so that you can make meaningful changes to how you interact in your remaining 5 months together. Pivoting the discussion towards real life, right now, helps us continue to direct this conversation from something cerebral to something that makes a difference in people's lives today.
We'll take a few minutes to tie all this back to what we can each do, as individuals, to stay connected.
Ultimately, today's conversation should lead to individuals' ability to connect with others in spite of experiencing privilege differently in the dynamics they share. Individuals need time to tie this really complex topic back to what they can do, today, to connect and do right by others who are affected by privilege and marginalization.
Chairs and tables available for small group discussions. Students start out seated in their groups.
The facilitator will kick off the session by reviewing the overview described above. After that overview, small groups will do whip around to each member: every individual should share briefly how they're feeling (concerns about the session, lunch coma, TGIF).
Walk through the session overview (above) and what you will do today.
Review the following list of statements that describe the different ways people in our society may experience privilege or marginalization. Put a check mark next to statements you agree with. When you finish the list, write on the questions listed below.
- _/ Someone has made assumptions about you based on how you look.
- ___ You come from a single-parent household.
- _/ You can make mistakes and not have people attribute your behavior to flaws in your racial or gender group.
- _/ You have always assumed you’ll go to college.
- _/ You have an invisible illness or disability.
- ___ You have been a victim of sexual harassment.
- _/ You rely, or have relied, primarily on public transportation.
- _/ You do your best work when you are in a quiet space.
- ___ You studied the culture of your ancestors in elementary school.
- ___ You often feel/felt that your parents are/were too busy to spend time with you.
- ___ You would never think twice about calling the police when trouble occurs.
- ___ English is your first language.
- _/ There was ever substance abuse in your household.
- _/ You've ever felt uncomfortable sharing your political attitudes because they would be held against you.
- ___ You constantly feel unsafe walking alone at night.
- ___ Someone in your household suffered or suffers from mental illness.
- _/ You were ever made fun of or bullied for something you could not change or was beyond your control.
- _/ You have ever been spoken over because you could not articulate your thoughts fast enough.
- _/ You can show affection for your romantic partner in public without fear of ridicule or violence.
Once finished reviewing the list, write in your notebook on these questions.
- What were some factors that you have never thought of before?
A lot, where do I begin... It's almost impossible to visual outside of your scope unless you are exposed to it. I try very hard to understand where others are coming from so that i can learn from their experiences.
- What statement made you think most? If you could add a statement, what would it be?
A victim of sexual violence or harrasment. I'm sure all of us have in some form or degree. It depends on how you define the varying levels and degree.
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Select one of the statements that describes a seeming disadvantage that you would feel comfortable discussing.
- What did that/those experience(s) feel like?
My hearing loss. Not many people are aware of it since I don't make it known.
- If you were trying to describe that experience to someone else, what would that person need to do to help you continue to feel connected/trusting of them, even if they didn't share the experience?
Trying to remember which side to stand on or even realizing that when i ask for yo to repeat, it's because I usually can't hear you.
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Select one of the statements that describes a seeming advantage/privilege that you would feel comfortable discussing.
- What did that/those experience(s) feel like?
Being a male, also has lended it's advantages in the workplace environment. Being a minority, I have seen cases where this is a great thing.
- If you were trying to describe that experience to someone else who hadn't shared that experience with you, how would that affect your trust with them? What could that person do to help you sustain trust? What could you do?
My expereince is just to explain the benefits how looking like a minority or male can have. It's their choice if they would like to hear about that experience and possibly empathize with that.
We'll meet in groups to discuss what came up during our writing. Please be attentive to being respectful, active listeners.
When there are about 10 minutes left, the facilitator will announce the final prompt: Communication style, gender norms, introversion/extroversion, and learning styles are all areas in which individuals at Turing experience privilege and marginalization. As a group, identify 4-5 scenarios in which you've observed students in your class experiencing similar types of disparities. How well do you think you've done as individuals and as a group to mitigate these disparities when possible or stay connected when they occur? Take time to share out some examples from the group.
We'll take a few minutes to tie this really complex topic back to what we, as individuals, can do today to connect and do right by others who are affected by the disparities we discussed in groups. Remember, privilege is not a concept we're using to make individuals feel guilty, rather it is a framework in which we can better understand each other and stay connected in spite of widely varying experiences.