I can’t remember where I found this; it’s been sitting in my drafts for a while. A quiz to test how privileged you were/are.
Bold the true statements:
1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college.
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. (What? I have no idea.)
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
(FYI: piano, flute briefly, tennis lessons with white-shorted hottie Wayne Weatherall. I was 14 and deeply in love. He was 20-something and very tan. If it weren’t for the presence of my pesky brother, who took lessons with me, niggling little laws against such relationships, and my crippling 2-week bout of impetigo where my face had to be slathered in sheer yellow goo, I’m sure I’d be a white-shorted Tracey Weatherall even now.)
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (You mean people who dress like this? Again, what?)
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school.
17. Went to summer camp.
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.
So … let’s see. There are 34 questions. I basically abstained on two. 12 bolds. I was/am 38% privileged. Woo-hoo! I have no idea what it all means, really, except that I guess it’s time for a shopping binge and a celebratory martini, dahling.
I guess the point of it all is just to generate discussion about the privileges we had growing up; even the things you might not realize were privileges or that may have happened before you were born, like your parents completing college.
I got 12 as well…don’t see how knowing how much your heating bill cost each month is a priviledge. I knew b/c I was asked to pay it b/c my parents couldn’t afford to and I had a job and could help out (I was 16 at the time)…also, I paid for my own lessons as well after I started High School so how is that coming from a life of priviledge?
Missy — I guess it’s just that some of the questions seem odd to me. The definition of privilege might be fairly subjective and variable. #12 comes to mind. Still, I guess I thought it was interesting enough to DO and just look at my privileges according to a subjective list. I’m not arguing with it — I think I was fairly privileged in certain material ways only — but, again, how does one define it, really?
sam — I think they’re saying NOT knowing the amount is a privilege. And, yeah, the lessons thing could have been better defined in the question. Is it a privilege if you paid for the lessons yourself?
Yup! I totally misread that one…
which means that I actually only got 11 🙂
You are 32.35294% privileged.
Just thought you should know.
I think this was some kind of “academic survey” where they were looking at things relating to success in college and social class. I don’t know.
I do know you couldn’t make me go on a cruise (with OR without my family) even if you paid me.
And as for “positive portrayal in the media” – I’m a scientist and a professor, so not so much. According to the media, I’m supposed to either be evil, bent on generating strange kitten-chimpanzee hybrids, completely forgetful and out of touch with reality, an old boring harridan, or a giant nerd.
Well, Charlie Eppes notwithstanding. MOST portrayals aren’t very positive.
Just as long as the survey isn’t used as a bat to make those of us who were in some way “privileged” feel guilty about it. There’s waaaaaay too much of that going around.
Only 29.4% here. I blame my parents.
Re: #6, I think it means “economic class,” as in “did your family drive something more expensive than your teacher’s house?” sort of like Molly Ringwald’s character in “The Breakfast Club.”
NF — Yeah, I figured it meant something like that. I just wasn’t even aware of that stuff — even in high school. I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea about my high school teachers’ economic class. Or their class as compared to mine.
I think maybe privilege is a little subjective sometimes. Isn’t it true that most people think they are higher “class” than they actually are? I think I read that somewhere, anyway.
Here’s a bit of an explanation. of the whole thing.
Yeah, by the way, I’m way more privileged than you guys. 😉
I dunno. I think I’m much lower class than I actually might be.