08 January, 2008

Am I privileged?

Privilege Meme, pass it on.

Apparently this questionnaire is supposed to show how privileged you are. I've done some poking around and can't seem to find (ie am too lazy to find) the original but I think the more 'bolded' statements you have the more privileged you're supposed to be.

The blurb:

Bold the ones that are true for you.

The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

(I also acknowledge that this is from the USA and therefore have no idea what some of these statements mean).

Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers (I assume social class)
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home (most were my mum's recipe books!)
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs half (what does 'costs half' mean?)
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
There was original art in your house when you were a child
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
You and your family lived in a single family house (most of the time)
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child (under 12? No)
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course (I assume this is HSC equivalent)
Had your own TV in your room in High School
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College (have no idea what this is)
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 (how else would we visit the rellies in Malaysia?)
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family (I don't know about 'heating' specifically but I knew what the gas and electricity bill was, which included everything from cooking to lights, fans and TV use as well as our gas heater and electric heaters)

Hmm, seems I'm not very 'privileged'. I think I am. My parents made a huge effort to pay off their house and send me to uni because they thought those were the most important things - who cares about having a phone/TV in your own room? Bah!

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