Privilege meme

[ellid]

Ack. No wonder I was a pretentious little snob in college....


Father went to college
Father finished college
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor My mother's cousin is a lawyer.
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers Not sure, but I'll bold it just to be on the safe side.
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. There were more than that in my *room*.
Were read children's books by a parent Until I learned to read. Then I read my own.
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 Piano
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. Not really - they're portrayed as crazy hippies, Evil Liberals, or feckless college students.
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18. Hell no!
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. No. See below.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs My childless uncle did.
Went to a private high school. Had a chance to sit for the exam for one and refused out of loyalty to my mother, a public school teacher. One of the dumber decisions I've ever made.
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 Do my emboideries count? Or Mum's watercolors?
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18. Why would I want such a thing?
You and your family lived in a single family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
You had your own room as a child Only child. Sort of goes with the territory.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course. Why?
Had your own TV in your room in High School. Even if I'd wanted one, would not have accepted it.
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College. These really didn't exist when I was a teenager.
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
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 Mum didn't tell me these things. I was aware of how much food cost, though, because after Dad died she'd give me a budget and let me do the grocery shopping.

Comments

[helwen.livejournal.com]

I'd say yes to the embroideries and watercolors. The question doesn't say the original artwork has to be by famous people, and your embroidery is lovely. Original artwork would also include things like folk art and hobo art, not just Picasso and those types.

On preparing for SAT/ACT, not everyone knows how to take tests well, or knows what they need to study -- for the most part, if you did well in your regular classes you shouldn't need to study, but some people really don't take timed tests well... which is one of the reasons places like Sylvan exist. And then there are those people who haven't done as well in their classes, and are now under the gun to do well in order to get into school...

I read through an SAT prep book that our school library had, ran through their sample exam and realized I had no idea what they meant by analogies, so I studied that part of the book.

L had issues with the verbal part of the exam because he had a wide but non-standard vocabulary -- if he'd read through the prep book, he probably would've done better, having an idea of what they were looking for.

Yup, self-teaching to the test, but it worked - for me anyway. Really, they're just like any other project - research, practice, then do the project... assuming you have the skills for doing this (which you and I and most of our friends do, but not everyone does).

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I think with the SAT/ACT prep (or lack thereof), it was mainly Mum thinking that the tests shouldn't be a problem. Of course, the one that I did best on (the history ACT, where I basically blew them out of the water) should have been a guide to my college, but I was so determined to be Just Like My Mother, Only Better that I majored in English instead.

*sigh* Hindsight is a marvelous thing. *rolls eyes*

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, you certainly didn't need the prep :D

And, at least the English major means you write well for doing your historical research..... although we were required to take a junior year history course that would specifically focus on our honing our skills for doing research and writing papers.

Hey, I was a double-major because I was trying to please my parents and myself at the same time.... live and learn :)

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I guess I'm Pretentious Snob #2 (I was, really) because I nodded "Yes, of course, what else would it have been?" to everything you bolded in relation to my own childhood.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

We should form a society. I mean, there's a group called Procrastinators Anonymous, so why not... :)

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

You know, I still haven't gotten around to joining that one.

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

There's a lot here I could bold (17) but that doesn't mean I felt "priveldged". We were working class and 'til Mom died both my parents worked. Dad was an electrician at one of the local factories and Mom was a substitute teacher.

My parents and grandparents valued learning and did a lot to see that my sister and I got lots of enrichment. My grandmother paid for the 3 years of piano lessons. Books were a cheap form of entertainment, so were museums (we went to the free ones). We went on a few vacations where we stayed in hotels but most of them we camped; we enjoyed camping.

We were the same class as those I went to school with because darned near everyone at school were either working class, military, or farmers and quite a few moms worked.

The only time I really felt out of my social class was at the gifted kid summer camps I went to in jr. high. Most of the kids that attended those were far better off than my family was. It was weird but it taught me to be strong and to see that money isn't everything. (And not to go to UVA 'cause so many of the kids at that summer camp were jerks. ;-p)

I was more likely to get to go on a feild trip to see a play than go to the movies. Plays were educational and cultural. Once I was a teenager, movies had to come out of my allowance, and really, most of the time, I choose to save up for a book instead.

The kid who's going to be "priveledged" is our daughter. She's the only child of two professionals, both of whom have masters degrees. All of her grandparents have at least some college. She gets lessons, goes to museums, travels, likes flying on airplanes, and is surrounded by books. (She got about 10 books for Xmas and I think has already finished them all.)

We're doing our darnedest though to make certain she doesn't act spoiled. I knew that my family went out of the way to give me opportunities and cherished it. Hopefully, were doing the same for the kidlet.