@Zinhead Of course, i would be “okay” with it. I can’t imagine under what circumstances an all-while version of “Porgy and Bess” would be deemed a draw - but, I’d be okay with it. You do realize it was written by a white person?
so… she has responsibility.
And other people have privilege?
Why is that?
Or do you mean that she has privilege, but other people have MORE privilege, so she is in the clear?
I’m just trying to keep track of how much privilege you are allowed to have, and how much is too much.
Your words not mine. But, if you want to equate the “privilege” to play dress as an adult, as opposed to preserves ones very culture with dignity and accuracy, well I think you make a rather clear picture where your priorities and morays are placed.
I don’t get it. Are one’s opinions more or less valid based on the socioeconomic characteristics of one’s birth – or one’s parents’ births? Is that the New Rule?
Right or wrong, the opinion of Jenna Bush, carries far more weight than the daughter of the night manager at 7-11. This platform, in many instances, assumes and creates societal validity. As it to being the new rule, well, power and wealth, are usually accompanied by a variety of affectations.
It’s not how much privilege you have, it’s what it does to you and how you use it. If privilege makes you dismissive of other peoples’ experiences/perceptions, it’s a problem. If privilege puts you in a position where you can have an impact and you use it in ways that don’t simply perpetuate your own advantage but that make the world a better place for others who have less privilege, then it’s less of a problem. Although how you got it (and what it gets you) may still be problematic.
The marginalized seem to dismiss other perspectives quite handily.
And what’s the scale of privilege here? I’m white and upper middle class. But I’m a woman, so I’m oppressed. And Jewish. That’s a draw :-).
And in all seriousness why am I “required” to use my privilege for good? I get that it’s worthy to do so, but if all I want to do is take my hard earned money, go to yoga class, have lunch with my girlfriends and travel the world, who is anybody to tell me I ought not? Isn’t it presumptuous to tell people what to do with their money?
How is it “problematic” how I got my wealth, assuming it’s honest (which it was/Is)?
“Right or wrong, the opinion of Jenna Bush, carries far more weight than the daughter of the night manager at 7-11. This platform, in many instances, assumes and creates societal validity. As it to being the new rule, well, power and wealth, are usually accompanied by a variety of affectations.”
Really poor example as few people outside the Bushes care about Jenna Bush other than in the general sense of wishing her well. You might have wanted to use Chelsea Clinton.
Another commentary on the Yale situation:
An excerpt:
The key part of the exchange, which was caught on video, comes when a frenzied student screams at Christakis, “It is your job to create a place of comfort and home for the students…. It is not about creating an intellectual space!”
Well, there you have the issue in a nutshell. There is an old debate about whether the purpose of education is to “socialize” students, to train them in conformity to the assumption and norms of the era—or whether the purpose of education is to, you know, actually teach people stuff, to give them the knowledge and tools they need to become effective, independent thinkers. The mob at Yale knows where it stands. To hell with all that intellectual stuff. We want the university to enforce conformity by complying with whatever demands we laid down in our latest tantrum.
Notice also that all this claptrap about “safe spaces” is a dodge. The protesters are so concerned about “safe spaces” that they formed into an angry mob to surround a lone individual and shout obscenities at him. Where is the safe space for the Christakises?
Obviously, this isn’t about safety and comfort at all. It’s about raw power. It’s about whose demands will get met whenever they make them—and who will be sacrificed to those demands.
I understood her to be distinguishing between the college where she lives “a place of comfort and home” and the classroom, “an intellectual space”
I agree with this - that is why I asked for clarification upthread on what this “safe space” thing was all about. I really don’t understand how these students can talk about a “safe space” for themselves and then proceed to surround, verbally abuse and swear at a professor. It appears the “safe space” thing is a one way street.
What suddenly made Silliman “unsafe”? That they might inadvertently see a halloween costume of questionable taste, or that the Masters might allow that?
Same point, except she is also the occasional TV reporter…
No one said anything about “requiring” you to use your privilege in any particular way, much less how you should spend your money. I just provided one example of an objectionable use of privilege and one of a laudable use. What differentiates them is not the comparative levels of privilege possessed by the actors but the nature of their acts.
What I don’t get is why you believe your yoga classes and your lunches with the girls are somehow placed at risk because kids at Yale have demanded that the school’s administration do more to address the casual racism they experience on campus.
Zinhead makes the very valid point about what concerns are actually addressed, from an institutional level, when there are divergent opinions and parties. Take the example of the recent step down by the President of UM. Monetary concerns were looming heavily on his decision, due to the potential boycott of their football team. Now as applied to the present case, old school status quo is meeting head-on to an era that wants something past happy PC talk, e.g. For example, greater numbers of full faculty that are of color.
Remember this is the professor whose position was that students didn’t need institutional support but should just look away from or confront people engaging in offensive behavior and tell them what they thought about their behavior and why. The students took his advice (although from what I read, it sounds like he approached them while they were chalking – not that they accosted him). At which point he was more eager to debate than to listen. And one girl got fed up after he kept cutting her off. Not an unpredictable outcome. Seems like another administrator (Dean Holloway, IIRC) had a very different encounter with (the same?) students that day. He did listen.
To be fair the masters role is to both create a “safe space” (or at least a home away from home) AND an intellectual space. The whole idea of residential colleges was to create a synergy where intellectual experiences could continue outside the classroom.
I’m not a big fan of our infantilizing culture which continually feels the need to make rules because we can’t be trusted to behave on our own. I think the master’s letter was ill-advised, but not necessarily all wrong.
@exacad well stated. There are some that prefer to play the role of ersatz Devils-advocate, while not addressing the greater problem, but instead prefer the exercise of creative “what if this or what if that…”
Moral bullies always like to point out other peoples’ privileges and never seem to acknowledge their own. It’s irritating to watch Yale students, every single one of whom is relatively privileged, whine about their oppression and their fear of not having a “safe space.” How about moving off-campus into New Haven proper? Then you’ll really have something to complain about re “safe space.” It’s so unseemly, so lacking in perspective and self-awareness. Elite education should not be a form of higher narcissism.