Those are the people that win at life.

That wouldn't work if the seats were bolted to floor, like in an auditorium or lecture hall.

That was my first reaction as well. Also - I love that you likened it to the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

BULLSHIT. And shame to those who liked. You post: "[white & straight & male] struggle is a lot less likely, due to the distance from the basket". Way to go you just displayed your ignorance, racism, and sexism in a single sentence. This kind of bigotry in promoting this view that men are "privileged" and that whites are "privileged" is baselessly discriminate and demonstrably false. I'm sure this has nothing to do with you being black and female and being selfish and ignorant enough to label yourself victim in society. If you are going to be so blatantly bigoted in your post to men, for example, then please tell me how men are so privileged in society compared to you. What the hell privilege do men have that you do not? Shameful post.

Ben Hunter notice how the only people who disagree here and get angry are the white males?

Ben Hunter Hard to understand Christine Lorraine Edmonds post with all that white privilege clouding your judgement? Weird how you have 0 likes on your stupid ignornant post, and that the only people to complain are white males? Is it hard being Stupid and Ignorant?

I like to imagine this inner sociologist surrounded by stacks of tiny books and doing sociological research as you go about your day.

Nathan Pyle Ha! My outer sociologist persona apparently fits this description as well. My desk has a stack of tiny books I was using for a answer on Quora. :) Great illustrations!

Cody Ogden Yes! You're educating countless through Quora, and I thank you! (I have the "Best of Quora" book on my bed right now.

Alas, many who are privileged are not aware of it. Take a smidgeon of it away and they immediately scream that they are being discriminated against!

What's more... I think that most people who deny their privilege are attempting the ultimate Jedi mind trick. They, in fact, realize they have a silent advantage and by denying it exists they get to maintain that advantage. Some who benefit from an advantage actually want to keep it. Fifty years ago it was cool for the privileged to say "I'm in front, you're in the back, that's the way it is, that's the way it should stay". Unapologetic and openly. In a society that claims to love freedom and fairness this attitude seems hypocritical. Now that attitude is not PC so it's a better approach to deny everything and the system remains unchanged by default.

Or, you can look at it as, the laziest ones insist that those who work hard had some sort of unfair advantage.

Andrew. You're awesome. Obviously, whatever path life took you on, it made you more empathetic, intelligent, and able to see how the world works from other people's point-of-view. I hope those characteristics take you far.

Awesome that you recognize it now. I recently had a sociology class where I had to list my own privileges. I too never thought about the fact that I have two parents in a great relationship who own a home is huge. I just took it for granted.

Thank God there are men like you in this world.

So what do you say to the unearned privilege that men, more often than not, have absolutely no recourse when it comes to seeing their children? When it comes to family privilege men have absolutely none.

Cody Hutton an example of an area where men do not do as well as women (as you argue is the case in custody) does not negate the idea that men enjoy privilige in other areas (or as I would argue, more areas). Just like the fact that gender is only one in myriad of interlocking identities, priviliges, and oppressions does not mean that an individual is impacted by only one. Privilige is not a pissing match.

Rob Euseblo, thank you for understanding this. For a lot of people, it's more comforting to simply say, "Wait, my life isn't easier than others!" but most people do benefit from some kind of privilege. I also love that "privilege is unearned, that is not to say that it is undeserved." You also speak/type very eloquently.

I understand what you are saying. I worked in an inner city school for 12 years and finally had to get out. There are some who don't want help. Education is unimportant to them. When the parent is the role model and dropped out of school at 16 and has 4 children by the age of 21... Now at the school I taught at, students were encouraged to do well. Students were told that they could achieve their goals if they worked hard and set their minds to do it. But in this day and age of "instant" and "quick" gratification, some would simply give up if it didn't happen as soon as they wanted it to. And part of the problem is envy from those who don't succeed. I'll call them the "haters." Their attitude is "If I can't have it, no one else should have it." It's a very sad situation to see successful students destroyed by those who aren't.

I can also relate. I also moved out of my own choice from the second best public school in the WA, that is in the middle of an upper middle class neighborhood, to a high school in what was in a popular 2013 study, one of the worst places to live in, in MA. The culture is very different. I do feel very glad to have experience both worlds, as I would have stayed an ignorant privileged kid if I had not otherwise. The first high school I went to did what ever they could to get kids to graduate and encourage going to college way more than the second high school. In the second high school they are more likely to encourage GED programs to students not doing so well and also encourage acquiring trade skills, which is why Vocational schools so much more prevalent in the area. It seems like in the process of society conforming to the different people in the area, they are also sort of "keeping" the different types of people in the same income bracket. I say keep in quotes because there is nothing stopping kids choosing a different path than what these institutions push their way, but these institution's philosophies no doubt have a greater influence on the greater community.

Sarena Meas , I am on the flip side of that. I started in a middle class, largely Black area of Cleveland, not inner-city. When I got to junior high school, that's when I saw the "bad" side of school. 40 students per class, daily fights, theft of anything they could get their hands on including text books (I had 3-4 stolen that year that my parents had to pay for.) and so on. At the start of the school year there were FOUR white kids in the school. They were all gone before the school year ended. During the summer my parents moved to an affluent suburb. EYE OPENING! Smaller class sizes, no more than 24 in a class. I was behind in math. They had begun learning algebra in 7th grade. Book reports were expected on any book you read, and you were expected to read several in a month. I had a hard time keeping up, but did catch up. And get this, teachers who were actually vested in my success. In other words, I got help when I needed it. I'm not going to say that I would not have graduated had my parents not moved, but I do believe I would have taken a different path had they not.

you have it completely backwards. no one assumes that "because you're a white male you should be swimming in money." however, it would be safe to assume that you don't worry about being targeted by police for "fitting a description". If you're in a well-to-do neighborhood, you probably dont have to worry about having someone calling the police on you because you don't look like you would live in that area. you probably don't feel the need to always travel in a group just in case someone tries to overpower and take advantage of you. if you're straight, you dont have to worry about someone attacking you because of who you're attracted to. if you're cisgendered, you dont have to worry about being fired or not getting a job because of your gender expression.

youre right when you say "there is privilege in the world, but not one single class has it." checking your own privilege is not about other people thinking you have it "easy", it's about YOU recognizing that other have a struggle that you never even have to think about (which, clearly, you aren't) because of who they are.

Cody Hutton "...but they can obtain welfare much easier than I can because I'm white and expected to be well off..." So not true. NOONE is denied for race. I've seen white men in a welfare office plenty of times that get approved as well as SSI, and other benefit programs. That's such a myth and I am tired of seeing that nonsense. Come on NO ONE is saying that privilege gets you out of every situation like speeding tickets. That tells me that you know NOTHING about the words WHITE PRIVILEGE. You should get a better understanding of the word and then come back with an argument and I mean that with all the greatest respect in the world. The scenarios that you just stated have NOTHING to do with it at all. Sorry.

To try to make messages clear, educators have to reduce them slightly. You are right Mark, there is a basket on each wall of this room and the "privilege" falls to those closer to it. BUT to get over the message that those nearer don't necessarily realise how hard it is for those further away. I am saddened how many are jumping to say it is wrong rather than listening to the message that privilege is a bias that is not good in any situation as it generates a group who feel deserving of something and who find it easier to reach for. I think this educator did an excellent job to teach kids the fundamental issue in privilege that the adults are failing to see or want to see.

Peter Locke I wouldnt say it is wrong, but what I would say is the approach that people take in life because they are so far away is whats wrong. People in the front row should not have to advocate for anyone, they should be allowed to live their life and pursue happiness. They are just as entitled to that as the people in back of them. It is the responsibility of the people in the backrow to pursue their dreams. If they miss shooting into the garbage can at the front of the room while ignoring the other garbage cans, quite honestly, that is their problem.

While the message is eye opening to a high school aged classroom (Maybe 11th or 12th grade), it does not make them stronger people. You're in the UK, maybe things are different, but we have a lot of whiney people in the States who just watch life pass them by while all they do is bitch, piss and moan

Mark Souza I partially disagree with your comment - "People in the front row should not have to advocate for anyone." I believe if circumstances are unfair effort should be taken to make them fair. Life isn't fair but I think if you can make it that way you should try.

Agreed people should be able to pursue happiness without bearing everybody else's troubles. There's also time scales involved - if you get an opportunity that was unfairly given, sometimes it's impractical to not take it just to make everything idealistically fair. The world isn't a perfect place.

In the end I think people have to meet in the middle. "Unprivileged" need to work extra hard to achieve their dreams and not resent "privileged" for their status. "Privileged" need to understand their advantage, work to balance the scales, and not dismiss "unprivileged" as lazy under the false pretense "I worked hard to get where I'm at, so can you".

Furthermore discussions like this need to continue so that people are aware when the game is rigged - while "privileged" people can't be blamed for not being the most sensitive, they (we) should be aware.

A ted talk on wealth but connected to privilege:

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean?language=en

Solid assumption! Please, continue.

Is that all? Or do you actually have an educated argument for your statement?

Why?