Comments on: Just how privileged are you? http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/ life, the universe, and Germany Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:11:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Christina G http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2535 Christina G Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:21:14 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2535 @Migraine Meister: Back in the 80's, the neighborhood I grew up in was almost all white. I had a Vietnamese friend who was adopted into a white family, but that was it for minorities. I remember some of the dumbasses in elementary school calling me a "chink" though, so I can totally believe the state of your neighborhood in the 80's. Now the neighborhood is quite different, luckily, with Asians running rampant ;) @Migraine Meister: Back in the 80′s, the neighborhood I grew up in was almost all white. I had a Vietnamese friend who was adopted into a white family, but that was it for minorities. I remember some of the dumbasses in elementary school calling me a “chink” though, so I can totally believe the state of your neighborhood in the 80′s. Now the neighborhood is quite different, luckily, with Asians running rampant ;)

]]> By: Migraine Meister http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2504 Migraine Meister Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:49:38 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2504 Gee, I only got 9, but I definitely considered my childhood privileged - dysfunctional but extremely privileged! I think there are certain countries where one cannot avoid growing up privileged. I think Germany (ab 1955) would be a country where this is unavoidable - at every social level. I think in the U.S. the majority grow up privileged, but there are regions or social divisions where this is not the case. I grew up on an island in the U.S. that was divided like a little South Africa. The whites lived in the exclusive gated communities and the blacks were bused in mornings and bused out evenings - to do all the cooking, cleaning, landscaping. I lived on the "white" side but thank goodness my parents were cheap enough to send me to the public school. Rarely my friends brought me to their homes (literally shacks) - and I rarely invited them to mine...some unwritten/unspoken rule... I remember even once being shoved under the dashboard of a car so as not to be seen while driving through "their" neighborhood... sad to say this was still the state of things back in the 1980s... oh man did I go off on a tangent! I hope to raise my son simply with common sense - I think the privileged part comes automatically from living where we live... Gee, I only got 9, but I definitely considered my childhood privileged – dysfunctional but extremely privileged! I think there are certain countries where one cannot avoid growing up privileged. I think Germany (ab 1955) would be a country where this is unavoidable – at every social level. I think in the U.S. the majority grow up privileged, but there are regions or social divisions where this is not the case.

I grew up on an island in the U.S. that was divided like a little South Africa. The whites lived in the exclusive gated communities and the blacks were bused in mornings and bused out evenings – to do all the cooking, cleaning, landscaping. I lived on the “white” side but thank goodness my parents were cheap enough to send me to the public school. Rarely my friends brought me to their homes (literally shacks) – and I rarely invited them to mine…some unwritten/unspoken rule… I remember even once being shoved under the dashboard of a car so as not to be seen while driving through “their” neighborhood… sad to say this was still the state of things back in the 1980s…

oh man did I go off on a tangent!

I hope to raise my son simply with common sense – I think the privileged part comes automatically from living where we live…

]]> By: Christina G http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2500 Christina G Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:55:28 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2500 @tonio: I'd have to disagree. I personally don't see how not giving my child a credit card when I have the means to qualifies as perverse! Now having art and books in the house, going to museums, reading to your child, private lessons, summer camp, etc., these are all things I'd be happy to provide for Oliver. And honestly, Oliver will surely be just as, or more, privileged than I was, despite lacking a credit card and his own tv. :) @tonio: I’d have to disagree. I personally don’t see how not giving my child a credit card when I have the means to qualifies as perverse!

Now having art and books in the house, going to museums, reading to your child, private lessons, summer camp, etc., these are all things I’d be happy to provide for Oliver.

And honestly, Oliver will surely be just as, or more, privileged than I was, despite lacking a credit card and his own tv. :)

]]> By: Tonio http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2499 Tonio Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:26:27 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2499 I didn't count mine, but I bet I also get around the same number as you. We had original artwork in the house, but not by anyone we didn't know personally. One of my parents' friends from college was a professional painter, and my sister is a painter too. I don't understand why you want your son to grow up less privileged than you. Being privileged (at least in the sense of this list) does not mean being spoiled, and intentionally depriving your child of the things on this list if you can afford them and they fit in with your lifestyle and your taste just seems perverse. If your son realizes that the nice things he has must never be taken for granted, he'll turn out okay. I didn’t count mine, but I bet I also get around the same number as you. We had original artwork in the house, but not by anyone we didn’t know personally. One of my parents’ friends from college was a professional painter, and my sister is a painter too.

I don’t understand why you want your son to grow up less privileged than you. Being privileged (at least in the sense of this list) does not mean being spoiled, and intentionally depriving your child of the things on this list if you can afford them and they fit in with your lifestyle and your taste just seems perverse. If your son realizes that the nice things he has must never be taken for granted, he’ll turn out okay.

]]> By: Snooker http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2458 Snooker Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:54:14 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2458 http://snookspot.blogspot.com/2008/02/just-how-privileged-are-you.html Thanks for posting Christina! http://snookspot.blogspot.com/2008/02/just-how-privileged-are-you.html

Thanks for posting Christina!

]]> By: rita http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2453 rita Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:44:43 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2453 having a telephone at home. buying oranges out of season. traveling to hungaria for the summer and skying in the tatra mountains in winter. relatives in germany, west, who'd send the occassional parcel. jeans. a family car (trabant waiting list: 10 years average). colour tv. ketchup. receiving your mail unopened. having a telephone at home. buying oranges out of season. traveling to hungaria for the summer and skying in the tatra mountains in winter. relatives in germany, west, who’d send the occassional parcel. jeans. a family car (trabant waiting list: 10 years average). colour tv. ketchup. receiving your mail unopened.

]]> By: Maria http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2449 Maria Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:41:59 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2449 As stated above, the meme seems to be culturally-specific to the US. For example, teachers and physicians are not considered a privileged class in Russia - it takes 5 or 6 years to complete their degrees. And many university students study for free - it's called a "budget student". So the concept of partial or full scholarship doesn't really work in the Russian context. As stated above, the meme seems to be culturally-specific to the US. For example, teachers and physicians are not considered a privileged class in Russia – it takes 5 or 6 years to complete their degrees. And many university students study for free – it’s called a “budget student”. So the concept of partial or full scholarship doesn’t really work in the Russian context.

]]> By: Christina G http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2445 Christina G Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:33:17 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2445 @diane: I spent 3 years in good ole Durham, NC, and would love to get my hands on some Carolina BBQ right now. @tammy: Man, I was a spoiled brat! ;-) @rita: Interesting. What kinds of things were privileges in the GDR? @barbara: Time is definitely more important than money and things when it comes to kids. There are several privileges that I had that Oliver will not (no credit card, no phone or TV in room, etc). And Rainer brought some goodies back from an Algerian bakery. Yum! @sarah: Yeah, this is a good meme for making you feel you were spoiled. @phil: But that's pretty spoiled for a German... oder? ;-) @c n heidelberg: There are so many times I want to complain, but then I think about what I've had and I shut up. @claire: Oh, that reminds me, Freakomonics has been sitting on my shelf for a while now. I think I'll read that next. Have you read "What's Going on in There?" It's written by a neuroscientist mom about brain development in the first 5 years. Very interesting (even for non-parents, I think). She says genetics and environment each contribute about 50% to intelligence - but it varies depending on what kind of intelligence you're looking at. @diane: I spent 3 years in good ole Durham, NC, and would love to get my hands on some Carolina BBQ right now.

@tammy: Man, I was a spoiled brat! ;-)

@rita: Interesting. What kinds of things were privileges in the GDR?

@barbara: Time is definitely more important than money and things when it comes to kids. There are several privileges that I had that Oliver will not (no credit card, no phone or TV in room, etc). And Rainer brought some goodies back from an Algerian bakery. Yum!

@sarah: Yeah, this is a good meme for making you feel you were spoiled.

@phil: But that’s pretty spoiled for a German… oder? ;-)

@c n heidelberg: There are so many times I want to complain, but then I think about what I’ve had and I shut up.

@claire: Oh, that reminds me, Freakomonics has been sitting on my shelf for a while now. I think I’ll read that next. Have you read “What’s Going on in There?” It’s written by a neuroscientist mom about brain development in the first 5 years. Very interesting (even for non-parents, I think). She says genetics and environment each contribute about 50% to intelligence – but it varies depending on what kind of intelligence you’re looking at.

]]> By: Claire http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2444 Claire Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:21:05 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2444 This reminds of the book Freakenomics, the chapter about what determines if a child will do well in school. If I remember right, the book said that it was more genetics (1 smart mom + 1 smart dad = smart kid). I do remember that it downplayed some of the "priviledge stuff." I don't care what the stats say though, I am going to read to my kid and take him to museums. This reminds of the book Freakenomics, the chapter about what determines if a child will do well in school. If I remember right, the book said that it was more genetics (1 smart mom + 1 smart dad = smart kid). I do remember that it downplayed some of the “priviledge stuff.” I don’t care what the stats say though, I am going to read to my kid and take him to museums.

]]> By: C N Heidelberg http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2434 C N Heidelberg Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:41:44 +0000 http://www.amiexpat.com/2008/01/30/just-how-privileged-are-you/#comment-2434 I got 11 and put it up at my blog. Thanks for sharing it! They are things that come up in my mind a lot, having grown up in the sticks and then going to college with a bunch of private school sons and daughters of professors and doctors right after, and having glommed into that social circle since then. I would definitely call myself privileged, though. I cannot complain, although the tendency to want to comes into my mind all the time. I got 11 and put it up at my blog. Thanks for sharing it! They are things that come up in my mind a lot, having grown up in the sticks and then going to college with a bunch of private school sons and daughters of professors and doctors right after, and having glommed into that social circle since then. I would definitely call myself privileged, though. I cannot complain, although the tendency to want to comes into my mind all the time.

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