(logo chimes) - Welcome to the final module of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access essential. Privilege, advocacy and equity. In this module, we will define privilege, advocacy and equity. Explore our own relative privilege, and potential for agency. Discuss the continuum of allyship, and accompliceship. And consider the Cycle of Liberation as a conduit for change. At the end of this module, you should be able to understand the complexities of different types of identity-based privilege, and their impacts. Consider where you have relative privilege, and agency to make impactful change through your spheres of influence. And identify characteristics of allyship and accompliceship that you can develop to be an agent for change. Before we get started, I want to acknowledge that privilege is a topic that can be uncomfortable for some, for a number of reasons. Some may believe they don't have any privilege or agency because of their lived experiences or current position. For many, it's a triggering topic because it undermines the concept of meritocracy, and genuine efforts towards achievement. Others may be keenly aware of their privileges, and perhaps are already using their spheres of influence for advocacy, and opportunity expansion. Keep in mind that an invitation to discuss and acknowledge privilege is not an accusation of anything bad that you have done, who you are or what you have. Rather, it's an invitation to do more good for others. I'd like to start our discussion with a virtue I personally have found to be most enriching that is a corollary to privilege, and that's gratitude. All of us have things for which we can be grateful. Maybe our families, our careers, our health, our abilities, or the opportunities we've been afforded. Let's engage in an exercise that you may find quite enriching. First, take a moment to think of some things for which you are grateful. Those things that you do have. These can be people, places, things, experiences, or perspectives. Now write some of those things down. Make a gratitude list of the things you do have for which you're grateful. You may pause the video for a moment to give yourself some time. Next, take a moment to think of some things for which you are grateful that you don't have. These can be things like illnesses, negative experiences, or even identities or characteristics. Now write some of those things down. Make a gratitude list of the things you don't have for which you are grateful. Again, you can pause the video for a moment. I hope you found this quick gratitude activity a wonderful opportunity to take stock of your gifts. Now that you've created your two lists, I'd like you to consider, which of the items on these lists are a result of circumstance? Perhaps by stroke of luck, chance or being in the right place at the right time. What about things like innate talents, experiences or identities? Now I invite you to consider, which of the things on your list exist because of someone else's action, circumstance or characteristic? Or resource for what you've benefited such as your family, a partner's educational background or other benevolent happenstance? Considerations of such benefits and advantages are the starting point for considering privilege. All of us have something that others don't, whether it's a talent, resources or lived experiences, such as the ability to travel. It may put us in a position of advantage over one person or another. Think back to module two, when we discussed bias, and how hight privilege exists because 60% of corporate CEOs overwhelmingly male are at least six feet tall, while only less than 15% of men are over six feet tall. That's an example of an unearned advantage. Some were just born with that characteristic that could be the lucky happenstance of genetics. The same applies for those of us with ability privilege, who were born without any limited mobility, cognition, hearing or vision. The world as we know it is made for those of us without any of those impairments. So what our advantages and privileges? An advantage is defined as, "A condition or circumstance that puts one in a favorable or superior position." In the case of the tall CEO's, one's height, particularly if you're a man affords a favorable position. Similarly, privilege is, "A special right, advantage or immunity, granted or available only to a particular person or group." For those of us with the ability privilege, which can be largely unearned, we have immunity from the challenges often faced by people with disabilities often due to nothing we did ourselves. A different kind of earned privilege may be veteran benefits for serving our country. You may have noticed on your list of things for which you're grateful, that some of these may include access to resources external to us, such as property, housing, and any corresponding school districts, childhood extracurricular activities, or parents or guardians that had an education, employment with benefits or other conduits to access an opportunity. Some may be internal resources, such as innate skills, and talents that yielded a college education for example. Or even something known as pretty privileged, extended to those considered to be more conventionally attractive. Such external and internal resources likely served as advantages that may have put you in a favorable position compared to others, even if the others may not have been in proximity to you. These advantages, particularly those considered external are often generationally based, such as from parents, guardians and lineage. Sometimes the internal advantages may be simply being born a cisgender male or able body or heterosexual. Others may result from choices you or others made, such as joining the military or moving to a different geographic location for more opportunity. These advantages translate into privileges available only to those who share that characteristic. It's not a result of anything you may have done or could even be the result of something you naturally are. Let's consider another definition of privilege from a social and societal perspective. Privileges are exclusive advantages or benefits afforded to certain people based on their usually dominant group, identity or status. These advantages are largely unearned. In other words, the person didn't have to do anything to get them. Like being born tall. And are often invisible to the people enjoying them. That said, let me be clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having advantages or privileges. For example, I inherited middle-class privilege as a result of both of my parents being well-educated. I grew up in a house near good schools, and both of my parents had health insurance, which means I could get benefits like dental care at a young age. I still remember my retainers I got when I was four years old to fix my underbite. Because my parents were educators, I was raised with a college going culture. And attending college was an expectation rather than an opportunity. I acknowledge those privileges, and I don't feel guilty for having them. However, it's the acknowledgement that serves as the first step to advocacy. Let's do another activity that may help to illustrate this point. In your course materials, there is a link to an activity called Your American Dream Score. The short quiz asks you a series of questions, encouraging you to consider what factors may have worked in your favor, and what you had to overcome to get to where you are today. At the end you'll receive an overall score, and personalized summary of results. It will include factors that may have helped you become upwardly mobile. Factors you work to overcome, and what your overall score means. (logo chimes)
