IlonaIndigoRoseMurrayNovak

NayeliMoran
Per.1
11/4/14
PriviledgeProjectReflection

Privilegeiseverywhere.Inequalityisthespaceinbetweentwoindividuals.Itisan

emotionofmanyfeelings.Itwillfillyouwithempathy,jealousy,understanding,sympathy,or

alloftheaboveandmore.Itiseitherraw,noticed,andpassionate,orquiet,rude,and

unnoticed.Passiondoesntalwaysjusthappen,noteveryonewakesupwithanindepth

understandingofthethingsthattheyhaveandthethingsthattheydont.However,change

spreadsfast,andonepersonsinfluencecanbelikeadropofdyeinabucketofwater.The

watergetsdarkerdependingonhowboldthecoloroftheirpassionis.Therearestructures

ingrainedintomodernhumanitythatperpetuatewhatitmeanstobeprivileged.Structuresthat

somearecriticalenoughtolabelasunfair,butneverdaretoquestion.InMonaSamimis

tenthgrademathcourse,welistedthesestructuresbythedozen.Aspectsoftheeducational

system,government,theeconomy,media,andmanyothersystems,setuptodefineprivilege

forus,inwayswemightnotwantforourselves.Ourpartnershipchoseanissuethatdoesnt

alwaysgetalotofattention,butisveryapparent,especiallyinthemedia.Thinprivilege.We

testedthewaystudentsatourschoolfeelabouthowbodytypesaffectthewaystudentsat

ourschooltreateachother.

Howdidwedothis?Throughprobability.Probabilityishowlikelysomethingwill

happen.Itcanbeassimpleasatossingofacoinanddefiningwhatthechanceisthatitwill

landonaparticularside.Experimentalprobabilityisthenumberoffavorableoutcomesout

ofthenumberoftotaltrials.Theoreticalprobabilityisthenumberoftimestheeventoccurs

overthetotalnumberoftrials.Acompoundeventisaneventthathappenstwoormore

times.Anindependenteventisaneventthatisnotaffectedbythepreviouseventa

dependenteventisaneventthatis.

Wecanapplyprobabilitytoprivilege
inmanyways.Onecommonexampleis

racial

profiling.Ablackmanagetwentyfiveoryoungerhasa28percentchanceofbeingstopped

foraninvestigatoryreasonoverthecourseofayearasimilaryoungwhitemanhasa12.5

percentchance,andasimilaryoungwhitewomanhasonlya7percentchance(DrivingWhile

BlackCharles,EppandStevenMaynardMoody).Racialprofilinghappenseverywhere,this

isjustoneexampleofstatisticsinNewYork.InMonasclasswelearnedalotaboutwhatitis

tobeprivileged.Inthisscenariotheprivilegedwouldbethewhitemalesandfemales,but

morespecificallythewhitewomen.WealsowatchedvideosonebeingJaneElliotsThe

AngryEye.Itwasaboutteachingolderkidswhatitfeelsliketobeofaracethanexperiences

moreracism.Someofthekidsstartedtocry,walkoutandgetveryupset,eventhoughitwas

justanexperiment.Inanotherofhervideos,withyoungchildren,shewouldseparatepeople

byeyecolorandtreatthemdifferentlydependingonblueorbrowneyes.Thishelpedthemget

afeelofhowcoloredpeoplefeeleveryday.Probabilitycandecidehowyouaretreateddayto

dayandisevenafactorinthingsmuchlargerthantreatment,likeracialprofilingandfrisking.

Outofthestudentsweresearched,42.5%hadtheprivilegeofneverfacing

discriminationduetotheshapeoftheirbody.Thisbenefitsthembecauseotherthan

personalinsecurity,theydonthavetobouncearoundtheopinionsofothersinordertolove

themselves.Theother57.5%ofthestudents,theoneswhoarediscriminatedagainst

becauseoftheirbodytype,havetodealwiththehurtofbeingnoticedinanegativeor

uncomfortableway.Tomakethisprivilegeanorminsteadadvantage,societyneedstostop

perpetuatinganysortofimagethatrepresentsanidealbody.Thiskindofthinkingis

unrealistic,notfunctional,andveryintrusive.Itshouldbeapersonaldecisiontoloveyourself,

orchangeyourself.Riddingourselvesofthiskindofdiscriminationdoesnttakemuch

sacrifice.Weneedtostartembracingeachothersbodies,andifyoudonthaveanythingnice

tosay,simplydontsayit!