Facilitator's Guide

Questions from Holly:

Start with human barometer?
For Human barometer *notes: think of ideal order and highlight what is most
important

Required Readings
Cookson 1-15, optional 111-118
Staying Silent at Penn 9pgs
http://civichouseblog.com/2016/02/19/staying-silent-low-income-students-at-
penn/
Black Poverty
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/12/black-poverty-
differs-from-white-poverty/
Wealth Inequality 6min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

Objectives:
Discussion of Social Mobility and the intersections of Race, Class,
Privilege
Connecting personal narratives to institutional and social systems

Agenda: Race, Class, Privilege

ALL 2-3m Introduction

What are we doing today?
The purpose
Everything is challenge by choice, share as much as you want
Jordyn - Instructions for Human Barometer
Choose a side for each statement that is read. You will
have time to talk within your group about your decision and then
briefly to share out with the whole group. We want to hear the different
opinions but we will have time for more discussion towards the end of
our facilitation. During the shareout following each prompt feel free to
switch sides if someone says something that changes your mind.
25 min Human Barometer (Agree, Disagree, Strongly Agree, Strongly
Disagree)
Notes for us: After people have settled in their groups give them time
to briefly discuss why they are there and then ask one person per
group to give a summary.
1. Megan - Having a Penn degree eliminates most if not all
socioeconomic class differences among graduates.
 2. Bingrui - In order to fix the educational system, we need
to focus on restructuring a broken system not individuals and
personalities.
3. Jordyn - Affirmative action should be based on class, not
race. (bring in legacy)
4. Megan - Requiring mixed income housing would decrease
racial segregation in neighborhoods. (bring in concentrated poverty)
5. Bingrui - Time dependent: The government should provide
equality of opportunity (meaning everyone has the chance to succeed and provide
for themselves) over equality of outcome (meaning assurance that everyone will
be able to succeed and/or provide for themselves).

Bingrui - Activity Transition - Thank everyone for sharing. Let them know that
there will be more opportunity to talk later, introduce next activity. The next activity
is a series of personal questions you will start by thinking about a prompt by
yourself and then we will move into pair and groups. (read the first prompt)

Bingrui 40m - Activity Part Two 1-2-4 (Questions will be printed and handed
out as well)
Adapted from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/social-class-exercises.aspx
2m: Individual (after 2 minutes find a partner)
By yourself think about how it felt to be accepted to your
university, undergrad or grad. What was the path to that acceptance?
5-7m Pair (after time is up find another pair)
What kind of neighborhood and home did you live in?
Who lived at home? Grandparents? Older/married
children?
How much "formal" education did your parents have?
10-15m Group
What were the attitudes about spending in your home?
Saving? Loaning/borrowing? Accepting welfare?
How do you relate to people in school or at work who are in a different class?
ALL 10m Whole Group Discussion
What were the expectations for your education? What do
you believe is the most important reason for a college education?
What kind of solutions do you think could work? What
solutions do you think dont work?
Jordyn - 2m summary of what people said: conclusion is that it is
complicated and all of these things relate to one another in complex ways,
transition into last part, wrap up questions

ALL 10min Wrap-Up Whole Group

Was there anything you heard in the conversations today
that made you think differently about how race, class, and privilege
interact especially in education?
Did anything confirm what you previously thought?
Final thoughts?
Thanks!!