"Privileged" has become one of those words thrown at everyone who has been successful; it's generally a bad idea because it tells people nothing they do matters, social classes and wealth are fixed, and that cultural determinism rules it all.
Academia is the problem, not the cure, according to some, and a controversial claim in a new paper will advance that. Katy Swalwell, an assistant professor of education at Iowa State University, says it's not enough to give marginalized students a voice, she says the education system has to take its share of the blame by recognizing they have not engaged in proper social engineering of wealthier students. Observing students at a wealthier school, Swalwell noted that they remained "fundamentally undisturbed" by stories of social inequality.
They did not exhibit proper guilt at the idea that they were privileged, rather they probably think their parents did something correct in being successful. Schools therefore need to be more aggressive in promoting guilt.
The downside to this idea: It promotes the notion that privileged people are still the only way minorities will get ahead, they hold all of the cards. Which means they are still in charge no matter what, the exact opposite of what empowerment stands for.
Swalwell spent a semester observing social studies classes at an affluent, private school where tuition is more than $30,000 a year. The majority of students at the school - 86 percent - are white, an automatic privilege indictment in the humanities, where a case study is considered scientific.
She uses interviews to drive home the point that affluent schools need to talk about the privileged status of their students more. Throughout the semester, the teacher introduced students to various perspectives on civic engagement and social justice reform. The school also offered a social activism program, which required students to get involved in causes such as LGBTQ rights, issues facing incarcerated women, religious tolerance and reforming drug policies. Swalwell documented class lectures, discussions and field trips, analyzed course material and assignments, and conducted interviews with the students and teacher.
Most students expressed genuine concern about inequalities, but connected the problems to individual shortcomings - they still believe in America you can succeed, much like thousands of immigrants who arrive each day - rather than systematic disadvantages. Instead of seeing their privilege as part of the problem, several students saw their wealth and status as a solution; a way to make a difference as a 'benevolent benefactor' who simply needed to be generous and do good deeds.
Swalwell believes endorsing personally responsible or participatory models of citizenship will instead widen the civic empowerment gap.
Others adopted the Thoreau mentality; they thought they might use their wealth to "unplug" and limit their impact on society. Only a few students understood that collective effort was needed to bring about real change.
Education vs. indoctrination
It is not easy to make children and parents paying $30,000 feel like they did not earn their wealth, while claiming that teachers and the school getting the money earns its tuition. It is easy to alienate students who study hard by telling them they only get good grades because their parents are rich, and talk of indoctrination or pushing a social agenda in class is sure to follow.
Swalwell believes the most effective class activities and lessons for showing privilege emphasized personal connections to injustice and building relationships with marginalized groups. Lessons that had no emotional connection or focused on abstract knowledge did not produce the desired outcomes for social-justice.
Citation: Katy Swalwell, 'Mind the civic empowerment gap: Economically elite students and critical civic education', Curriculum Inquiry 12/14/15 DOI:10.1080/03626784.2015.1095624
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