It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

tooldle

Some indeed do well through hard work etc but that is not the same as reaching their full potential. In my work we have a target to increase representation of minority groups in our field. A huge amount of effort goes into reducing bias both conscious and unconscious. However we can only work with what the pipeline offers in terms of participants. If there is bias and privilege in the pipeline, the result is often those who are that little less able, or less competent, get an advantage through having characteristics similar to those who have the power. Academics are predominantly white and male and in my field even more so. When you start to look at parental occupations, socio economic status etc, things get interesting. The playing field is perhaps leveller than it was 50 years ago but it is still by no means equal.

tooldle

EssexHebridean said:

Could I ask TheAble - for transparency, would you be willing to provide some details of your demographic group/background etc? Obviously nothing identifiable, perhaps just the basics, skin colour, gender, class and a rough idea of age?  On the question of -taff's point about the interview - I'll give you a slightly different take on that one. The person concerned has managed to get a charity shop suit - it's out of fashion - clearly dated, but it's clean and "just" fits. They haven't been able to have a haircut, but it's clean, and tied back. The money has run out before getting to shoes though - their only option is a pair of trainers. How much better do you think they would have to perform at interview to get the position over someone who turns up looking immaculate and with well polished formal footwear on? Assuming all things are equal in terms of performance, how the interview goes etc - who do YOU think would get the job? 

As a side note NOT aimed at anyone in particular - it's quite common for those with innate privilege to be resistant to the idea that they have it, and it's entirely understandable - if something has always just "been there" then we simply take it for granted - it's part of us in the same way that our teeth, nails, hair etc might be. It's only when something happens to shake that assurance, or when it grabs our interest in a way that means we're keen to learn more that perhaps we start to understand that privilege is definitely a thing - and no, not just an invention by "millenial wokeists", either! 

The interview example is interesting. I do know of some examples where the interviewee has been less than ideally dressed and felt the need to explain themselves at interview. The examples are outside of my own organisation. I don't think anyone should have to explain their clothing circumstances to a panel, but i can fully understand why some might choose to do so. I interview a lot, and have noticed since the advent of Zoom interviews, clothing has become far more casual, particularly for panel members and not so much for the interviewees. As a panel chair i would not accept comments on a candidates clothing in exactly the same way as i would not accept information outside of the scope of the interview questions , for example, this person is known to my team and is great with them, or some other form of personal reference.

timehastoldme

Privilege is about more than advantages, it's also not being discriminated against for things you have zero control over, like gender or skin colour or socioeconomic background. 

Men don't get asked if they're thinking about having children at job interviews. It's not women's fault they have a uterus? White people are less frequently stopped my police than other ethnic groups. People born into wealth have more liquidity to optimise income than those who don't. Able bodied people can access spaces blocked to the disabled. All of that is advantage to one side and disadvantage on the other. 

It might, in hard times, not feel like one has privilege. It's easy to look at the uber-wealthy and see that as privilege, but all advantages/barriers one doesn't have to overcome, are privileges.

euronorris

My own experience, as a white female, is that I have been asked at more than interview whether or not I am married, and if I have or intend to have kids. Thankfully, that hasn't happened to me in the last 7 years (whether that is partly due to the fact that i am now 39, i dont know), but I know from friends that still happens. Despite it being illegal to ask, because its exceptionally hard to prove. Such questions were not asked of male candidates.

To be honest, I'm glad to dodge the bullet of working for such companies but again, we don't always have the luxury of that choice.

EssexHebridean

That resonates euronorris - a good many years ago at an interview I was told that frankly, they were reluctant to give me the job because at my age I would undoubtedly be looking to leave again before all that long to "start a family" and was that actually the case - thankfully even back then I had the presence of mind (and  - from somewhere - the confidence!)  to ask if that same point had been put to any of the men who'd applied, and if not, could they reconsider whether it was appropriate to ask, after a moments silence they agreed that no, it was unfair, and astonishingly after that I even got the job! (Which I took, because I felt that at least having a woman in their all male environment might help to make changes, and in that case, it actually did!) I was furious at the time, and still am - that it was something that was even contemplated to ask - I'd like to think that at least the majority of employers are more enlightened now - or at the least more considerate, but no, I'm sure it does still happen. 

Tahlullah.H

This topic on this thread is just too sad.  I don't really know how we got onto this subject, the issue of privilege - which as said above, is usually denied by those who have it.  It is just too easy to state that white people also have it bad.  But, if it gets really bad, you can pack up and move, run away and start again.  Yes, you may have no money but by the very essence of whiteness, you will be given concession, you are perceived as just down on your luck.  Others will instinctively help and support, because you are not perceived as a threat.

A black person cannot run away, because they are black.   They cannot run away from the first thing tht you see when speaking to them, their skin colour.  And then it can be compounded.  They are a woman - with a uterus, they have a disability - some may conflate the two!  Then, add on the fact that they came from a poor neighbourhood, where unemployment was the norm and a lack of ambition was inbred into the community, because they cannot lift themselves out because of the fear of the white people around them.  Nothing worries rich white people more than a black community coming together to support each other  Are they running drugs?  Are they about to rob me?  Do I need to do a 'white flight' and move to a nice gated community where I can be surrounded by more people like me?

The concept of the white woman's tears is a real thing.  It needs to be recognised that if there is a disagreement between black and white, society will believe the white woman before the black woman or man.  It does not matter what the subject, the white privilege will come to the fore.  Even if the black man is the policeman, or the judge.  The black people who have learned to read and write, have been born into a good neighbourhood, made it to university and studied hard to achieve their success, the accusation of the white woman and her tears, has the power to destroy. 

This is privilege.

EssexHebridean

That's a powerful piece of writing Tahlullah - thank you.  

EssexHebridean

Returning to "on topic" - using a second post because others may have more to say on the previous subject and I don't wish to appear to be closing that conversation down if that is the case... 

Further food increases this week - milk up £1.25 > £1.29 for a  4-pinter near us, add that to the recent increase in the price of butter of course. Not spotted what cheese is doing - I've not bought ordinary cheddar for a couple of weeks and always buy "on offer" anyway - but I suspect we can expect dairy products generally to increase because it's quite heavily subject to increased transport costs. 

YorksLass

EssexHebridean said:

Further food increases this week - milk up £1.25 > £1.29 for a  4-pinter near us, add that to the recent increase in the price of butter of course. Not spotted what cheese is doing - I've not bought ordinary cheddar for a couple of weeks and always buy "on offer" anyway - but I suspect we can expect dairy products generally to increase because it's quite heavily subject to increased transport costs. 

My 4-pts of milk has also gone up to £1.29 this week, a 250g block of Wensleydale that was £1.70 is now £1.90 and my pot of yogurt has gone up 5p.  I have a list of around 30 regularly bought items that I'm tracking the price of and the overall cost of these within the last 6/7 weeks has increased by just over £3.  I've managed to claw back £2 of that by swapping to cheaper/basics brands but these are becoming harder to get as supermarkets don't seem to be stocking as many of them as before or, if they do, they're often "out of stock".  I'm lucky that I can afford to stock up on long shelf life products when they're on promotion, an option that sadly isn't available to everyone.

Although our annual budget was worked out back in March, it's already had to be tweaked more than once.  We're still on a price fix for energy until the end of August and thankfully I built in the new price we'll pay from September and then again from October.   After that, I've no idea what else we could cut back on if it goes up again.  I doubt the plans to review the price cap every 3 months rather than 6 will have the promised benefits for the consumer.  

Brambling

last week the local Tesco Express were charging £1.45 for 4 pints and  Waitrose £1.35