The P word - what is the real meaning of privilege?

I was speaking to a Canadian relative recently who has the pleasure of working from anywhere in the world, so she normally chooses countries in the Caribbean, South America or Africa. She’d rather be in the sunshine despite her deep love of poutine. This is one of Canada’s national dishes and is made up of chips drenched in gravy and cheese curds, and yes, it tastes as bad as it sounds. 

I joke that she lives the life of an international superstar because she gets to experience new food and people, then immerses herself into a new culture when she sets up at a new Air B & B. I understand that there aren’t many people who are in that privileged situation where they’re able to pick up their lives and work and just go to a new place every few months. 

And quite possibly, the homebodies out there who love the familiarity of finishing work curling on the sofa to watch their favourite TV programme wouldn’t enjoy it as much anyway. 

The P word 

When I think of people with privileges, I’m fascinated by the fact that they don’t know they have advantages compared to others. They often can be the people with the most biases because they haven’t experienced the same level of hardships, so they have no reference point to what life could be outside of their own bubble.  

When someone mentions the P-word, it can clear a room quicker than a stink bomb, but the reality is that there are varying degrees of privilege for all of us, and it’s never as simple as ABC. There is a quote from author, CEO and social entrepreneur Dr Tiffany Jana, who describes bias beautifully by emphasising the fact that we miss out on relationships and opportunities due to our tunnel vision:  

“Everyone’s biased. The truth is we all harbour unconscious assumptions that can get in the way of our good intentions and keep us from building authentic relationships with people different from us. By becoming more self-aware, we can control knee-jerk reactions, conquer fears of the unknown and prevail over closed-mindedness. In the end, our central message is that you are not the problem- but you can be the solution”

Let’s play a game of privileged or not-privileged

• Women were once called “the fairer sex”, and it was believed that a menstruating woman would cause food to rot.  According to UN statistics, women make up nearly half of the population; however, it doesn’t account for people who class themselves as non-binary. I haven’t once had the dilemma of deciding which toilets to use in a public place or someone misgendering me because of the specific way I dress. Privileged or not privileged? 

• I have travelled to some beautiful countries around the world and love trying new food and meeting new people. Nevertheless, based on my personal experiences and those of family members who are Black, it can be frustrating when you go to a new restaurant/place abroad or sometimes in England, and people ignore you, try to overcharge you or just stare. It’s surely a privilege to be able to travel during a cost-of-living crisis and try new places. Privileged or not privileged?  

• A friend manages a small successful team, and they’re awarded with new team bonding activities every month. The activities are based on common interests of the team, and all expenses are covered by the company. However, one member of the team is neurodiverse and finds it difficult to be in brightly lit, crowded places. In contrast, everyone in the team was excited about the latest activity of brewery tasting because they allow you to make your own blend. Although, they realise they’re unable to because it’s busy and loud with lots of lights. Is it fair to change the team’s plans based on one person’s preference? Is it unreasonable to suggest to this one team member to miss out on one activity to cater to everyone else? Privileged or unprivileged? 

Patience and empathy

However, I wonder if this has caused you to empathise with people who have had similar experiences to you. It could manifest in you having more patience with someone with similar mental health issues to a close family member. The main goal is to notice how it creates biases and impacts your daily decisions at work and in life. As Dr Tiffany Jana mentioned, “We all have biases”, myself included, and it’s my responsibility to notice when it affects how I treat others. 

To conclude, we all have elements of privilege, whether we like to admit it or not. I’m reminded of my own privilege when I’m with my elderly grandmother, who has mobility issues and misses out on going places that don’t have the necessary accessibility requirements. It’s impossible to make everyone happy, but you can consider others’ experiences, feelings and viewpoints at work because it makes a stronger workforce. You never know; you might be able to solve something that hasn’t been done before. 

If you’d like some support with diversity and inclusion in your workplace or organisation, we can help. Take a look at our Creating a Diverse Workforce workshop or, alternatively, contact our Doug - doug@laughology.co.uk - who can help you create something more bespoke to your needs.

Selina Brown’s background in performing and writing has helped her create and deliver a wide range of workshops within the educational, charity and corporate sectors. She enjoys delivering in-person and virtual sessions and is particularly passionate about intergenerational projects - uniting young people with the elderly. She also loves being by the sea and dancing like no one is watching.