I never did chores for an allowance. My high school job paid above minimum wage. I lived in a family that was well off, went to a high school that gave me a great education, and participated in clubs and programs that gave me a résumé good enough to end up in a top public university. I never knew financial struggle, and never sought to help the world through the various social work clubs in my high school, be it Amnesty international, Habitat for Humanity, or any other. I am, as many would classify me, privileged.
As a result of this privilege, I entered this class with a very limited knowledge of philanthropy, that is to say, how I can be a philanthropist. I don’t feel a close connection to any charitable organization the way others in the class do, or lived in a situation where an organization was beneficial to my community. My high school perception of philanthropy can be summed up neatly by a geofunders.org editorial: “[Privilege] shows up as a lack of understanding… as to why it is so hard to break the cycle of poverty… [and] as exacting standards around evidence and evaluation that often mask a lack of understanding about the type of work required for social change.”1
After a conversation with another classmate on her charity pitch, I really began to consider all of the things I have mentioned above. It then dawned on me that my privilege was not something to keep me from participating in philanthropy; on the contrary, I had to accept that my privilege lent itself to a responsibility upon me to improve the world for others. Being in the village I lived in growing up, I very rarely encountered a peer with a life significantly different than my own.
Considering all of this, I feel as if my goal for this semester, and really the rest of my life in the working world, is to shift my perception of philanthropy away from the sheltered mindset I developed living a privileged life, and towards one of being able to move past my privilege and recognize that I too can not only heal, but understand the problems faced throughout the world.
Josh Amir
Josh Amir
Growing up in both worlds has taught me a lot as well. I was born in Bangladesh and although I've visited often, I adore my time there. I've seen a lot of stuff there and it does influence my view on philanthropy. Growing up in both places has shown me both worlds. However, I am still privileged to even have the chance to be able to have a proper education and have food on my plate and a roof over my head. Back there I have seen children without what we would call even the basic necessities. For a lot of people in the upper classes that donate millions, they don't do as much as to look how their money actually does influence people. I remember money being donated and spent on a statue back in Bangladesh in some college when I was a kid, and it was really pointless. People were unable to afford even basic medicine and there goes a few lakh on a statue. Philanthropy requires the donor to actually do deep research on what they're giving to. Deep research might even be living in that area, speaking to residents. That's how you recognize your own privilege and can actually make impacts that matter.
ReplyDeleteThis also brings up the 60 million dollar donation to Binghamton's baseball field. Nice job to the donor! That really made an impact to the students here! Not even UCC is funded properly yet the baseball field is what got money. Sarcasm aside, that, in my opinion, is the same as the statue that was put up in that college, an example of bad philanthropy.
Faisal Alam
Well this was refreshing. I understand how you feel when you said you did not feel close to any organizations presented in class, because I sometimes feel the same way. I have only lived here in Binghamton and Broome County for two semesters not even a whole year, and I do not really know the problems the county faces besides what is told to me through my professors who has been here for quite a while or other students who lives close by. I find it hard to connect to something I do not really know much about because then it feels as if my giving is not genuine and I hate for my reason of giving to be "it needed to be done" or "that is the right thing to do." When asked why I want to give I want to be able to give more than such a generic answer. This all can relate back to what Faisal said, "Philanthropy requires the donor to do deep research" which is also a theme that reoccurs in class. Philanthropy is so much more than just donating money and then moving on. Philanthropy requires time and is a commitment if one wants to see actual change. Also, wait for the field visits because, I feel as if that would really help you on your journey and your goal of shifting your perception. Thank you for sharing this because I know the word privilege has a lot of negative connotations behind it, and many are scared to even use the word in a sentence. But I admire the self reflection to me it seems as if you are already making progress on this semester goal.
ReplyDeleteNia Johnson
I can completely share your perspective about the fact that privilege is indeed a responsibility to improve the world for those around us who were not given the same privileges. I also came from a similar economic background, and understand how it can be challenging to fully understand the problems others face if we have not experienced them ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThis brings me back to the times when I fly back to India, my home country, and I see the heartbreaking struggles of poverty on the streets, with children knocking on the doors of homes begging for money or food, and the parents exhausted from finding a way to successfully provide for their children daily. In fact, according to SOS Children's Villages, "Two-thirds of people in India live in poverty: 68.8% of the Indian population lives on less than $2 a day." (https://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/news/poverty-in-india-602). I noticed that children and their mothers suffered the most, and struggled to even find enough food to eat for the day, let alone support themselves financially.
It was in moments like these where I found the gap between my privilege and their daily struggles the biggest. Never knowing financial struggle and living in comfort, I realized I had often taken things like financial stability for granted subconsciously, and I felt guilty for not being able to fully empathize with those struggling with poverty because I did not understand it fully since I had not experienced it. However, I agree with you that this mindset is not the right approach for being a motivated philanthropist, and that shifting my perception from the sheltered mindset of a privileged person and into one that uses this privilege to help people is a very powerful first step to becoming a philanthropist.
I find this post a very interesting partake on the idea of privilege, as the word itself can be interpreted in many different ways. Some people consider privilege to be at a different level than others, and it is based on the comparison of what one has in their own life to be able to judge if another is "privileged". However, despite the subjectivity of "what" is considered as privilege, there is no doubt that the idea itself always is regarded negatively and implies ignorance and ungratefulness for the person labeled as such. This post portrays privilege as potential to hold the opposite sentiments, and as an aspect of hope which can be used to help others once the oblivion and ignorance is overcome, and I think that is a very admirable approach to the concept of privilege.
Very interesting that your privilege was something keeping you from identifying yourself as a philanthropist or even someone who could participate in philanthropy, usually it's the opposite. Why did we watch those inspirational videos a few weeks ago? To empower those without “privilege” who don't feel that it is within their limitations or even their place to give philanthropically. I'm interested to know how you felt about watching that, Josh. Maybe a sense of guilt? Unfortunately, that is something that a lot of privileged people have— guilt. The popularization of a victimized mindset has spread to the privileged masses as one that simultaneously spreads fear from the insiders and anger from the outside.
ReplyDeleteAt least from the trend I've seen weaving in and out of privileged communities in Manhattan, the rich are desperate to cling to anything that will make them humble, if maybe only for appearances. These things can range from vintage coffee shops and thrift stores, to Off-Broadway theatre and microbreweries. This, of course, is not a new phenomenon, but when it comes to social issues, guilt usually only clouds the mind of the privileged from using their resources effectively for others. They might sympathize so much with the oppressed that they believe they are yet another person asking for help, blind to their own abilities, or they might find a way to concoct a narrative where they are the oppressed. Among "woke" young people, the former seems to be the trend. So I ask the class, are you willing to put aside guilt in order to give more effectively? I think that it is one thing that has gone unnoticed in our decision-making— our own reluctance, wherever that may be from.
To the under-privileged, however you define that, is the notion of a “woke” young privileged person so outrageous? They only want to understand the lives of other people even if there’s a possibility that it’s from a half-baked sense of empathy. They are only trying to fit in, be politically correct, and not cause too much outrage from an identity that was given to them. Perhaps that is something that other marginalized groups would like to achieve as well. The era of popular, rich oil tycoons who puff cigars, playfully plunder developing countries for their resources, and give philanthropically in order to eat more hors d'oeuvres at a party, seems to be waning down. Being inherently rich isn’t in fashion anymore and maybe that’s reinforcing the altruistic responsibility that Josh mentioned.
So privileged and under-privileged peoples of this class and any passer-by on this site, who is really benefiting from this guilt and outrage? It is most definitely not the ones being donated to.
Michael Tang
I can understand how the sheltered mindset that you described as a result of privilege may prevent you from being able to fully understand the issues that are faced throughout the world. Often times, becoming passionate about a specific organization stems from a personal relation with what the charity does to alleviate these issues faced by society. It is interesting how you bring up privilege as when you think of a typical philanthropist, the first characteristic that comes to mind is wealth. Most of the philanthropists we know most about, such as Bill Gates, are extremely privileged people who have taken an initiative to learn more about the problems faced throughout the world, and they invest their money to a cause they are passionate about.
ReplyDeleteAs we have learned in this class, philanthropists not only donate money, but they can also devote their time and effort. This is a constant reminder that philanthropy is applicable to all, no matter how privileged you are. I believe that something of great importance of all of us as students is becoming more educated as to which causes are most important to you and align with your core values. Afterwards, you can find organizations that spoke greatest to you, and then find ways to support the cause.
Being a privileged student may not have given you the opportunity to be immersed in philanthropy, especially given the fact that you have not witnessed hardships with other members of you community. However, it is important to remember that being privileged comes with expectations as you have the capability to use your connections and advantages to play a greater impact philanthropically.
Arpeet Patel