Privilege is a book by Shamus Khan that discusses the idea of privilege and how it affects society. The book is divided into three sections, each of which focuses on a different type of privilege: economic, social, and political.
Khan argues that privilege is not simply about having more wealth or opportunities than others; it’s also about being able to take these things for granted. Those who have privilege are often unaware of it, and they don’t have to work as hard to get ahead in life. This can lead to a feeling of entitlement, which in turn can result in various forms of discrimination and inequality.
Khan makes the case for dismantling privilege, arguing that it’s essential for both individuals and societies as a whole. He offers ways to do this, such as creating more opportunities for those who are marginalized and promoting a sense of social justice.
Overall, Privilege is an important book that sheds light on an often-overlooked topic. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand privilege and its impact on society.
Shamus Khan’s Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul’s School is a personal account of his experiences as both a student and a full-time faculty member at St. Paul’s School that uses ethnography to offer an insider’s view into the world of elite boarding schools. To begin, Khan recalls his experience at St. Paul’s as a teenager, including the factors that influenced his enrollment and his minority status in the neighborhood.
Drawing from his personal experiences as well as interviews and observations of current and former students at the school, Khan paints a picture of an institution where privilege is both created and perpetuated. He argues that while schools like St. Paul’s may seem meritocratic due to their focus on academic achievement, in reality there are a number of institutionalized mechanisms that work to advantage already privileged students. These mechanisms include things such as legacy admissions, donation-based financial aid, and the use of unpaid internships to cultivate social connections.
Khan also looks at the effects of privilege on students’ lives after they leave boarding school. He points out that while attending a school like St. Paul’s certainly gives students a leg up, it is not a guarantee of success. In fact, he argues that privilege can actually be a hindrance in some cases, as students from affluent backgrounds often have a difficult time adjusting to life outside of their bubble.
Overall, Khan’s book provides an insightful look at the role of privilege in shaping the lives of adolescents attending elite boarding schools. It is an important read for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of privilege and power in our society.
When Khan first came to St. Paul’s campus, he was immediately reminded of his difference from other elite families because he had to live in a dormitory designed specifically for minority students. Literally separated from his White peers, Khan was able to analyze how the culturally elite have conducted themselves in the country, particularly regarding education.
What is fascinating about this chapter, and the book as a whole, is that Khan never purports to have all of the answers. He takes a humble, questioning approach to analyzing the way privilege has operated in America.
Khan looks at education specifically, noting that elite students are often given access to what he calls “cultural capital.” This can be anything from being able to identify great works of art, knowing which fork to use at a formal dinner, or speaking a foreign language. All of these skills help open doors for future opportunities and experiences. However, as Khan points out (and as I myself experienced as an undergraduate at St. Paul’s), simply having these experiences doesn’t mean that one is necessarily aware of how their privilege operates.
In his book, Khan interviews a number of people from various backgrounds, both elite and non-elite. He asks them pointed questions about how they see education functioning in America. He also looks at how the education system has changed over time to better reflect the needs and experiences of minority groups.
One particularly interesting section looks at affirmative action and how it has shifted over time. While affirmative action was once seen as a way to help Black and Brown students gain admittance to colleges and universities, it is now often used as a tool to benefit White women. This is an important distinction that Khan makes, as it allows readers to see how complicated the issue of privilege really is.
Khan claims that Abbott symbolizes the upper class of people who take academic excellence for granted because it is considered a birthright rather than something achieved through years of hard effort. According to Khan, because the institution scheduled time for students to eat meals with faculty, personal connections were possible as a result of this. Students like Abbott, especially those who can trace their connection back several generations to an elitist institution they are a member of, were formerly common, according To Khan.
Khan argues that the book is not simply about the experience of a single institution, but about how the American elite has changed over time. He claims that the book is an important read for anyone who wants to understand how privilege is reproduced in America.
Khan’s book, Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul’s School, came out in October of 2011 and explores how America’s adolescents are socialized into their future roles as members of the elite class. In the book, Khan focuses on his alma mater, St. Paul’s School, a prestigious boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire. Khan uses his own experiences as a student at St. Paul’s, as well as interviews with current and former students, to explore how the school socializes its students into their future roles as members of the elite class.
Khan argues that the book is not simply about the experience of a single institution, but about how the American elite has changed over time. He claims that the book is an important read for anyone who wants to understand how privilege is reproduced in America.
While Khan’s book provides a detailed look at how one particular institution socializes its students into the elite class, it also offers insights into how the American elite has changed over time. In particular, Khan’s focus on the role of relationships in the socialization process highlights how changes in the composition of the American elite have led to changes in the way that privilege is reproduced.