During our June Next Gen Programme in London, Jess McGawley of Dallington Associates spoke to attendees about the future and the implications of privilege.
This discussion will benefit this group
because as is often the case,
this was the first time in a public environment,
they have actually been asked the question,
what are the challenges that come with privilege?
Growing up with privilege means
that there are certain expectations and pressures on you
and an outside lens.
That means that people expect
to see certain things from you.
Talking about it is tough, but it is really important
because I have a phrase which is,
anything suppressed can become sinister.
And my mentees at Downington, the ones who have the best,
the healthiest relationships with privilege are the ones
who have addressed it, the good and the bad.
Initially it was a quite a quiet room,
but once the ball got rolling, everyone got really engaged.
And actually we found everybody had had something to say
and had personal experience of actually
where their privilege had really benefited them
and they were ever so grateful,
or times where maybe it hadn't.
Um, those examples are things like people making assumptions
about them, about their character, their personality,
also their just ability to work hard
because they assume that doors have been opened for them.
One of the themes across all the tables
was that of employment.
For those who are trying to find their purpose,
their passion, a job, how do they navigate the doors
that could be opened to them
because of who their families are
and not wanting to use that privilege, uh,
because of maybe the guilt they have around it.