Project ‘How Privileged am I?’
The project ‘How Privileged am I’ is a project that takes place in the 2nd year of the Heerbeeck International College.
During the HIC week (comparative to a Heerbeeckweek) students will investigate the meaning of privilege in theory and practice. Learning about their place in society and the chances they and others get are the main objectives. Students analyze their current situation and predict future opportunities and challenges. Which prejudices, stereotypes and labels stick to different social groups in society? Students are asked if they themselves belong to any or several stereotypical groups? And they are asked to think about inequality in the 21st century? To achieve this, students need to be creative, think outside the box, debate, observe and predict as well using their HIC-skills and competences. “Privilege: a special advantage or benefit not enjoyed by all, but by only one person or a certain group of people, usually because of their position, background (ethnicity) or simple because they are rich.” During the second HIC week students will be investigating how privileged they are or aren’t by investigating the 3 main areas where they could be confronted with stereotypes and prejudices.
This results in 3 sub-questions:
“How does your appearance influence how privileged you are?”
1) Your appearance (each person is unique. Physical features influence the way you experience any privilege in your (daily) life. Students need to investigate which prejudices are connected to their own and other peoples appearances.) “In what way does background influence how privileged you are?”
2) Students will continue investigating privileges by looking at family history. Interviewing their grandparents is part of this investigation. and finally “In which way do surroundings influence how privileged someone is?”.
3) Surroundings (where someone grows up influences the chances they get in life.) On the last day of the second week, students will fill and donate a goody bag to the local food bank. This bag will contain items that people van use during the Christmas period. The central and common goal of the week is to create awareness about inequality and diversity and the impact of privilege on their daily lives. Students need to think about how they are socially and economically influenced by their appearance, background and/or surroundings?
Main goal
The main goal of the project is to create awareness about inequality and diversity and the impact of privilege on our daily lives. In the second year of HIC, students work on the following skills and competences: collaboration; planning; organization and perseverance. During this project and HIC weeks, extra attention will be paid to the following components: listening actively; being able to handle criticism and working in a concentrated and diligent manner. Students will look at these skills and competences at the beginning of the week and again at the end of the week.
More information
Niels van den Bogert (docent Maatschappijleer en Global Perspectives, N.vandenbogert@heerbeeck.nl) or Kai Bloemers (docent Geschiedenis, K.Bloemers@heerbeeck.nl ).
