Day 6 - 221 -- privileged views

Writing a short piece this afternoon brought a new focus to the project. Privilege. The research I've been working on for a few years has provided the early roots of the dietetics profession. It also left questions for further contextualization. Plans for the next trip to gather more information from archival materials and personal letters, diaries and papers of specific people are underway. While most of the archives deal with items from the upper middle class, aristocrats and nobility, I've felt for some time that data from the working class of the day would be needed to get a clearer picture.

Even in the mid-1800s, privileged individuals saw the world through that lens, leaving them with stereotypical views of the working class. Crass, drunken, ignorant are words that come from readings. Not all saw the lower class groups in this way, but many did. Written standard recipes and a reading room stocked with newspapers and books were scoffed at by the British Army officers, who believed the troops could not read. Obviously, this was incorrect. The errors from the Crimean War did lead to major systemic changes in the structure of the army, many of which came from a Royal Commission struck after the war to examine the failures of the army. So, I am looking for archives with personal papers of the lower class troops and not only those of the upper class.

Being aware of our own privilege is necessary to work in the world. What I expect or understand from my experience will be different from the expectations of those seeing the world in different contexts. With a broader view, I can begin to understand other perspectives if I take time to listen to the voices of other people. With this comes better communication when working together.

The song that first came into my head today is shared here tonight. There were others, but this one best fit my history research of armed forces. The band has been featured in the blog often in the past for their great roots rock (with a hint of bayou rocck <smile>) sound. Enjoy!

Fortunate Son  -- Creedence Clearwater Revival