The privilege walk and the social perceived causes of inequality: A debate with physical education students

Abstract

Putting social representations at school in perspective is not an easy task. This study analyzed perceptions of ten Physical Education students before and after the Privilege Walk – activity that represents individual histories through steps – in order to understand its effects on the group, considering the previous perceptions of their own social positions, factors related to those positions, and changes of perspective triggered by the Privilege Walk. Students correctly estimated their final positions in the Walk, but they expected smaller differences among them as a result of individual effort and access to rights and privileges. However, after the Privilege Walk, they observed major distances among them, and issues of gender, sexual orientation, family support and economic condition were perceived as crucial. Racism was mentioned in the questionnaire but not in the group, indicating the difficulty of holding an open debate about social issues.