My Definition of "Privilege"

Growing up on the North Shore, the word "Privilege" is certainly not new to me. Throughout my life I have been told I am "privileged" on somewhat of a daily basis so it is natural that I have always connected the word with wealth. I never stopped to think what it really meant to be privileged becuase it has just always been one of those words that I assumed fit its definition quite clearly, although I had never even seen the definition. I find it interesting that i never questioned the use of this word even after growing up around it. I think that the proper way for people to have used this word would have been to say that here on the North Shore, we are privileged with affluence. Privilige in-and-of-itself has a meaning beyond the context in which I have so lightly used it for the past seventeen years (I guess that assumes I was talking and advanced enough to use the word at birth, which is not true, so the last seven years would suffice, I think). I looked it up in the dictonary and compared it with the definintion for affluence.

Privilege: a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most
Affluence: abundance of money, property, and other material goods; riches; wealth

Both words are defined in very different ways and from my interpretation of these definitions, I do not think that privilege can be measured in the amount of money that a person own or how financially advantageous they are. I would define privilege as the quality of one's life, but I cannot look at someone else's life and define them as privileged. It can only be decided by the beholder. I believe I am privileged because I am a happy person, with a loving family, and the future that I am working hard to create for myself through the decisions that I make everyday. Money does not equal happiness so therefore, privilege can only be defined by a person's outlook on their own life.

Triangle Factory Fire and the Shirtwaist

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place on March 25th, 1911. Approximately 148 workers ended up dead; some burned in the fire, and others jumped to their own deaths. The building was preserved and remains standing as a National Historical Landmark. The remains of the structure stands as a reminder of what happended and what had to take place in order for women to gain the attention that they needed to obtain better working conditions. Before the fire of 1911 took place, women had fought for and failed to gain better working conditions. Poor ventiliation, dampness, long hours resulting in fatigue, close couters with other workers, and dangerous machinery all contributed to the many deaths that took place in various factories, regularly. Becuase of limited job opportunities for women, and the poor conditions in the limited opportunites that were available, women wanted to be married so that they would not have to work and this thinking only delayed the obtainment of women's rights, and strengthened male dominance. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911, Factory Safety requirements improved and the American Society of Safety Engineers was founded.

The "mysterious" shirtwaist...

The shirt waist was originally created to be a shirt but in the 1900s, the shirwaist referred to the combination of a shirt that tucked into a long skirt and was tied tightly to the body in the middle like so...

Here is an article from the New York Times in 1894 that discusses the shirt waist. I found this comical, so maybe you will too!

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9F0DEFD61630E033A25757C2A9609C94659ED7CF