There are many aspects to our individual, group, and as a national identities. Some are much more visible than others. We have discussed race and ethnicity which has been used to identify, separate and discriminate in various ways through American history. Often people are identified in ways other than how they would identify themselves and other times people from marginalized communities have attempted to “pass” as those in a favored group.
Among the many aspects of our identities, class is central, but is less obvious to many. However our class inequalities as a society are just as stark. First remind yourself what income levels fall under the institutionally constructed definition of “poverty” here. Next explore some statistics from the U.S. Census breaking down the numbers and percentages of those in poverty by age, race, and Hispanic origin here: Table 3. Poverty Status of People, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin. Pay careful attention to the percentage of those under 18 are growing up in poverty and how those numbers vary by race.
There are strong correlations between race, ethnicity, and class, however, extreme poverty affects people living all around the country, regardless of race, national origin, or ethnicity. There are also millions of households that technically live above the poverty line but still struggle mightily to provide for their families. And it impacts our politics, policies, and political views in many ways. Some have read Hillbilly Elegy for other classes which talk about this phenomenon at length.
I am interested to hear your thoughts about class inequality, and whether or not the government should play a different, greater, or smaller role in trying to alleviate it. But more important, I am wondering how you have been socialized to think about class:
- Is economic class something that has been made visible to you through social groups, your communities, schools, organizations, friends, family, representations on media?
- Have you been socialized to understand the full range of class in America? Or has class remained a largely invisible issue for you?
- How should we think about class in terms of American identity and our relationship with our local, state, or national government?
The topic economic class has always been something visible to me through my community. I grew up living in a low income neighborhood but I didn’t realize that until I moved to the suburbs in first grade. That’s when I saw that there were houses instead of apartments, driveways instead of alleys and school buses instead of the CTA. It became clear to me that where I came from was not the same, especially when I was in school and we had brand new art supplies, enough instruments for everyone and our own laptop. I feel as if I do understand the full range of class in America since my parents have always talked about it to me since we had to move back to Chicago after being in the suburbs for only two years. I feel like class shouldn’t account for your American identity. I believe that there is no correlation between the two but society has been set up to make us feel like that. For example, people might not consider you as an American if you’re living in poverty since they believe in the “American Dream” and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
ReplyDeleteI think for a lot of people class can seem like either an invisible factor in one's life or simply a factor that does not change. Growing up it is unlikely for a person to experience a great deal of class mobility, so I think it can seem like an invisible factor for many. I moved a lot growing up so I was able to experience living in different parts of the country where there were different income and wealth levels. I really think that if I was not forced to live in different towns and interact with different groups of people class would have been relatively invisible to me, but being able to compare different schools, friends groups, and neighbors, it became clear that class affects different groups of people in vastly different ways. Living in California specifically opened my eyes to vast income inequality that exists in a relatively small area. Marin county is often viewed as one of the wealthier parts of the country, but after living in this area it became obvious that the gap between the very richest and the very poorest in this area was larger than I had ever seen. Since the United States is so large it is important to understand that the way class affects us is most likely not the only way it affects people.
ReplyDeleteI am not too sure about my thoughts on the direction of our class discussion today. I think there definitely is class and wealth inequality, but I think both sides discussing the problem are being extremely bias and therefore confusing people even more. Being from a third world country that actually doesn’t even have a middle class; I recognize the issues of income inequality and understand that there is no positive way that route of economy will lead the country. I think we see more demonization of wealth in schools, instead of teaching the young generation perseverance, hard work, success, thinking for yourself and yes; working on the definite divides to make it more of a leveled-out share of wealth in the country. what I find interesting is that, we are against communism and socialism, but we are teaching our kids that we should expect things to be made fair for everyone. THAT IS NOT HOW THE WORLD WORKS. I think we should be discussing how to tax the wealthy on their income, raise the taxes to provide things like basic healthcare and education for a decent standard of living. It is interesting to see so many countries like our neighbors up north and a lot of European countries tackle the income issues and figure it out to make sure there is a decent life for all its people. However, Teaching or making arguments about how ‘unfair’ the income divide is will not change or fix the problem. The deeper issue is how wealth is being taught from early ages? If kids are taught from childhood that the wealthy are evil, this will work in a counter effect on instilling the importance of hard work as a means to success, rather than hating it all together. On the same breath that I am saying that; America is a capitalist country, which is totally fine, but it should be the government’s responsibility to make sure its citizens have basic standard of life at the very least.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point on raising taxes for the rich, I think this should be at the center of the conversation. However I don't think that kids are generally taught that wealth is evil. Generally the conversation is the opposite of that. I think that having young people understand the complexities of wealth and income in this country may require them to be critical of capitalism but it will not necessarily result in a lack of effort to work hard as a means to success. I think that teaching the youth about systemic disadvantages and the ways in which they have resulted in income inequality will push them to work harder to fix income inequality and not become passive to it.
DeleteThank you! Taxing those with higher wealth will help alleviate inequalities for make more resources more accessible.
DeleteIn my personal life when I was younger, I had always been somewhat aware of class separation, but I had no clue to what extent it existed in the country, and in the Chicago metropolitan area. I discovered this at some point in my early teenage years when I got more interested in politics and I educated myself on the big issues in our country. I grew up in Naperville, which has a reputation for being an affluent suburb, and that is largely true. I had the privilege to not need to think about the presence of class differences. I knew a lot of people that had more than me, but I still had a comfortable upbringing, and I still grew up in Naperville. Since moving away from Naperville and living in Chicago, I can truly see what privilege I hold from growing up there. Although I have educated myself, I don’t think I can ever fully have an understanding of the range of class in America. I don’t know what it’s like to live with nothing, or alternatively what it’s like to have everything I could possibly ever need. I’m a firm believer that the government has a moral responsibility to alleviate class differences on federal, state, and local levels. It’s just not right that there are people in this country with billions of dollars while there is a massive population without food or homes. The richest country in the world shouldn’t have this problem. We need to look at the poor with more compassion, and provide them with the tools to build better lives. This means raising the minimum wage, and starting more government programs to give people education, healthcare, and basic needs.
ReplyDeleteBoth sides of my family grew up with very little money, but growing up, economic class for the most part remained mostly invisible for me because I grew up in an area where poverty was extremely rare. To me, the rich-poor dichotomy was only mentioned in religious-ed and English classes as characters in a story, but nothing about it in a political context. I remember going to Chicago with my parents when I was younger and shocked to see a homeless person begging on the highway ramp and thinking to myself the “poor person” that I’ve read about in both church and school were very real.
ReplyDeleteI think in terms of the government’s relationship to class differences, the government needs be more proactive in ameliorating this issue which I think divides us more than any other issue. When people worry that they will go bankrupt when they are sick, when they have to choose to starve themselves so their kids can eat, or when they have to no choice to work low-paying jobs because they can’t afford a higher education, what does that tell us about ourselves as a society?
As a former Amazon worker, I’ve seen firsthand how some of my coworkers struggled to make ends meet and seen many of their benefits slashed, while Jeff Bezos continues to get richer every day. It’s a matter of asking ourselves does someone really NEED billions and billions of dollars when there are so many people whose lives can be changed with a fraction of that wealth.
I can’t recall ever thinking in terms of “class” before college, but I certainly recall realizing at a very young age that not all the children at my school had the same amount of money. It was clear from riding the bus and seeing the homes of other children, from seeing some children receive free or reduced lunch, or realizing that some kids didn’t have proper coats, hats, and gloves when the temperature dropped because their parents couldn’t afford it. These differences weren’t really openly discussed in my family or in my classes. I think I considered the vast inequality of familial resources between students as somewhat of a given, something to be expected when any group of children is placed together. I think it’s damaging to let children realize these differences and not discuss them openly. For children to accept at such a young age that such a situation is an inevitable, natural product of the world around us when they are the ones who will shape the future is unacceptable. I don’t know how exactly parents could best approach it, but there have to be better alternatives than letting a child internalize and normalize the vastly inequitable state of the world as something that cannot be improved upon.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school, I think that economic class was made visible to me when I went to volunteer at Inspiration Corporation, an organization that helps those that experience homelessness through providing them with assistance to find a stable job and in the process of obtaining a stable job has volunteers that cook and serve food for them. Before that time in my life, I had never really thought about how there were people, some even with children, that struggled day-to-day to provide for their families and happened to experience homelessness. I think that economic class through social media is also seen when the kids of celebrities have lavish instagram pictures and apparently can have their parents buy them seats into any college of their choice. Furthermore through volunteering and seeing different communities and with the aid of the media, I think that I have seen how economic class can range and provide people with certain privileges and standards of living.
ReplyDeleteI have been socialized to understand the full range of class in America through my family. Growing up, my parents came from different ranges in class within America and always explained where they came from and where I am today and how different those words were. I understood that where I am today is a result of my parents and grandparents, and that is something to be grateful for; however, I never fully understood how greatly class affected American society as a whole. In school and my community, the idea of economic class was never something spoken about because everyone living in the community was in the same economic class. This idea of hiding issues of the economic class should change; we should be aware of the significant economic divide that exists in our society because the effects are widespread. Furthermore, we should think about economic class as an essential issue when discussing local, state, or national government issues because economic disparities play a significant role.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the visibility of economic class goes, I think that our class reading, Class in America by Gregory Mantsios makes an a key remark regarding this. Mantsios brings up the notion that the United States has the “best dressed” poverty and I believe that this is true is how modern clothing helps to mask class. Especially when considering the prominence of athleisure wear, I think that distinguishing between classes becomes a bit more difficult— after all, $10 leggings from Wal-mart and $100 Lululemons are hard to discern at a glance. Additionally, the phenomena of thrifting fashion and vintage clothing makes the value of clothing hard to estimate. I think that extravagant expressions of wealth visibly are really only seen in the rich and famous. Even then, however, it is common to see majorly wealthy CEOs like Mark Zuckerburg wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Ultimately, I would say that economic class is made visible, especially in instances of extreme wealth, largely by choice.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that I have been socialized to fully understand the range of class in America. Especially in growing up in a small and mostly homogeneous community, it was not made clear how much class is so differentiated across the entirety of the nation. On a regular basis, I would say that I generally interact with those of a similar economic class as myself. I would say that this is due in large part to the fact that those with similar economic resources as myself have access to the same opportunities, such as the same university, same jobs, and social experiences, etc. Access to wealthier spheres seems to become more and more exclusive as said wealth increases. Living in Chicago, it is plain to come across individuals liking in extreme poverty to the upper middle class, but beyond that, my experience leads me to believe that wealthier society has more power to be private, restrictive, and self-segregated.
When I was a little kid, I grew up in a lower-middle class family. The neighborhood that I grew in was very differnet than many other neighborhoods. The Neighborhood I lived in was back home and the reason why I say it was different because you had lower and middle living in one block then the other block was the high-class people. For me, I couldn’t tell the difference between the lower and middle class because growing up, I was surrender with these types of people. wherefore, the high-class people don’t mess with us nor even talked to us. When I came to America, I started realizing why the rich and high class never look at us. In Chicago, there poor and rich and its hard to see these two opposite classes get along with each other. However, coming to America gave me more privilege and to see what it is like, living in the city of Chicago where they have all different types of people and economic class and you go to the suburbs and everyone is separated. High-class village= high-class school, classic neighborhood. The rich get what they want and the poor get what they need. During one of my classes, we had a discussion on how the government is only focusing on the rich and trying to provide them with much wherefore, the poor is stuck with what they have. Plus, the government is aiming at the poor to pay all their fees and taxes, while the rich are getting out with that. This is not what makes America great and a fair country.
ReplyDeleteAs an immigrant, I have faced my family encounter multiple cases of income scarcities in our twenty years here in this country. We sought a scarce amount of opportunities to find a solid place to live and to have adequate medical care. Luckily over the years our quality of life has improved with better income and better way of living but this case cannot be the same for many others who face harsher scenarios. Class has not been an invisible case for me. As a diehard Bernie Sanders supporter, I know that issues of class first hand. I work at an upscale restaurant and I've seen the special treatment those with wealth get than those at a lower scale restaurant. I've been to Garfield Park and Back of the Yards in the course of the 2019 mayoral election, and I've seen how inequalities is determined by the zip code you live in. In terms of government, the city, state or country should not determine resources to aid citizens based on income or zip code. The fundamental resources aimed to help us is a human right not a privilege.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with your last notion more - those resources are a human right, not some gift or hand-out. There is no reason that people should be struggling to have a safe place to live, put food on the table, or get healthcare in a country as rich as the United States. This imbalance is an injustice.
DeleteSeeing as I identify as a Democratic Socialist, it should come as no surprise that I am a big advocate for the government playing a far greater role in eliminating class inequality. We have the means and the resources to make it happen, and my hope for the future is that we will finally do something about it. Economic class is something that I have been aware of since I was a kid, because that socialization starts young. I think initially it’s the little things - going to friend’s houses and seeing the differences between theirs and your own (whatever those might be), the kind of clothes/accessories/toys other kids have, the food they eat for lunch, and more can be early indicators of class differences in school and neighborhood settings. As children grow older, they are further exposed to this concept through technology (TV, movies, social media, etc.). Class has never been an invisible issue to me because of the aforementioned things. Class also matters a great deal in the relationship that people have with various levels of government; it can control political motivation. Those who have less may be calling for their government to be better beneficiaries, while those with more may call for less taxation and other policies that protect them.
ReplyDeleteThe statement you made on how class plays a role with relationships with government, could not be any more accurate! I think once theres more conversation and understanding surrounding economic class , there can be improvement with relations between parties
DeleteI think a true understanding of class first became apparent to me in high school, learning about the effects of socio-econimic status on one's ability to succeed in America. For the most part, I grew up around people and went to school with people who were mostly in the same economic class as me. Even at DePaul, there is diversity in social and economic class, but maybe not so stratified because we are all students pursuing higher education-- an opportunity not available to all economic classes. I wouldn't say class is a completely invisible issue to me, but the reality is I do not have a full understanding or exposure to people in low and higher economic classes based on my upbringing. However, my experience working on the field team in political campaigns and working in a Senator's office has shown me the different needs and expectations of elected officials from constituents of all economic classes. For instance, a majority of the work I do in the Senator's office is advocating for lower-class individuals who have difficulty crossing the red tape of federal agencies. But we still have to consider and represent people of higher economic classes in Illinois because our role is to advocate for the whole state. It can be a difficult task to find common ground that is representative and fair to constituents of all classes.
ReplyDeletePrior to coming to college, class was not something that was made very visible in my life. I come from a small town that’s homogenous in almost every way. So, I lived in somewhat of socioeconomic bubble. The only time I was exposed to class deviations was when I did service projects in Milwaukee with my church. Unfortunately, I don’t think my upbringing has allowed me to be educated/socialized enough to understand the full range of class in the United States. Despite this, I agree with Julissa that class shouldn’t be representative of American identity. The economic status of a person should not determine how “American” they are, especially because economic status is often something that people can’t control. I think that there are plenty other characteristics of American identity that are better at defining if someone counts as American.
ReplyDeleteIn my reality bubble, class never affected my thought process when it came to making friends or analyzing my family's income. However, our last class expanded my focal point and eradicated my dis-illusioned reality. I am from the southwest suburbs, a predominantly "affluent" community. I put that in quotations because after realizing the insurmountable disparities between each class’s wealth distribution, I realize I am privileged to come from the upper-middle class. However, I cannot even fathom the chasm of wealth distribution between the upper middle class and the top 1%. As many in these comments have articulated, having exposure to low-income families expands perspectives on the unequal standards of living perpetuated through America. In connection with the discussion on white privilege and income graphs presented in class, White families continue to have more wealth than other racial groups. I would attribute the start of this to post-Great Depression when FDR created the Home Owners Loan Corporation to help people refinance their mortgages. HOLC practiced discriminatory policies and rated neighborhoods from A-D, while the last letter served as the more crime infested inner city blocks. Better qualified neighborhoods provided more loans, predominantly to white areas while “bad” areas with minority groups did not receive loans. This systematic approach gave whites the advantage of increasing property value and, in effect, their wealth. To this day, the remnants of redlining still effect marginalized communities. Therefore, if the government instilled discriminatory policies that fueled income inequality, should they pass policies to fix it?
ReplyDelete-Olivia Piotrowski
I was introduced to wealth inequality at a young age, living in a wealthy suburb in between a very wealthy neighborhood and a trailer park. My understanding of wealth inequality developed in school and in friendships. Just spending time in friend’s households introduced me to the difference of daily struggles between wealthy and poor families. My socialization to wealth inequality in my surroundings did not translate into an understanding of class in America until I attended college. College introduced me to the fact that a large portion of wealth in this country is held by a small number of individuals. I believe that the government should be held responsible to alleviate class inequality. I agree with multiple other students point that class should not be an influence on American identity, and should also not influence a person’s ability to obtain an education, find safe and affordable housing, or put food on the table.
ReplyDeleteBen, i like how you mentioned that you were taught about the class inequality In America through your upbringing. I talked about this in my post as well. I feel that there needs to be more coverage on this in the education system. If we are taught about the issues of class in our classes. It will leave people less ignorant to the topic which can spark change
DeleteHi Ben,
DeleteI too, can agree with your viewpoint of seeing different families struggle through visiting the households of people we know. It really exposes us best to different economic classes when we step outside of our own homes. Wether they appear to have more money, or others are living in rougher situations, these type of scenarios would not have been shown to us if we did not socialize.
I have been socialized to understand the full range of class in America, this has not been taught to me through the education system, but through life experiences. The reason I tie education into this is because of the lack of education given to us about race, gender and other demographic economic inequalities in our country. As a minority you tend to see these issues a lot clearer because of past assimilation of certain races/ethnicities grouped into neighborhoods. I believe that the government has a lot to do with the issue with class in America. I think there needs to be more programs and ratifications put into place. This can start within the education system the inequality within the system and lack of education on these topics contribute largely to the issue. If people are educated within the topic then they can use their privileges and voices to pave a way for change. Also if more money is pumped into our education system ,better resources for the poor so that they have a more fair playing ground.
ReplyDeleteI was socialized growing up around people of varying class status. It never seemed to me an indication of anything more than how lucky or not lucky you/your family was. Some of my friends had grandfathers who were slaves, others had mothers who started technology companies.
ReplyDeleteThis seems patently obvious to me that if we as Americans decided to see poor and houseless people as indicative of a failing system and not personally failing, class fear and consciousness would dissipate. My relationship with all my city governments everywhere I've lived has been tainted by the way they treat people who don't have houses. It doesn't make sense to me that city govs are supposed to "deal with" the houseless people (by passing vagrancy laws and using military force/architectural deterrents against people) but the federal and state governments are supposed to bear the brunt of the social welfare net. I think these responsibilities should be more concisely and clearly integrated to be more effective and reduce redundancy and recidivism.
Economic class has been made visible to me through my family and friends, and also my communities. Coming from a lower middle class family myself, different financial statuses have been exposed to me. The suburb I grew up in is fairly made up of a middle class populous. I have been socialized to understand the full range of class in America, especially since coming to DePaul. Since I've been here, I've met an array of students with different backgrounds and class levels. I've actually met multiple students who have explained to me that they do not receive financial aid because their "parents make enough money." I was so shocked at how many of my friends come to DePaul and pay out of pocket right off the bat. It is so unfortunate that some people are unable to qualify for FAFSA. Just because one's family makes enough money does not necessarily mean all their yearly income is going to go towards their children's classes each quarter. I know a few people who rank in the upper classes, that take a class or two at a community college because that is all they can pay out of pocket for the moment. Then on the other hand, I have friends that would be considered in the lower class, from back in the suburbs who simply cannot afford college at all. Those friends that I have instead are currently working full-time jobs until they can manage to save up some money to pursue a degree. I think we should think about class in terms of an American identity based off of one's financial status, their education, and their work ethic. I think our relationship should be handled at the state level because it really depends on what region you are living in. For example, in Texas, you can get a beautiful, large, newly-built single home for the cost of a small townhome in the suburbs of Chicago that still needs some work. But then some people may think that in terms of Texas, that single home would make us Chicagoans think "wow, they got money to be living in such a home," when in reality it is not that expensive, because it's a Texas home. Economic classifications and solutions should be considered at the state level because the state knows what's best for its own communities and people.
ReplyDeleteEconomic class was not something that was specifically talked about in my community, school, friends, or family, but differences became clearer to me as I grew up. I’ve lived in the same southwest suburb (Romeoville) my whole life, and pretty much everyone around me belonged to the middle to upper middle class. However, I went to church 3 times a week in the more affluent suburb of Hinsdale which allowed me to be socialized to upper-class families. A lot of my friends at church were able to go on multiple vacations a year, attend expensive private schools, and never had to worry about struggling financially. I also have a lot of family members that will admit that even though their lives are better here compared to the Philippines, the idea of the “American Dream” is not as real as they originally thought. Most of my relatives live in crowded apartments that they rent instead of own. Though far from lower class, being careful about how they spend their money is something that my relatives have to keep in mind much more than the majority of the people who attend my church. Attending college has taught me a lot about the realities of American society, and while the inequality in economic class is a situation that truly frustrates me, I am grateful that I am able to get properly educated on these issues. I think being able to live comfortably without speaking about economic class inequities speaks to privileges that I have. It is important to realize that the large percentage of Americans who are in the lower economic class have to face disadvantages every day and speaking about it is not a choice for them like I have. I think that the government should invest in those in the lower class, considering they make up a lot of the population and they are American citizens just as much as people in the upper class.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my life, the idea of economic class has definitely been considerably apparent. Growing up in San Francisco is probably the foremost reason why. San Francisco as a city is extremely small and extremely segregated. With the city being so small it was fairly obvious to witness neighborhoods that were economically disadvantaged. To get to one of the more expensive neighborhoods in the city, you had to drive through the lower-income neighborhoods. No matter where you went, you were able to see areas that were economically disadvantaged. Although it was always visible to me, it wasn’t something I was able to personally experience or understand. Due to the fact that neighborhoods were grouped by economic class. I never really had friends, or family friends, who had a different economic class from me. The people I constantly saw and spent time with were also the people who lived a couple of blocks away. It wasn’t until a change of personal circumstance, and moving to Chicago, where I was able to personally process it. Having friends from different economic class’s opens doors to conversations that need to be had. Thus, I believe that economic class can be an easy thing to not fully understand. When there is substantial division in cities, on the basis of economic class, it can make it uncomfortable for a dialogue to take afoot. However, I firmly believe schools and even families should commence conversation around this, no matter how sensitive.
ReplyDeleteEconomic class has been something I’ve been socialized to be aware of through a variety of factors. When I was growing up, I lived in a neighborhood that tended to have upper middle class residents, of which I was less better off than a lot of them, so that was definitely one way I saw class in action. I also saw explorations of class in shows like Law and Order, which often showed the poor in an unfavorable manner. Especially after moving to Chicago and seeing the different areas where class is a clear divider. There are a lot of people in Chicago who don’t have any money and I feel like we are confronted with that reality a lot more than we are in other areas of the country. I grew up in Kansas City, and much of the poverty and poorer areas are contained to the downtown, so I feel like I was never exposed to that growing up. Since starting at DePaul, class has definitely something I have become more socialized to, since it’s such a crucial part of our political and criminal systems. As a general outlook, I think the government should be very involved in the matter of class. In my opinion, the job of the government is to take care of its citizens and to make sure they have basic necessities. Often, many people who are poor are stigmatized for their economic status, when a lot of the time it represents a much larger issue. Both the federal government and local governments should take more proactive measures in making sure that their citizens are being taken care of, whether that means more options for housing, jobs, healthcare, expanding the SNAP program, etc.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Orange Country, CA, class was almost invisible to me before moving to Chicago. There was a strong lack of diversity, both racially and socioeconomically. I believe that the Orange County bubble led to a high level of ignorance for the differences in classes. With this said, once I moved to Chicago and began to get involved with my community, I quickly began to understand the difference and economic classes and the results of each one. As I continue to surround myself with individuals from different walks of life, I am able to grasp a deeper understanding to what class means in our modern day society.
ReplyDeleteI believe that one’s class should not reflect their American identify. With this said, I believe it is the responsibility of the government to reduce class inequality and ensure that every individual within the United States has a certain quality of life. The local, state, and national government should each devote a substantial amount of resources to bring about equity within out society. For America to flourish, it is vital that we work to reduce inequalities, whether they are class, race, or gender based.
Economic class is evident in every aspect of our society, especially living in Chicago. I’m originally from Denver where the divide in economic class isn’t as great, or maybe isn’t as visible as here. When I moved here it was shocking to see the extent of homelessness and poverty. While, at the same time there is so much money flowing through the loop in Chicago. People say that money doesn't buy happiness but it sure does help. Not having to worry about how you're going to pay rent or where your next meal is coming from removes a lot of weight of an individual's shoulders. I think I have been socialized to see the range of class just because I have been at both ends of the spectrum so am able to recognize class. I think class systems in America and levels of education are closely linked together and therefore American identity is almost formed by class. The idea behind our American capitalistic system is that you are supposed to work hard to achieve wealth and if you’re in a lower class it’s your own fault for not working hard enough. Although, this thinking is so wrong because people don’t realize there are barriers, like education and discrimination that make it really hard to get ahead.
ReplyDeleteI think class and income inequality has been something I have been aware of for a large part of my life. I grew up in a low income Latinx community for most of my childhood and through a unique stream of events came to live in an upper middle class majority white community. I think that my awareness of income inequality came from living in both places and seeing how income and property tax directly impacts the school system and the resources allotted to some communities and not others. I think that one becomes most aware of economic class structures in the US when they examine the public school districts in various communities and see the differences in resources depending on income. I realized as soon as I moved to this more affluent town that there were resources in terms of career paths, college applications, etc that were non-existent in the town that I had spent most of my childhood in. These resources are crucial when considering the American dream mentality that seems to be at the center of a lot of conversations regarding class. I think that in terms of the government’s relationship with class, it is evident that there has not been enough of a push for change in the past in terms of solving income inequality problems by taxing the 1% adequately. I truly hope this changes, I also hope that the way in which the government funds public schools changes to be more equitable.
ReplyDeleteHi Lourdes,
DeleteI completely agree with your perspective. Growing up low income has given me a different perspective and understanding of live. There is no doubt that class and income are closely intertwine. Depending on the income your parents obtain basically states the class you belong to. This is completely noticeable when people from a low income background are exposed to areas that count with much more income. I am hopeful that our generation can make a difference. But I also understand the power dynamic of income and class.
I have been fortunate enough in my life to not have to think very critically about my own social class. Clearly this is a source of privilege as I know my parents tried to shield me from any economic instability that my family may have experienced. Of course, this does not mean that class inequality was invisible to me. Being raised in a Catholic home, I was taught to share with those less fortunate. I think that this early emphasis on community service and social responsibility has shaped my opinion of the government’s role as a social safety net. Founding documents indicate that the framers held this optimistic view of the possibilities of American society. In comparison to the highly stratified English society, the idea of “starting over” or being a “self-made” man seemed achievable in the United States. This aspiration has clearly been warped and bastardized over time. We just spoke in class last week about how not all Americans start with the same access to resources or opportunity. I believe that it is part of the government’s responsibility to level this disparity, as well as protect citizens from a hyper-capitalist society. I’ve always hated the idea that if you can’t hack it, then you deserve to suffer for it. There is absolutely no reason why the majority of citizens in the richest country in the world would be bankrupted by an unexpected bill of $400. Like Patrick said above, there is no conceivable explanation for a single person to possess billions when so many Americans are struggling.
ReplyDeleteClass was something that wasn’t totally visible to me until my friends started talking about college. I went to a highschool that was primarily middle-lower class but most of my friends went to private school, so I socialized in both circles and saw how class affects the way people saw the trajectory of their lives. Most of friends that went to my high school, despite being very similar in academics, did not go to college or went to community college. Most people from my highschool went to community college or did not go to college after graduation. At my school it was not “where” you would go to college, it was “if.” However, I saw how there was a whole infrastructure of standardized test prep, counselors, and college fairs available to my friends at private school, so even the dullest bulbs were made sure to go to college. I was not socialized to think about class in anyway other than something innate. I remember being in elementary school and thinking that rich people were better than poor people, and that idea obviously did not originate in my brain, it came from what I was seeing in the world around me. Looking back now, it disgusts me that I would think something like that at such a young age, and while I have matured in my position on class (I am a socialist) it saddens me that I ever even thought that.
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