Hi Everyone
"People like us" is an important common text that we will refer to many times throughout the course. For example, Joe Queenan's discussion in the kitchen supply store is one of the best, widely accessible explanations I've ever heard to explain cultural capital. "Tartuffo Bianco could mean engine fluid for all we know, but it evokes class and sophistication." Here's the website for the film - explore and try out some of the games.
I've posted below some questions to prompt reflections and analysis from you here on our blog. Respond and build on each others' responses - let's make this a virtual conversation. We'll carry through your reflections and understanding as we take on theories of schooling as social reproduction, with the help of Pierre Bourdieu on 1/31.
1. What are the ways that class is defined by people in the documentary? Is it about money? Money and other stuff, what other stuff? race? gender? manners? style?
2. Do you think that most people still think of the U.S. as a classless, egalitarian society, or a society with a sizeable middle class? Is it actually either of those, and if it's not, why might some still believe that? In other words, why might some people deny that class distinctions exist?
3. What did this video make you reconsider about your own class background and how you've been "classed," that is, how you've been socialized to think about your own and others' class? For example, were you socialized not to discuss class (this is pretty common)? How did that socialization happen?
You do NOT need to respond to all three; give us a paragraph on your thoughts on one. If you're the first to post about one of the questions, start a new thread and then others can build on that.
I can not speak for most people but I think that one of the biggest problems in American society is the standard of living over the past 50 years has drastically gone down. For example, in the 1950's, a loaf of bread cost around 25 cents, whereas now the same loaf costs around 2 dollars or more. As the price of goods has gone up-- especially food and oil prices which interestingly and I think deceptively are not counted by the government in calculating inflation rates--people's wages have not kept pace. The quality of life in America is in decline and getting worse and that creates unrest between classes--ex. Occupy Wall Street / Tea Party movements.
ReplyDelete-Tim Broderick
“America is a nation of tribes” and we are in the tribe of people who we feel most comfortable with or the ones who are most similar to us. These tribes can be defined by our opportunities and aspirations. People who do not fit in to our group are people that we want to separate ourselves from. It therefore has become very distinctive and judgmental. The video stated that class is everywhere; look at people’s clothes, cars we drive, how much money we make, or where we live.
ReplyDeleteClass attitudes have definitely shaped my life. For instance, class expectations (where and who I grew up with) have been a big part of getting me to where I am today; a graduate student at Boston College with high expectations for my future. I still tend to lean towards people who fit in to the mold of how I was raised; certain behaviors and social expectations.
The video made me realize how intense, unfair, and constant our judgments of each other are. Automatic judgments are made constantly as there are “all kinds of measures of class in America”. It also intensified my belief that even though someone may work as hard as they possibly can to get ahead, they are limited by what situation they are born into. We tend to forget that we are all human beings despite our appearances and belongings.
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ReplyDeleteAs Cecilia mentioned, the documentary claims that "America is a nation of tribes". I can understand the concept of America being divided into different social classes, but it is very hard for me to find the specific "tribe" I belong to. To begin with, I am not American. I was born in Mexico and have moved my entire life in and out of the country. I didn't grow up in one society all of my life so I therefore lack a clear social definition for myself. Before today, the closest "tribe" I could see myself belonging to is a middle class minority class, where I am defined by the amount of money I've inherited from my parents, and by my ethnicity.
ReplyDeleteBut "People Like Us" complicated everything. It made me realize that there are further ways in which I could label myself and separate myself from others in my class, as if there were an endless set of classes within classes. You're not just your own "tribe" because of the money you have or your race, but because of the smallest of things. I could immediately be placed in a different class within my class because of the way I speak, my level of education, my manners, or even my taste in clothes and food. Just like my parents, and as I said before, I consider myself to be a middle class minority. We are where we are because of the money we have and our racial background. But there is apparently something in society that puts us on different levels within that social class. It comes down to how we speak. My father, for example, has been very successful in his profession, but in order to get where he is, he has had to fight a daily battle with his accent. He was told by his unemployment adviser that because of his accent, it was a good thing he had blue eyes (aka since they made him look "white"). But in my case, because I grew in American schools, I don't have a foreign accent and I never had to face the discrimination my father did. My parents have experienced a lot more rejection and disapproval than I have because of a mere difference in the way we speak. It's ridiculous that a society parading itself as egalitarian, can have so many forms of discrimination.
"People Like Us" was therefore more bitter than sweet for me, especially when I saw how these divisions and classes are replicated in schools. If this cycle continues, the real world "tribes" will always become our children's "cliques", and I personally don't want a world where my children talk down to people who speak "funny" or "different".
I really agree with what Sofia has said, and can see how it echoed throughout the film. What struck me most was the seeming inevitability of class in America, and while we don't like to speak of class differences, it also seems like we cannot escape them. The stories of the exclusivity of the WASPs, where it takes more than money to fit in, but instead an innate sense of character that is trained in you from preschool, and the fact that it's all in who you, and your family, know to belong, as well as that of the young Appalachian journalist, happy with her path and choices, yet haunted by the fact that she can never feel like her true self when she goes how to her family, for fear of "getting above her raisings" struck me with just how difficult it is to pursue the American Dream in our society. The idea of the American Dream is so rooted in work ethic and improving one's place in life, and yet this film only reinforced the strictures of American social class, even today trapping Americans into the world in which they were born.
DeleteLet me begin by saying that there are many ways we can class ourselves as similar to somebody else. However, in my own life, I never think of myself in terms of class. This film changed a lot of that for me. It doesn't change who I see myself as, but it does change how I feel about it. I grew up in the upper-middle class, yet never considered myself different than others. I went to a school with a slightly diverse population, made up of mostly white teenagers. When I arrived at Boston College, I found myself surrounded by those with extremely wealthy families, and extremely fortunate lives. Having been placed at Boston Latin School for my full-practicum, I still deal with children who are very well off financially. So when I see someone eating a certain type of bread, I don't immediately think of class. Instead I think about the times I've eaten it. When I see someone else wearing certain clothes, I think of money, and not class. I almost never associate financial success with class, and yet this documentary seemed to scream out at me that class was everything.
DeleteFrom the way we speak, to how our hair is done, class is projected outward from what has been burned into our minds as acceptable to those who have been around us. This made me think of an article called "The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap." In this article, the authors reveal that by age three, children from the upper class know so much more vocabulary than children in the lower class, that the gap is far too wide to close.
But that's not to say that there is no pride involved with anybody below lower class. Hearing the union workers chant, "We are the union, the mighty mighty union," was a clear indicator of that pride. Hearing the wasp talk about upper class hairstyle was clearly a source of pride for him. The upper class seemed to be more worried about appearance, while the lower class found themselves in their pride. I wonder if that is the distinction, or if it really is just a state of mind that we are comfortable with.
Class is approached in so many different ways in this documentary, some that I hadn't ever really thought about.
ReplyDeleteThis documentary made me think about class in a whole different way. I used to believe that class was the term that defined how much money was earned; those who earned the most were in the highest class, and I still believe that financial stature plays a huge part in how we are perceived. What I hadn't thought of, though, is that class isn't necessarily what you earn, it's what you have, who you know, how you got it, what your skin color is, and so much more. What was really salient to me in watching the documentary was the segment about African Americans feeling out of place with people of their race because of their climb up the social/class ladder. It's interesting that even those who work hard can feel out of place once they've attained what they wanted all along. It makes me think about the validity of meritocracy.
If we work hard enough, will we get what we deserve? Or, like that family, who is neither low income because of their skin color nor "whitewashed" because of their class, is there really such a thing as moving "up the ladder" of class? More importantly, once that happens, if it truly does, is there acceptance?
Erica,
DeleteI am in agreement with you about your observation about African Americans and feeling out of place with people of their race. I work at Newton South, where the district takes pride in their long standing METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) program. This program is a voluntary school desegregation program that parents in the inner city can place their kids on a lottery to go to "better" suburban schools. Why should this even have to be a possibility? Students should be able to have access to good schools in their own neighborhoods. Somehow, I think that this is another way to keep class stratified. African American students at Newton South often feel that they do not fit in at the school or in their Boston neighborhoods among people of their same race. Due to this I believe that meritocracy is invalid and something that is made up by the upperclass so they can continue to keep this class stratification alive, thus continuing to surpress the lower class.
There is a documentary about a METCO student, Kandice Sumner from Weston High School, called, Far From Home where she discuss this dilemma at length. Describing how she feels different from her neighbors and playmates in Boston, how she struggles with the college admissions game, and how teachers at Weston High School have lower expectations for African American students. She talks about straddling two worlds and never feeling like she actually fits in. Being treated differently due to her race, which seems horrible...
After watching this documentary, I also feel like people can not or very rarely move through different classes that they were not born into. There maybe a select few that can "move up the ladder" but not many. As far as acceptance- people who do move up are often labeled as "new money" and are probably talked about behind their backs; hence never really being accepted even if outwardly it is not spoken about out loud.
One of the things that resonated with me the most from “People Like Us” was the idea that people can never truly move into a different social class. Social class is something that I have been keenly aware of since I was nine and started fourth grade. That was the year that my father remarried and we moved to the wealthy suburb of New Canaan, Connecticut, just outside of New York City.
DeleteMy dad is a blue collar guy. Up until five years ago he worked for Sears fixing appliances. Recently, he has opened his own small appliance repair business and is starting to move into the white-collar (owner, book keeper, manager) part of the occupation. But growing up in “Stepford” (they filmed the movie in New Canaan); I always knew that I was a blue collar kid trying to work my way into a different social bracket. Growing up there were a thousand different things that I associated with being upper class. From the type of socks someone wore to the type of water bottle they brought to school, everything seemed classed, making me just slightly different from a world that I wanted so badly to just naturally fit in to.
The first time that I realized that I was not in the same social class as my peers is when I had my first play date afterschool in New Canaan. My house is obviously small and cluttered and old, but I wasn’t aware of that at the time. I was too little and hadn’t been exposed to enough of the upper class world. It wasn’t my house that embarrassed me, but rather, my father. My dad came home from work and met my new friend and he was talking to her and used the word, “idear” in conversation. The next day at school while we were eating lunch my classmate made reference to the fact that it was so funny that he had said this incorrectly. I had never noticed his speech until that moment. Still, to this day, I get uncomfortable when my father says “idear” instead of “idea”. It’s a mark of his upbringing and his occupation, and in turn a mark of my upbringing and where I come from. In my adult life I’ve spent lot of time and money educating myself in how to act and look and SPEAK because I know what an indicator it is of class. It’s been the way that I’ve always thought I can move in to the glamorous upper class that I grew up around trying to emulate.
I can completely agree with the thought that social class is not solely about financial means but more so a combination of various traits/items including but not limited to the ones mentioned in "People Like Us." For example, someone who suddenly inherits money after growing up poor or middle class will likely feel awkward and be alienated when they begin congregating with others who have great wealth.
DeleteAs a movie person myself, two of my favorite movies come into play in this scenario. Titanic, for example, depicts this issue with the acceptance, or lack there of, of Molly Brown. Molly Brown was a lottery winner who was able to board Titanic alongside the first class passengers but she was awkward, unaccepted, and got along better with the lower class citizens (i.e. Jack). Secondly, The Notebook shows the classic issue over a high class girl falling in love with "the wrong kind." This goes to show the animosity of the classes during those times.
As for future society, I feel that the classes are less clearly defined but still very much in existence. Although society has become more accepting and children are given more rights as they age to break out of a social class if they find a way to do so. However, I also think that the likelihood of a successful transformation is very slim and difficult.
This is Jaclyn Fedolfi by the way. The email address/blog name is slightly premature but soon enough it will be accurate. :)
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ReplyDeleteIn response to the second question, it is very obvious that social classes exist in this country; there is a great range of incomes, lifestyles, and backgrounds that contribute to the class system's structure. However, many do not feel the need to adjust or even acknowledge the aforementioned differences in class. As the documentary illustrated, I believe that a great deal of satisfaction with the current system is rooted in the idea of the "make-over story." This cultural narrative of 'rags-to-riches,' or at least the idea of general upward mobility, is also reflected in the reading on meritocracy. In the documentary, we saw several different examples of the "make-over story," some more subtle than others. Beginning with the most obvious, the literal make-over and training that a woman paid for represents the idea that if you work hard and make money, you can pay for some of the tenants of social success and class. The idea that a ‘life-coach’ can unlock the ways of the upper class gives the impression that one can break-in to that lifestyle. However, in the words of the WASP gentleman who was interviewed, there are some people that just do not fit in. Although the woman who purchased make-over services had to understand that she could not hide her origins or status forever, the possibility of obtaining that illusion is enough to not only intrigue her interests, but motivated her to pay money for that illusion. This becomes problematic in many ways because the gap between a true “make-over” and the actual experience of the difficulties of social-climbing creates cognitive dissonance and ultimately ruptures the idea of a class-less or even mobile society.
ReplyDeleteThe whole time I was watching the documentary, I was thinking of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which I’m currently reading with my juniors at Newton North HS, so I was happy when they finally referenced it in Part Four: Belonging. While it is a book of fiction, it addresses the very real class structure in America, back in the 1920s, yes, but still now. Early in the documentary, the question is raised whether or not money brings class, and a comment is made that money can get you “in” but class is what gets you accepted. And then even within that statement, there is a further stipulation: it has to be the “right” money. In The Great Gatsby, the protagonist Jay Gatsby is rich, but he has “new” money (which he has obtained illegally), and as we see from the women riding in the back of the convertible through the Hamptons, there is nothing worse than “trying” to look rich or being “nouveau.” Despite his wealth, Gatsby never becomes an accepted member of the “secret society,” which is reserved only for those old money people we saw in the clips—those who went to the proper pre-schools, spent junior year abroad at the Sorbonne, etc. etc. Gatsby is gossiped about and mocked by members within the secret society, just as those women were scoffing at the newcomers to the Hamptons. Fitzgerald himself was used to being a poor boy in a rich world, coming from humble beginnings in the Midwest and then living amongst the rich and famous at Princeton. While Fitzgerald’s life and his protagonist’s life expose the social stratification in the 1920s, not much has changed as the documentary shows.
ReplyDeleteEven if you studied and learned all of the mannerisms of people in a particular class—as that one woman attempts to do with her life coach—I don’t believe you can ever fully assimilate, as the documentary made glaringly apparent. There are subtleties that you will inevitably miss being an outsider trying to make your way in while those who have been part of that class since birth will inherently know them. It is a sad realization that social mobility is a complete illusion. But then again, it’s part of the American Dream. The name itself implies that this is an idea, an illusion, a dream…not a possibility.
This past fall, I saw Native American author Sherman Alexie do a reading in Brookline. An audience member asked him if he believed in the American Dream. His answer was a resounding “No.” He referenced mostly connections and luck as the reason for his getting off the reservation and becoming a renowned author. He knew the right people, had the right connections, and was often in the right place at the right time. For this reason, Alexie despises the fact that people continuously use him and his success as a pawn to prove the possibility of the American Dream, particularly for other minorities: i.e. “Look at Alexie. He did it. Why can’t you?” Our society is so obsessed with success stories that we fail to recognize these are often exceptions, not the rule. As People Like Us demonstrated all too clearly, ours is a society of rules about class.
Maureen, I completely agree with you that the American Dream is an illusion. I also agree with you that the blonde woman with the life coach will never fully be able to assimiliate. This is because she does not have the same cultural capital as that of the wealthy elite. The very fact that she has a life coach indicates that she believes that upward mobility is possible. This concept of upward mobility is based on the belief that the one's standing is not the result of larger societal forces but of individual action. These concepts are powerful myths that enable capitalism.
ReplyDeleteWhile many believe that the US is a classless, egalitarian society, most believe in the notion of a society comprised of a sizeable middle class. This erroneous concept pervades literature, the media, and popular culture as it upholds the myth of the American Dream. In the clear and delineated hierarchy of feudalism, there were direct relations of coercion as well as a direct system of money extraction. Put simply, if one was a serf, he knew he was a serf. In capitalism, however, power relations are neither direct nor explicit. The opacity of the capitalist system creates an illusion of freedom based on a seeming lack of direct coercion, where the bulk of hardworking Americans believe they compose a middle class. Many Americans believe that they are middle class because they have either some or all of the following standards: a job, some type of economic security, a mortgage, education, and autonomy. The notion of the middle class is one of capitalism’s enduring myths because Americans believe that they are free agents whose economic standings are the direct results of their labor. The notion of a middle class directly feeds off the frontier mentality in American dream, where success comes from applying oneself, being resourceful, and becoming self-reliant. To deny this concept opens up the possibility that one’s standing in society is not the result of one’s agency but instead is the consequence of the larger political, economic, and cultural system.
American society is not comprised of a small upper class, a large middle class, and an invisible lower class, as many believe. Instead, American society is comprised of a small capitalist class and a large working class. The notion of the middle class provides the capitalist class the economic rationality and moral legitimacy to reap the rewards of the system to the detriment of the working class base. This concept, however, is now under question (by a few groups in society) as the polarization of wealth in this country becomes more extreme. Millions of Americans face unemployment, foreclosure and debt due to the forces in society and not to indivudal actions. The economic crisis has exposed the reality that the political economy is designed by and for the country’s wealthiest families and biggest corporations.
To say it bluntly, I was most compelled by the fact that everyone buys into and believes in the existence of social class. As Renee and Maureen have mentioned about the American Dream being an illusion, I believe that social class is, too. In the reading, it said that the American Dream exists, not because it's real, but because people believe it to be real. In essence, it's our society's willingness to accept it as a real system that fuels the idea of the American Dream. I almost felt that way about the existence of social class while watching this documentary.
ReplyDeleteIn one of the segments, when asked what she thought about social class, this woman answered, "a state of mind." I might be being too simplistic with my view. However, the way I view it is that, if society does not believe in social class, there is no need to have distinctions between the "classes" that exist. Why make bigger and fancier houses where only "wealthy" or upper-middle class people can live in, in the first place? Also, why buy into the idea that if you are able to and thus, choose to live in a house like that, that proves that you are of a higher class or status than those who cannot? Same theory applies to education. Why found a school or academies that offer higher quality education that only the wealthy can afford and believe that if one is able to attend such a school that, they are somewhat better or more ready for life?
It almost seems as though people in society make the lines of different "classes" more conspicuous. If people did not follow the idea of the existence of social class and play their part in it, it wouldn't be as apparent. I understand that living in a capitalist economy, these distinctions are absolutely inevitable but what if it is just a state of mind?
Esther,
DeleteI loved your take away message after watching “People like Us”, I find myself in complete agreement with you. I have not been raised to think about my personal social class, but instead to think about myself as a single person that is a part of one greater whole. I have also been raised to think of everyone else as human beings and not a member of a specific societal class and for this I am grateful. I was raised in a humanistic fashion. We are all humans and we are to treat each accordingly. Personal wealth or belongings should not impact relationships amongst one another. The idea of social class then is something used to divide parties; a measureable relationship amongst. The idea of a social class tells us about what people ‘should’ do and what they ‘should’ want from life. Social class was something created because people wanted to believe in something. I think another part of the movie that speaks true to Esther’s point is the section on the WASP society. Here is a society that buys into the theory of social class, creates a social class, and spends their whole lives adapting behaviors to fit in to that social class.
My personal beliefs prior to watching “People like Us” would have led to believe social class is the group in society you have the most in common with. Personal beliefs aside, when asked what social class I am a part of I consider myself part of the middle class. I have a home, I have my health, I have a stable family, and I never have to worry about going hungry. I do not have the latest and greatest things; however, what I do have is more than enough. I do not go on luxurious vacations all over the world, but I do get vacation time. For me, this is all I need. I do not feel the need or want to “climb the social ladder”. However, I believe we live in a society where we are programmed to climb as high as we can. I am content with what I have. I see no need to acquire more. Therefore, my personal happiness leads me to believe social class is a “state of mind”.
Jaclyn Demary
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ReplyDeleteBefore watching this movie, I honestly have never thought too much about class. I mean I thought a little about what class I may be in but never thought about what society in general thinks about class. This movie got me thinking about how class is defined in our society. "People Like Us" lays out several reasons why people are perceived to be in certain classes, money, the way they dress, their jobs, and where they came from. Similar to Esther's point, I think that class is defined and so prevalent because of the way people feed into the idea of it. I think that people feed into what they think class should be and put emphasis on what class people are in. Just like the American Dream being an illusion, class is almost the same thing, an illusion, something we created in our society to somehow make people feel good or bad about where they have come from.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the city in a one family house with my two brothers, mother and father. My dad worked two jobs, a Boston Public schoolteacher and equipment major at an all boys’ prep school in Belmont. I never realized but my parents made a plan a long time ago, before my brothers and I were born. They planned to send us to single sex private schools. My Dad started working part time at nights at an all boys school to help with sending my brothers their and I eventually went to an all girls private middle and high school. I would say growing up we was working middle class. My parents worked very hard to give us educational opportunities and because of that I am where I am today. I still believe we are in middle class but I do think my parents have moved to more upper middle class because of their hard work. I do not think that it was only because they worked hard but it was because they had a plan and had opportunities to do so. I think that part of class and the class that people will become when their older can also be influenced by the opportunities that their parents have given them. I was fortunate enough that my parents could give me opportunities in order to be successful.
Jenn O'Brien
I am gobbling up all your comments on blogger - keep em coming!
ReplyDeleteTo chime in, during my talks in LA yesterday about the black and white markets of human capital, one man posed this question to me: "Is there really a difference in classes or simply people who want to do different jobs and have different kinds of lives?" This speaks a bit to what Esther was writing, but in a different way. What do you think? How would you have responded? What does "People Like Us" make you think about how conscious and agentive our class-based practices are?
"Is there really a difference in classes or simply people who want to do different jobs and have different kinds of lives?" This question infuriates me slightly. It immediately made me think of the women from "People Like Us" who walked ten miles to work (in the pouring rain) at Burger King. I would ask the man, "Do you think she wants to work at BK, walk there every day, and live in a beaten up trailer with her four kids (I think she had four)? Do you think that was the life that she envisioned?" OR "Do you think that this is all she knows?" This woman did not seem to have anyone or anything to "guide" her in the direction of attaining anything better than what she had...but it makes me wonder, how did one of her sons become so driven? Why does he want to go to college? Make a better life for himself? What motivates him?
DeleteI forget who said this in "People Like Us," but it stuck out to me: "Not satisfied with our class...we can change it." The notion of "class" confuses me, as it seems to confuse many of my classmates. My mother was the first in our family to complete college, only one to attain a Masters degree (in education), the only all-around successful person in our family. I ask her all of the time how she did it, but she just says, "I was lucky. I was lucky to have teachers and professors who took a liking to me and steered me in the right direction." Is that what this class system is all about? Luck? If the woman who worked at BK and lived in a trailer had someone to motivate her to become better educated, would she?
So many questions...
^^^ Monica Cioffi ^^^
DeleteJenn O'Brien's comment, "Just like the American Dream being an illusion, class is almost the same thing, an illusion, something we created in our society to somehow make people feel good or bad about where they have come from," really resonated with me, and I truly believe she has hit the nail on the head, so to speak. I found that "People Like Us" only served to confuse this idea, however. Instead of feeling good about where you came from, "People Like Us" seemed to portray that nobody felt good about their background. Either you were too poor, too rich, or somewhere in between. At the end of the documentary, I not only felt guilty about where I come from, but that I was forever stuck in this "class" in society - one that apparently is full of privilege - though I'm not sure I would look at it that way. Each class, each family, each person has issues, but also has some success.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary focused partially on the idea that one cannot change social classes successfully. This is something I have always found interesting. Popular culture likes to make noise when it comes to stories where someone has gone from nothing to a lot of something. Athletes and government officials usually reside in a big, bright spotlight. I spoke to my dad about this, part of the reason my blog is a few minutes late, because he grew up in a tiny house, on route 9 in Newton. He worked from a very young age, only applied to schools that would give him a full ride for basketball, and continued to work throughout his years at Tufts. My mom was much the same, dropping out of college at 19 when her mother died of MS and her father took off with her 9 year old brother to Texas - probably to run from the hospital costs. She got a job at the Capital in Washington, DC with help from a professor, and finished her B.A. at 39 with me in a snuggly on her chest. You would never know the hardships they faced growing up looking at them now. I live in a very affluent, Massachusetts town, my dad drives a BMW he received as a "gift", my mom a brand new Lexus, and both my sister and I drive our own, yet exact same Jeep Liberty. However, when talking to my family, you would never know how well off my parents are. Hell, I laughed one day when I found out how much my father makes in a year, I thought he was kidding! Perhaps because of his roots, my father still spends frugally, and my sister and I work for what we have - nothing is handed to us. I feel a sense of pride because, while I know my parents could take complete care of my financially, I am never just given a few bucks for the hell of it, I work for everything. In "People Like Us" the girls interviewed while playing pool, or the group of four girls interviewed outside are, I believe, those extremes who sociologist tend to study. I would be interested what would happen if one of the researchers chose to interview me.
In line with question 3, I fully agree with Annie Isaacs' comment about how the financial support of the parents of the various groups of girls in the movie is somewhat exaggerated and extreme. They obviously view themselves in a class above most people because they feel privileged in most regards. I, like Annie, have worked for everything I have, am paying my own way through grad school, as I did for my undergrad. Yes, I do drive a car from my parents, but they have never bought me my own car just because I asked. I drive a car that they no longer use, but to be clear, they make sure to tell me that it is their car. The girls in the movie, obviously have a sense of what they believe the class structure to be, even if they won't admit to it. The fact that they all claim to "pay for their own gas" attests to this. The cars that they drive don't come cheap, they were all fairly good size SUVs.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I connected immediately with Joe Queenan's commentary on the shopping system in the United States among the various class levels. Although it was quite humorous as intended, he also made a very strong point. Although I believe that people are fairly split as to whether the United States is egalitarian or made up of a sizeable middle class, Queenan's dissection of the various stores and products within them definitely struck a cord with me as to how people view the class structure within our society. Although we are all receiving ultimately the same products when we shop, if one has a fancier label, or an unintelligible name on the front, certain people will be drawn to it because they feel it says something about their status within society. Personally, although I consider myself middle class, would rarely splurge on something expensive just because it was fancier than store brand. I shop sales and if I can find the same quality product that is less expensive, I will go for it 10 times out of 10.
In response to what Leigh posted about a class difference or rather a job difference, I think there is a difference. I think this is demonstrated strongly by Dana Felty in the documentary. She was considered by others to be "Gettin' above your raisin'" because she left home to search for a "better" career. She did not associate with that, and rather considered herself to be simply pursuing a job she loved that was not available to her in her home town. I think this attests not only to this idea of people who want to have different lives rather than climbing the social ladder, but it also demonstrates the various lifestyles across the country. She was from a small town in Kentucky where it was viewed as an "act of cultural defiance" to leave, even for college. Where I grew up, in Connecticut, my peers and I were applauded for leaving for school (I did my undergrad in Pittsburgh), and most of my graduating class did leave. I think that this difference in attitude is a big separation in the views of various parts of the country, and especially the type of location where one is situated.
Class is something my family always talked up growing up. I grew up in South Los Angeles (used to be referred as South Central LA, but because that name was always in the news for some horrible crime, they wanted to give them a clean slate). They always reminded us that we use to be poor and that in El Salvador they had nothing so we need to be grateful for what we have now. If you asked my parents now what class they belong to they would proudly say “middle class” and share with you all the struggles to get to there. Watching “People Like Us”, especially about the girl who moved to DC to peruse her career and felt like her family thought she was ashamed of them really hit home. At 18 I left Los Angeles, being the first to go to college and opting to live 6 hours away was huge controversy at home. Everyone in my family told me the same thing “are you trying to run away from us?” “you could get the same education here than in SF but you must be ashamed of living here”. Then moving from SF to Boston was even more criticism, reminding me that I was going to feel left out and out of place, where communities were not 95% Latinos and didn’t understand our “struggle”. I let all of their negative thoughts and assumption affect my first semester at BC. I found myself never speaking in class because I “don’t belong” and even went to my advisor to tell her that I wasn’t at the BC level of learning.
ReplyDeleteLike other classmates I feel that class is a mindset, and I bought into. Once you think you belong into a certain class, it comes with a role you often times play into. Some of the older generations try to tell the younger members of their families that they have no other choice but to play the role you were born into, which is not the case. Its great to hear that my peers feel that social class is a mindset and that you are not trapped in a certain level. I would like to see that same video done speaking with people of my age or in 10 years from now.
This documentary really made me think about my own class background and how this has shaped my life – past and present. I grew up in a suburban city outside of Boston with my two sisters and two hard working parents. We were and still are what people consider middle class. My sisters and I attended public schools and have all graduated (undergrad) from Boston College. My Dad has worked at BC for 30+ years and we were able to take advantage of the tuition remission benefit that BC provides its employees. Growing up, my sisters and I knew we had two options for college – work REALLY hard and hope you get accepted to BC or go to a state school. Those were the options.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I thought about class until I got to BC. The people I met and encountered at college were a lot different than those back home. I often felt like I didn’t fit in with my own group of friends because of materialistic things like cars, clothes, money, etc. I eventually got over this; I think it was a lot to take on as a young woman in a new situation. I have noticed that my sisters and I all reacted differently to be put in a situation where you among different social classes. For example, my older sister is a Doctor living in NYC. I often find her acting very embarrassed of my parents. She is often horrified when my parents meet new people because of their Boston accents, the way they dress, or even the restaurant we choose to go to for dinner. She has worked extremely hard to get where she is today so I don’t want to take that away from her but I hope she doesn’t forget where she comes from.
I really resonate with some of the things that Esther is saying. When I was reflecting on all the elements that people seemed to consider when looking at social class, the overarching theme seemed to come down to one thing; human behavior.
ReplyDeleteSome may think that money is what determines social class, but I think money is in it’s own category. When someone hits the lottery, or goes bankrupt, it doesn’t necessarily change their “class”. Class is determined by those who want to view it that way, and subsequent behavior is a choice.
As I consider the question proposed above by Leigh, I keep coming back to “Tammy’s story”. Tammy spoke about wanting to get her life “moving”, and I wonder how, or if, that would have changed things for her. When you look at Tammy’s commentary, and her decision to move from welfare to Burger King, you can see that she wasn’t concerned about social class, or how she was being viewed, but rather how she felt about her life as an individual.
What I really saw coming out in the film, was the difference between people who could settle with not having everything they want, and people who could. If you want to be a part of a class-system then you can, and if you want to view yourself as an individual then you can.
If social class is pre-determined, then whom is it pre-determined by? It is a construct of human belief and behavior; so if it is our choice to buy into this belief, then it all must be an illusion that we have created.
I don’t recall ever having discussions about class – at least through high school where class divisions seemed to be everywhere. I’m a first generation private school and college student. Through most of my adolescent and adult life, I have been surrounded by unimaginable wealth. I attended an exceptionally under-resourced middle school, and worked hard enough to earn a full scholarship to one of the best private high schools in Los Angeles. Subsequently, I attended one of the most expensive colleges in the country (again, on a scholarship), and now find myself in this graduate program in another affluent academic community. As a professional, I have worked at boarding schools and private schools where the tuition hovers around $40K per year. Needless to say, for an individual who grew up in the “lower class”, finding myself in these circles has been eye opening and sobering on many fronts.
ReplyDeleteI’ve worked pretty hard to climb out of the class my parents were labeled – but I’ve also been fortunate- so I believe it is possible to rise up the social ladder – perhaps not at the Hamptons level – but it is possible to improve one’s lot in life. I agree most of us “fear criticism,” and it certainly doesn’t help that the media makes it easier for us to feel more self-conscious. The “permanent high school” we seem to inhabit is exacerbated by our perpetual need for instant gratification and “the desire in this country to be perceived a step ahead.” Class is a lot about attitude and personality – it’s also about confidence. Yes, money is important and likely the most significant factor in determining class, but there’s so much more. The stories in the film are very real but I also feel they are extremes. There are grave prejudices in our country around class and the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest is widening - but there is also a lot of generosity from the upper class that gets overlooked. I appreciate Maureen’s comments and reference to Sherman Alexie and his story. I was extremely fortunate to have had a conversation with Mr. Alexie at a conference a few years back where he was a keynote speaker (You guys should definitely read “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” – it’s a great book). I shared how much I agreed with him on the notion of the American Dream. As is the case with Alexie, through connections, luck, and “being at the right place at the right time” I caught my breaks and found opportunities to move ahead. Hard work does pay off, but a little help along the way can make that work go a longer distance. The film presented powerful and uncomfortable questions on social class, a topic many of us hesitate speaking openly about. I hope this is a starting point for some candid conversations in our course.
Having watched this documentary before, and reflected on my assumptions about class, access and privilege, I decided to add a different take that's embedded in the night life activities I do ; clubbing. Every club in Boston promotes a different kind of night and atmosphere to attract a certain crowd. I've become interested in club promoter's advertisement of "class" in their flyers and the way class is defined, by how "upscale" you look. For example in the Boston area there are "Latin Night" promoters that cater to the Latin community by playing a mix of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Hip-Hop and House on some nights.
ReplyDeleteThis is how they promote it view flyer here: http://bit.ly/WtAkrh Pay attention to their tag line " where sexiness meets quality" what's that really. So I kept digging for an explanation because I want to meet my "sexiness" with the quality standard. They instruct for "appropriate" attire. No baggy jeans, sneakers hats and they mention that they are subject to exclude people from entering. I find this fascinating. Similar to the documentary themes of class self-reflection and reality. The nightlife scene caters to people identifying which club they will attend depending on the "classiness" or "rachetness" (new word to describe anything "ghetto" or "hood" ) of the crowd. I want to develop this further, but this documentary brought these ideas up, I want to develop.
Click here for an explanation of "rachetness' http://bit.ly/10YYYYt "Ratchet-Girl Anthem"
As many people have pointed out, "People Like Us" highlights the dichotomy between race and class in America. What this documentary really got me thinking about is how words are classed. I think that in the film, the use of the word "ghetto" is representative of mainstream society's perception of black culture; a decade after this film was made, black culture continues to be synonymous with ghetto culture. Only once can I recall "ghetto" being used in reference to segregated groups. Every other time "ghetto" is used to describe a perceived black lifestyle, a counter culture of what is thought to be "preppy" and white (and therefore right and proper). The word has gone beyond relating to one's geographical location to indicate one's social situation.
DeleteI started thinking about the colloquialisms we associate with black culture, and how their disparaging connotations have become indicative of a low class or déclassé lifestyle, e.g., "bling bling" (ostentatious displays of wealth), "thug life" (gang violence), "baby mamma/daddy" (illegitimate children). A fundamental of propaganda is to slide your premise by people without them ever questioning its validity. Before, I simply associated "cash money" with a large quantity of money. Thinking it out now, however, in today's economy, money is rarely kept or exchanged in its cash form. In the context of ghetto culture, "cash money" would indirectly refer to economic capital gained through illegal means such as selling drugs, prostitution or theft. Although I feel that I am a “racially conscious” person, these terms are in my vocabulary. In correlation with the meritocracy myth, the fact that the majority of blacks remain in the inner city, or ghetto, is testament to racist ideology. (I mean, the Jews got out of the ghetto, why can't black people?) Yet, as one interviewee points out, "In order to get up by your boot straps, you have to have boots first." I believe that knowledge gives an individual those boots. As educators we must offer a counter narrative to society's unquestioned assumptions.
Everyone has provided some fascinating insight about the documentary. I really appreciated the film and the different approaches to such tricky subjects of class, race, etc. One thing I might add is that it seems the film drew attention to class distinctions that I may not have paid attention to before. It is imperative that we all have a holistic sense of our selves, and unfortunately trivial distinctions such as class carry far more weight than other elements of the self that are more important. Having said this, I come from a upper middle class, white upbringing and have the privilege, one might say, to pay more attention to what I think is important in growing into one's self, besides social class. In other words, I may not be entitled to call class trivial when many people's position in social class dictates their everyday lives, such as the girl from Kentucky and the woman from Ohio who works at Burger King.
ReplyDeleteI think Christa brought up a valuable point when she said, "What I really saw coming out in the film, was the difference between people who could settle with not having everything they want, and people who could. If you want to be a part of a class-system then you can, and if you want to view yourself as an individual then you can." I don't think it is as black and white as mentioned here (although I am guessing she was not intending to break the film down into strictly these distinctions); however, it is productive to break this sort of concept down into simpler terms for the sake of moving forward as a society. It would be a better world if people regarded social class as a choice based on behavior and attitudes, as opposed to something predetermined or set in stone. I have no idea if there is a way in which such as drastic shift in conceptualizing social class is possible, although this approach seems to be a valuable, crucial message People Like Us was trying to address.
In commenting on what Jennifer said, I'm not sure that I would consider class as "trivial distinctions" but I find myself intrigued by the idea of people having a "holistic sense of our selves" and how individuals view themselves. In the documentary, there was such a wide range of people who considered themselves part of the "middle class" that I'm not sure what the parameters are to allow someone to be defined as such. I have heard terms like "upper" or "lower" middle class but I think all of these definitions depend on the context in which someone is asked to define their status and who they are trying to impress. For example, a very wealthy person conversing with a person of lesser money may refer to themselves as "upper middle class" in order to look humble and try to fit in with the other person. The same goes in the opposite direction, where a poor person may try to dress their best and talk like someone who has more money, like the boy in the movie whose mother worked at Burger King. He was embarrassed of her and thus didn't want to have any friends over. In a world where everyone is trying to please others and be accepted in society, being in the "middle class" is a safe area to define one's self when conversing and comparing with others.
DeleteThe boy whose mother worked at Burger King was one of the most interesting stories to me in the movie. His view of himself was so drastically different than his mother's and he had aspirations to move up and out of his social class. On one hand, it was heartbreaking to see his mother walking something like 10 miles to and from Burger King each day in the rain and to not want better for herself. On the other hand, I couldn't help but think that when the boy grows up, he may take on the same attitude and outlook on life that his mother has. Not bitter, but just accepting of what has been given to him and doing what he can to get by.
I do think it is important to be aware of oneself and to have realistic goals in life, it's just unfortunate that it's mostly young individuals that have the spirit and drive to want to get out of their social class. The older you get, the more secure or accepting a person becomes of their social class and unaware of any other classes being attainable to relatable. The question I am still wondering about is whether the term "middle class" is used to justify to others one's place in social ranks or to convince themselves that they are where they should be in life. To me, middle class means having what you need to get by and being able to provide for yourself and your desires comfortably. I think if someone is able to do that, regardless of what they consider necessary to live comfortably, then they are part of the middle class. People should still have aspirations, but I think that as long as they are content in how they are living then they can proudly call themselves a member of the middle class. Social classes are so up in the air with what qualifies someone to be in a certain class, that the label comes from how people view themselves and their satisfaction in life.
One aspect of class that I’ve always found interesting is that when class is discussed, we frequently talk about people (particularly adolescent/young adult) aspirations of moving up in class. However, we very rarely discuss the possibility of moving down in class and how that occurs. While class does not have to do solely with money, “People Like Us” made it clear that money is certainly a large factor. Living in Beverly, a town on the North Shore of Boston that has residents from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, it was impossible for me not to have a pretty good (although unspoken) understanding of class for most of my life. When the economy started doing poorly several years ago and people in a variety of industries lost their jobs, the amount of cars and houses for sale indicated that many families could no longer afford typical markers of middle class life, particularly owning two cars and an apartment or house of their own. Many “middle class” families moved to a situation of two parents sharing a car and renting a home or apartment. However, I am nearly certain that all families, when asked, would continue to station themselves in the middle class, because as “People Like Us” explained, we have been socialized to feel most comfortable with that category since we live in what pretends to be a classless society.
DeleteWhen I think of my own understanding of class, I always think back to a conversation with one of my aunts when I was in high school. Her husband drives a Pepsi truck and she is a full-time careworker for elderly individuals. Her ten year old daughter asked her if they were rich, and she explained “no, we’re just workers. We’re working class.” She told the story not deliberately trying to have a conversation about class with me, but only because she thought it was funny that her daughter asked that question. What strikes me as most interesting in my aunt’s classification is the impact of the environment on one’s understanding of their social class. My aunt’s family lives in what is considered a working class city on Long Island. However, if my aunt’s family lived in Beverly, where most residents consider themselves middle class, I am nearly certain that she would classify herself as middle class, given the same profession, income, education, etc.
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ReplyDeleteI very much disagree that class is frame of mind, or decision. The United States is a child of England, which as the Meritocracy Myth article pointed out, had a distinct nobility. Since day one, this nation provided for political distinctions between landowners, non landowners, African descended people and others. Continued economic and racial segregation that followed has developed distinct cultures, which further separated the groups . The stratification of the groups' relative political, economic and cultural capitol is what makes them classes. I believe that one simplification of the movie was how class phenomena were portrayed as relatively fixed. How class is manifested in our complex society depends on the place and time. For a very simple example, we may feel more similar to one another on campus then if we were to go to another person's home, where their bread is. :) What is more fixed is the amount of agency a person has. I understand class as the intersection of a. what choices a person makes and how they are informed and b. what choices a person CAN make.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I am bothered by statements about "hard work" which imply that people that don't have are not working hard. Hard work will put anybody in a better place than if they did not work hard. But we know that hard work is only part of the equation. Who you know, and their relative positions of power, is another. This is class. Stratified social classes continue to exist long after measures of equality under the law were taken. This is related to our conversation about our system of schooling, which reproduces our society generation after generation. It is also a result of the decisions of those at the top, those in power, those who make policies, similar to our founding fathers.
I agree with Julie about how class is not just a frame of mind, but rather a physical part of society. Through out the United States and the world, society has been constructed in a way that there are groups of people, who are held in higher esteem than others. In Medieval Europe, there was the feudal system. In the South of the United States, there was the plantation system. In India, there is the caste system. However, I do disagree with Julie’s idea that the barriers between different levels of society are fairly flexible. While there are many individuals who are able to achieve success and to change classes, they seem to be the exception to the rule, rather than the rule. The same applies to those who are not as successful. However, these numbers are obscured by the fact that most of the United States wants to be a part of the middle class. People are comfortable with what they know, so rather than go beyond that, they just label themselves as being a part of that class.
DeleteI have seen this in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts, all states that I have lived in. Despite regional, economic differences, both areas largely claim to be middle class. Growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut, people that owned McMansions, drove expensive SUVs, and went to the club viewed themselves as middle class. Moving to Maine as a teenager, people that owned dilapidated houses, driving trucks on their last legs, and went to the YMCA viewed themselves as middle class. Going to Boston College, students that own expensive clothes and have no qualms about spending money view themselves as middle class. In the places that I have lived, everyone seems to be comfortable with their roots and to base their financial and social standing on of the people around them. If everyone seems just like me, then I must be the norm, and I must be middle class. Yet, this cannot be the case because there are obvious distinctions between all of these levels. They all fall into different levels of society.
Julie explains, “Stratified social classes continue to exist long after measures of equality under the law were taken.” I agree with this statement, but most people live in denial day-after-day not wanting to acknowledge that we are not all truly in the middle. “People Like Us” reflected that because many people were living in denial refusing to accept the reality of the situation. We may be in the same boat (the United States), but those people in steerage cannot afford to be in first-class (or second-class for that matter).
One of the most interesting quotes from the film for me was when a woman (I believe she was African American?) said, "The most important thing is not getting ahead, the most important thing is staying where you are..." I'm reading the comments above and I don't believe anyone has pointed this out specifically. I know Julie (above) mentions the white bread conundrum, but this quote for me sums up class.
ReplyDeleteI think this view of class is a double-edged sword. In one way, we are creatures of habit, and - as the vignette about white bread in Vermont illustrates - people are hesitant (scared?) to change, for fear that any change, albeit a small one, can have great impact on their class, social standing, and perception.
While this may seem to contradict my point, the film also briefly mentions lottery tickets as a means for people in the lower or working classes to move "up" in the social/class hierarchy. It shows a possibly incorrect assumption that class is simply about money; I would argue that it also involves your social circle, the context in which you were raised, your schooling (there it is!), etc. I live in East Boston, and I see scratched-off lottery tickets everywhere - on the streets, in trash bins, in hands on the T. I don't know who wins ever, but I suspect that the act of playing the lottery has more to do with hope than realistic expectation. I also wonder how much of a true impact on class winning would have. Would a resident of East Boston simply move out of the neighborhood, forsaking their family, their connections, their lives? Would anyone for that matter? Or would white bread still show up in the shopping cart because that's what the winner knows?
Back to the quote. On the other side, this woman implies an understanding that we also don't want others to move out of their class into another. I think in general, we fear that our tribes will be "poisoned" by the unfamiliar, by those who are not as we are. Would they steal whatever cultural capital we have (and I use "we" to describe people of ALL class levels)? Would they forever change what it means to identify by our current class?
While class itself cannot be easily defined as money alone, or a state of mind alone, or really a simple equation of various factors, I agree that what IS most important when talking about class is why we say we want change and that we want access, but then we just won't let it happen or truly encourage it to happen. Habit? Fear? Power? Hate?
Having seen this film a few times, I am still struck by how I feel after watching it. As others have said above, this film reinforces my belief that it is incredibly difficult to move between social classes despite what the American Dream perpetuates. You are born into a particular family with a certain set of assets and struggles. These assets and struggles define you at least until you move out to start your own life. But even then, your class still plays a vital role. If your parents can afford to help get you on your feet, you will have an easier time adapting. If you must pay for everything yourself (health insurance, car insurance, student loans, rent, utilities, etc.), you can't even start to save money. Those who live paycheck to paycheck cannot get out that cycle, barring extenuating circumstances, and this keeps people in their current class.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting aspect of class is that it is often a hidden characteristic. Particularly at BC, it is often easy to walk around campus and have your passersby assume that you fit a particular class. Many assume that because you were accepted and came to this school and can articulate your thoughts well in a classroom that you belong to a higher class. Many students here, however, receive a substantial amount of aid in order to be here. In environments with a "majority" class, those in lower classes can often blend in easily on the surface. Oftentimes, those in higher classes use their wealth to visually convey class (wearing expensive or designer name brands) while lower classes don't necessarily convey class at all.
While many Americans would like to believe that classes do not exist in our country, this is a difficult belief to uphold. When important decisions are dictated or heavily influenced because of a person's socio-economic status and/or race on a daily basis, how can we say that America is classless?
In “People Like Us,” one of the interviewees said that Americans are reluctant to talk about class because the idea of a rigid (or even permeable) class system is against American principles and values. Another pundit stated that it is hard for Americans to acknowledge class because if there are social classes in a society, then inequality must be functioning to some extent.
ReplyDeleteI think that the attitudes that these pundits are expressing are still very prevalent in the collective American imagination today. I think that most Americans are taught from a very young age that America is a society with little or no class distinction, one that awards merit with success. This idea is reinforced by American literature and the history lessons that inform young American minds. From Gatsby to the frontier romances to lessons on the Declaration of Independence, the myths of the American dream, the self-made mind, and the egalitarian ideals upon which this country was founded are prevalent in the forefront of the American imagination and are very difficult to shake, especially in the minds of young people who enjoy even moderate class privilege in their everyday lives and who don’t get much exposure to individuals who lead very different lives than their own.
I think class difference and inequality becomes even more difficult to notice in largely homogeneous communities, like many of the ones we saw in the film, where there is little opportunity to observe social class in action in America. As the movie noted, most people tend to separate from people who aren’t like themselves and flock to those who are similar, particularly in regards to social class. Therefore, they are rarely exposed to individuals who come from very different backgrounds and cannot grow to understand them and why they are in the position that they are in.
This video certainly made me reflect on my own class background and how it has informed my own upbringing and experiences. I come from a white, middle class family in the suburbs of Massachusetts and have enjoyed a life of relative privilege, but during my lifetime, I have felt like I had to pass for another social class. I attended a small, private Catholic school for elementary school and a slightly larger, regional Catholic high school. My mother was the daughter of blue collar, immigrant parents, and she had me when she was only 19. I grew up on food stamps living in my grandparents’ house. My mom was a single teenage mother, still putting herself through school while she was raising me, and money was often tight for us. My past on governmental assistance was something that was very shameful to me growing up and even throughout high school, especially since I was attending school with children from upper middle class families who were very conservative and had very negative attitudes towards welfare. Looking back, I realize that from an early age, I was socialized to feel shame about my class background. From what everyone around me was saying, people on welfare were lazy and were out to steal the government’s money, and I was surely never going to let on to anyone about my financial situation or my personal history on food stamps and governmental assistance. I learned quite early how to posture like I was from a different social class, begging my mother to buy me brand name clothes and give me money for the movies. Although our financial situation began to change in middle school, I was still sure to keep my past a secret from my friends. It wasn’t until high school that I became more aware of race and class difference and began to meet more people that weren’t upper middle class, white, suburban kids. I began to take more sociology courses and learned about the inequalities that operate in our society and help create this seemingly “invisible” class system in our country. I am no longer ashamed of my social class or my past on welfare, and I’m beginning to learn about the social influences that shaped how I view my own history and class in general in America from a young age.
I would first like to respond to a comment by Christa:
ReplyDelete"Some may think that money is what determines social class, but I think money is in it’s own category. When someone hits the lottery, or goes bankrupt, it doesn’t necessarily change their “class”. Class is determined by those who want to view it that way, and subsequent behavior is a choice."
What a great point. I typically tend to think about social class in terms of "money and...," meaning that money is one part of the "classing process" and there's that "something else" that I'm unable to put my finger on. What is that something else? I may never know, but you made a great point of illustrating that money doesn't even have to be a part of the whole class scheme. The very wealthy upper-class who go bankrupt (first of all hardly ever go all the way bankrupt) are rarely considered lower class. Similarly, to reference a pop culture phenomenon (sorry), the members of the Thompson family of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" often refer to themselves as rednecks, but they aren't being filmed for nothing. I'm not sure how much the family makes per episode, but "Mama June" has gone on record saying that the money goes directly into trusts for the children. According to Dailymail.co.uk, Mama June said, "'You're never gonna see me drive a Range Rover or a Mercedes. I'll drive one if someone else pays for it. Never gonna live above my means." Does this make the family upper class? Or just the daughters? Does their background or hometown prevent them from becoming upper class? Is Mama June's pride on the matter a reflection of her own classed upbringing? These are just some questions I have that I don't know if I'll ever be able to answer.
In response to question #3, I used to think of my father as an individual who exemplified the "American Dream." My grandmother dropped out of college to have him and his three younger brothers, got divorced and lived as a single parent with four sons (one of which had Down's Syndrome), returned to BC to get her nursing degree, and remarried to a man with six children. My father grew up in a converted barn with nine siblings. He earned a full scholarship to an all boys Catholic high school and took out loans for college and medical school. He is now a respected surgeon and a really cool guy. Lately, I wonder what, besides his obvious hard work and dedication, which did play a significant role, helped my father succeed as a young man and adult? He was born into a college-educated family that valued education. His family is white and Catholic. His uncle coached at his high school. His grandfather attended his alma mater. All these factors contribute to his own success, and while I am sincerely glad they did, I wonder how life may have been different for me if he had not been born white, male, Catholic (both his secondary and college years were spent at Catholic institutions) or with college legacy.