Class in America 2003

[Nicole MNick MZach M]

1.)What social class would you consider yourself to be in (Upper, Middle, or Lower)? How has your class affected what friends you have, where you live, your education, and ultimately your life expectations?

2.)Do you believe that certain gender/races influence what social class they belong to and/or prevent them from going up or down on the social ladder?

3.)Has someone’s appearance ever altered the way you perceived them from a class and economic standpoint?

4.)Do you think people talk about “Upper, Lower and Middle classes” or as Mantsios stated, “Class is not discussed or debated in public because class identity has been stripped from popular culture (p308).”

[Jenna D]

1.) I guess I would consider myself or my family to be in the middle working class due to the money figures that were discussed in class. In a way, my class has influenced what friends I have because of where I live. Since I live in a decent neighborhood, and proximity affects and determines a lot of what friends you make, I grew up and became good friends with a lot of kids that fall in my same class. I wasn't really exposed to a lot of kids that were very poor or living in poverty growing up so I was never close with them. However, when I got to high school, I made friends that were from different backgrounds. My class probably had an effect on my education. If I would have lived closer to the city, which is only a matter of about 4 miles, I could have gone to city school and their education system is not rated well at all. My school was public though and I didn't go to a private school that you needed to pay tuition for - that may have broken the bank a bit. I view myself as very lucky because I did have very many opportunities growing up how and where I did. My family always had some money so that I could have many diffferent experiences that many other kids couldn't have because they couldn't afford it. But I would not say that we were anywhere close to rich, I think my parents just saved money for activities/camps/vacations that would help me grow instead of spending it on material things that represent status. We allocated our money in different ways.
2.) I think gender and race can really influence social class. After reading the article, black females have a 1 in 3 chance of being poor in America. Also, speaking from personal experience, where I went to school it was about 50/50 with black people and white people. I saw a lot of the black students were not encouraged or challenged in school and they lacked a lot of support most of the time so I have no doubt that it's probably harder for them to work their way up the social ladder because all people need someone to believe in them and offer encouragements. If a person doesn't see their potential and thinks they'll never succeed, it could start a self-fulfilling prophecy. Alex did point out something very significant in class though, poor white people seem to be invisible in society because many people do relate being poor to being a member of a different race. There are a lot of poor white people though and no one really stops to examine that point.
3.) This is embarrassing to say, but sometimes I have seen people out in public with ratty clothes on, their hair unkempt, and I think to myself that they must not have a lot of money or they must not have the resources to dress professionally or even casually for that matter. But now that I think about it, maybe these people that I see just don't care as much about their appearance, or maybe they're just having a bad day. What someone wears does not 100% determine their class in any means.
4.) I believe that some people talk about class referring to upper, lower, and middle - but definitely not a lot. And the people belonging to the upper class, don't think it's "upper class" of them to even use the term upper class. But I do agree with Mantsios when he states that class is not discussed but maybe not because its identity has been stripped away from popular culture...maybe it's just because Americans don't want to discuss class because sometimes it can get to be uncomfortable. And, when it's really looked at deeply on a nationally level, it's almost unsettling how class is broken down and who owns most of the wealth. It's incredibly uneven and maybe we don't want to admit that there might be a problem let alone figure out a resolution to that problem.

[ltusar]

1). I believe I belong to the middle class; I am not extremely rich or very poor. Because of my family's economic status, I live in a decent neighborhood & have made friends who have about the same financial status as my family. I live in a suburban neighborhood about 20 mintues outside of Philadelphia, so there is a decent sized population, thus my high school has over a thousand students. Because most people in my area have decent jobs, they understand the importance of education & instill this in their children. Most of my friends have the same values as me, and were very good students. All of my friends went to college & expect to achieve their life goals & obtain their desired career. Most of us have positive outlooks on life because we were raised by parents who are successful, and from that example we expect to be successful as well. I went to a public school & received a great education, & that helped me get into Penn State.

[Warner]

1) I would consider myself to be slightly above middle class but ever since my mom was unable to return to work because of a medical condition my family has become more strictly middle class. Since only one of my parents can work, we must be more careful about our spending in order to ensure that we can live comfortably in the future. Class has certainly had influences on my life. I went to a private Catholic high school. Those who could not afford this school had to attend the public school, which just hoped that the majority of the class would actually graduate. As this school’s daycare shows, many graduated with children and then could not further their education. I also had friends who left the area in order to attend prestigious prep schools. Though I would say we were all at the same intelligence level as children, they now go to Ivy league schools; I consider Penn State to be a strong university but I feel like I’m playing catch-up because of my average high school education. If I had come from a different economic background, it certainly would have impacted where I lived, who I hung out with, and the kind of education that I received. My parents always realized the importance of an education. My mom did not originally go to college but then she went to community college and worked her way up to medical school. Since my parents understand the opportunities and satisfaction that an education can bring, it has always been a top priority in my home. Even though I did not attend a prep school I still went to the best high school my area could offer. There were many others who went to my high school who did not come from a strong economic background, but their parents too realized the importance of an education even if it was a financial sacrifice.
2) I wish this wasn’t true, but yes I think that gender and race certainly affect careers and social classes. Our country has come a long way, but we haven’t come far enough. Flip through a magazine or turn on the television and look at all of the advertisements that show only women in the kitchen or cleaning the house, while men are in business suits holding brief cases.
3) Yes and No. As the reading mentioned it is harder to distinguish different social classes based on appearance. Although, if two people were to walk into a clothing store, one sloppily dressed while the other is wrinkle-free and trendy, I’m sure you could guess who the sales manager would approach first.
4) It wasn’t something I had ever really thought of before reading this. I then started realizing that I have rarely mentioned “upper” or “lower class” unless I’m referring to something historical. I agree with Jenna. Class is an uncomfortable subject for people to talk about so they try to be as discreet as possible, making sure not to offend anyone, which is exactly why “middle class” is more commonly used––it appeals to the broadest audience and seems to diminish class differences.

[Vicki P]

1. Without going into what social class I would consider myself to belong to, I do believe that the social class you are in has a great impact on your friends, where you live, your education, and ultimately where you will end up in life. When you grow up you are financially dependent upon your parents and their financial wealth will determine your starting class. Although there are some people who have beat the odds and risen out of poverty as very successful and financially content people, this minority of people does not represent our society as a whole. Realistically, a family's income will determine where they live. Poorer areas simply do not have the funds needed to pay teachers with extensive training, therefore the children attending schools in those areas suffer from lower education standards. Without a strong knowledge of basic education it is nearly impossible for students to flourish by themselves without the help of well trained educators. Another aspect of the education system is that is teachers do not feel as though their students care enough to learn, they will also not care about teaching their students. Although there may be a group of select students who do make the grades to continue into higher education, they must work ten times harder than children who were brought up with extraordinary teachers who provided them with extensive knowledge to be successful. And even if students who make the grades to be accepted in college decide they would like to go to college, how would they pay for that education? Children that come from wealthier families tend to have parents that push them to be successful and make a living for themselves regardless of how much money it may cost. However, children who have parents that never went to college and ended up in a poor neighborhood might not receive the same support and do not have the funds to pay for college by themselves. These individuals can and do get left behind the pack. Ultimately the salary of a student who attended college and did not attend college is varies greatly and this will in turn determine a person's overall life expectations. Therefore, I do believe that a person's starting class determines who they will become later in life, unless of course they are lucky and beat the odds.

[Brittany Ledgin]

1. I think that I belong to the middle class. I live in a nice area on Long Island, but it is mostly middle class. We have some rich and some poor, but for the most part it is in the middle. Everyone's family is pretty much the same - both parents work, and they have brothers or sisters, and we all come from families of two or three kids. It is a suburban area, and all of our homes are generally the same size, and we have the same financial status. As far as education goes, there is a wide range. We have people from my high school every year who apply to the ivy league schools, and the west coast schools that are really good as well. However, we have a community college (known as 13th grade) that a lot of people in my town go to. Some people go to save money, but a lot go because they never tried in school and cannot get in anywhere else. A lot of people ended up dropping out and most of them do not work. However, the people who have remained in the community college all have jobs and are working to pay for school when they go away either next year or the year after that. For the most part, however, everyone is very ambitious from my town. I guess it is because we all came from a nice town and would love to live in the same type of area that we grew up in after college. Most people from my town end up in big 10 schools, and state schools. Now that the SUNY schools are getting better, more people go there also. We come from families who are fairly successful, so that set a good example for (most of) us.

[Seyi Ajayi]

1) I would consider myself to be in middle class. I think my class has affected my education and where I have lived. Untill 10th grade I had only attended private schools and lived in nicer neighborhoods. This has, in turn, led me to be friends with other people who where in the same situation. My life expectations, I feel, are also to go to college, get a degree, and get a high-paying job. I feel that these expectations are because my parents have achieved these things, and therefore expectations are placed on me to do the same things.
2) I believe that gender and race are less and less influencing what social class people belong to. I believe that in America no matter what race or gender you are, you are still given at least an opportunity to raise your social standing, especially if you grow up in a loving family.
4) I don't believe that people talk about the different classes as much because most people interact with people from their own classes anyways so this would be a pointless discussion.

[Breyana Gibson]

1. When considering what class I consider myself, I guess that would depend on what household I live in. If considering the combination on my mother and father's salaries combined, I guess you could say that we are middle class, but they are no longer together so that's considered two separate households. My mother is a single parent of four, and though she has a good job that pays well and takes care of our living expenses as well as extracurriculars, by government standards we would still be considered lower class. As for my father's household, he is also a father of four but he is married and with his and my stepmother's combined income, we are considered middle class by government standards. My "social class" has not affected the people I interact with as far as friends, associates, etc because I do not discriminate, and my friends do not discriminate against me. I have less fortunate as well as very fortunate friends and we get along fine. My education and life expectations were also not affected by my social class because I was taught to be the best at whatever I do, so I have proven time and time again that I am worthy.

2. I do not believe that certain gender/races influence what social class they belong to and/or prevent them from going up or down on the social ladder because your gender/race does not define everything that you are, nor does it define your individual capabilities. People of any gender or race can be rich or poor depending on the work that they put in to accomplish what they need to to live comfortably. I believe that the environment that a person grows up in will have more of an affect on what social class that person belongs to because people who come from nothing with do one of two things. They will become a product of their environment and be nothing as well or will rise above that and work hard to become successful. Also a person who has everything will either work hard to continue to be privileged or be lazy and maybe loose everything. It may be harder for certain gender/ races than others such a African Americans and females because of social prejudice, many believe that Blacks are inferior still and many male dominated careers believe women aren't capable of doing certain tasks but it is definitely possible.

3. People's appearance definitely alter my perception of their economic status, but I think everyone feels that way. First impressions are everything, but I do not judge their intelligence or skills by how a person looks, but at the same time appearance is everything in our society. A person won't even be considered for a job if they are not dressed a certain way in the interview.

4. No I do not think people discuss "Upper, and Middle classes" amongst each other especially not in public places because whats known and understood does not have to be stated. People of upper class do not need to state that they are of "upper class." I do feel that those of lower classes are more comfortable talking about their economic status because they do not have anything to loose and many of them need financial support.