Social Classes

Week Three:

Social Class and Diversity

     

      Hey everyone, I am really pleased to write this blog post today. In the past week I have had things brought to my attention that are very real and sensitive. As I try to relay what I learned I hope that you may understand the developed empathy and sincerity I use as I express my thoughts.

      So, this week we covered social class and cultural diversity. To me, I thought this topic was sure to be valid regarding the family, but I learned that it actually is so much more encompassing.

      In my preparation and studies, I was directed to a series of short films that are published on YouTube that show a diverse range of people and their unique circumstances. The videos showed the different social classes and the habits (traditions) that they followed. For example; in an upper-class family video, the rich folks in interviewed were very aware of their class and their feelings about their circumstances. These people had been in multigenerational wealth, and in doing so they usually spent their time with other rich folks, they did all the same things as their family before them, and they were pompous in their own way. I hope pompous does not come across as judgmental or demeaning, but some of them allude to the point that they are proud of where they stand socially. They had accomplished what so many people all over the world hope for, they seemed to have it all, but just because it glitters does not make it gold. 

      I was also introduced to a couple of families where they did not have the same circumstances and privileged as those people I spoke about before. In fact, they were severely impoverished in many ways and on the opposite side of the social ladder. The people that I witnessed had come from a background of poverty and struggles. The generations before them struggled with drugs, illegitimacy, and poor income. It broke my heart to listen to the thoughts and testimonies of the people that were in these situations, because for the most part they wanted to be free of the social class that they identified with. They had dreams and aspirations to obtain an education, to make good money, and live a better life. But in the timeframe that they voiced these thoughts, to the present time, their circumstances changed or actually worsened.

      So, what’s the deal? Why can’t people that have the desire to break their social class construct and move up into better territory? Well, usually it’s because traditions that are held in that family are usually the driving force for many choices and lifestyles into every succeeding generation. Its these traditions, that are inherent patterns and beliefs that penetrate a family from every generation, people tend to just repeat what their parents did before them, while not being counseled to make the correct choices or adjustments to lifestyle. There are people that break this cycle, trust me I know and have seen it, but the reality is much harder than some realize. It may sometimes come at a great cost.

      This can also be the case with upper class families and homes, although financially their circumstances may be the best, there are indeed areas that suffer because of the high-status demand. Children born into circumstances such as these may be raised by nannies or extended family which can hinder the outcome of the children’s health and social ability. This shows that there is a caveat in almost all these classes, but still many would say that it is better to be a rich man than a poor man.

      In closing, I want to draw on one more important observation that I had while studying this week. I saw two extremes concerning classes and all their struggles and triumphs. I understand that to be too extreme in one way or another (too poor or too rich) kind of detracts from the middle area in the social dynamic. But it pays greatly to focus on this class of individuals, because it is the backbone of our country and modern society. Without our strong middle class and its conservative views on the family, the way our current society is constructed would not exist. Yes, we all want to have the best of the best with money and status, but to be the best for the family and to raise a healthy, free, dynamic generation is what will continue the best way of life.