Americans of all sorts are awash in luxuries that would have dazzled their grandparents. Social diversity has erased many of the old markers. It has become harder to read people's status in the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the votes they cast, the god they worship, the color of their skin. The contours of class have blurred; some say they have disappeared.
But class is still a powerful force in American life. Over the past three decades, it has come to play a greater, not lesser, role in important ways. At a time when education matters more than ever, success in school remains linked tightly to class. At a time when the country is increasingly integrated racially, the rich are isolating themselves more and more. At a time of extraordinary advances in medicine, class differences in health and lifespan are wide and appear to be widening.
And new research on mobility, the movement of families up and down the economic ladder, shows there is far less of it than economists once thought and less than most people believe. [Click here for more information on income mobility.] In fact, mobility, which once buoyed the working lives of Americans as it rose in the decades after World War II, has lately flattened out or possibly even declined, many researchers say.Her are some personal stories of encountering class. Read a couple. It will only take a few minutes and will possibly relate to something you've experienced in your life. Think about where you are in terms of class politics in America and what this means for your life.
What do you think?
Are class politics important in America? Has your life been impacted by class politics? Have you ever noticed examples of class politics happening to others? If you think class politics are important, how should that influence your voting behavior? If you think that class politics isn't a significant factor in American politics, why? What do you think prevents class politics from impacting American life?
I think that class politics are still a big issue of importance in America whether we like it or not. Personally, I have not really been impacted by class politics but I have seen multiple instances where it has existed. An example that I can think of is a corporation in my small town that only really hires those related to the owner of the company whether they are really qualified or not. They always hire relatives/ or family friends over the rest of the public. When it comes to voting, I think that we need to elect someone who is either familiar with or a member of the lower classes because then they will be able to represent the general public much better.
ReplyDeleteSydney Rosenberg
PSCI
MWF
10:10- 11
I also think that class politics are important in America, especially while Obama has been president because he generally believes that we need to help rise up the lower class. But some would disagree with this because they feel that the wealthier people deserve what they have worked for. I read a personal story on a guy who went from growing up in the Bronx, to going to college at Cornel. I think it gave a good representation of lower class and upper class and how they are significantly divided, and how we see it every day.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Maggio
PSCI
MWF
10:10-11
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteClass politics in America are a very important issue in the government. The Government is rule by predominately white wealthy old men and they decide and display want they want to promote in America. Most American citizens consider themselves to be middle class whether they are rich, poor, or in fact middle class. I have not personally been affected by class politics, but I have seen children growing up who have. They were picked on for not wearing the same clothes as everyone else and looked down on because they were poor. Since I believe class politics is one of the basis of the American political system, I think that people should vote for people who would best represent them. Someone who they know will try to look at all three classes and make decisions that are best for the country. Dr. Stump mentioned in class that their is only one black elected senator who holds office. That is not a big representation for ethnic groups in the senate, so I think people should try to vote for more diverse politicians, such as racially different, several types of classes, and their beliefs differ, so that we can have more representation for all.
ReplyDeleteFelicia Hall
PSCI 100
10:10-11
I do agree that there needs to be a more rounded selection of people that are to represent us. This will mot likely never happen due to it being a change and change is never a real option for the US.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe they're very important in America. My life has not been impacted, because my parents did not complete high school nor did they go to a University. My sister took after my mom and did not complete high school. I did notice it in her, and several other people. My brothers father completed high school and college. My brother is on his way to doing both. My mom is in the middle class and so isn't my step-dad while my step-dad went to college. So, what does this say? The only way it would influence my voting, is if someone said they would improve the average people passing high school and college in America. Also they need to improve the unemployment rate. No one is bringing this up. Obama has more "important" business to do is why it is prevented.
ReplyDeleteSean Yarborough
PSCI100
9:10-10
There's no doubt in my mind that classes exist in America. Think about going to a big millionaire party, wouldn't you feel a little out of place? That alone shows the divisions among people. The people that represent us in congress, like we discussed in class, are mainly extremely rich old white men. What do I have in common with an old rich white man? Probably not much at all. Therefore, how can he really represent me or other people in the same boat as me? Even though we don't talk about them much, class divisions are definitely a part of American life.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Reinford
MWF 9:10
I believe that class politics is a major force in America today, and it's one that we aren't comfortable talking about. I believe that class is a major fault line among modern Americans, and would almost say that most strife that we blame on other factors such as race is really class-based more than anything. Personally, class conflict has not really affected my life, as most of the people I grew up with were pretty similar to me socioeconomically, but this has not affected my perception that class is a major wedge between Americans, and will be for the foreseeable future. I can't say it really can affect your voting behavior, as you will be choosing between two wealthy people just as you always have, it is simply too cost-prohibitive for someone at the socioeconomic level of any of us in the class to embark on a campaign for major national office, despite the fact that a person at that level would possibly represent us better.
ReplyDeleteClass conflict is alive and well in the United States. This was evident in the recent Occupy Wall Street movement back in 2011. Everyone wants to consider them self a member of the middle class, even though this is obviously not the case. Typically though the lower class votes Democratic, and the upper class tends to vote Republican. So politicians try to appeal to the middle class because they are the determining factor. Even so, politicians are usually from the upper class, which makes it questionable if they can truly represent our interests.
ReplyDeleteAshley Tomlinson
PSCI 100:05
.
Class in politics still occur in the world today and will probably continue to occur for a very long time, if not forever. We see class issues in politics all the time. Although I am not affected by this, there are many instances everyday where people are judged by their class. If you see a person that is not dressed as nice or doesn't have many materialistic items they could be looked down upon. Or if someone has a low paying job, they could be judged as well. Politics are all about class. You don't see a person living in poverty into politics, it's mainly wealthy adults. Individuals with different class/racial/religious views should be able to represent us Americans too. Variety never does any harm and could represent more people.
ReplyDeleteClass politics is definitely occurring in America. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor and it keeps growing. I think everyone has been affected by class one way or the other. How you look, talk, or what you wear can be an indicator of the class your in. I think it's wrong for something so trivial to have such a huge impact on society though. It doesn't really show what kind of person you are, but how much money you have. I think voting wise, it doesn't really matter. The nominees are basically the same. There should be more diversity but its ultimately not possible.
ReplyDeleteMaddy manfull
PSCI 100
9:10-10
"How you look, talk, or what you wear can be an indicator of the class your in."
DeleteExcellent statement Maddy. Everyone should ask themselves how truly free are you? Why does clothing, looks (or appearance) and speech have such an affect on your self-worth, identity (who you see yourself as being) and character? A truly free individual would not be biased, prejudiced or annoyed / angered by these things, or influenced by others' opinions of them as a result either. The ability to wear grubby mechanic's overalls one day, then a three-piece suit and tie the next and a hip-hop outfit the day after means nothing to me. My ability to converse with a street thug in their own terms and mannerisms one day, then talk "business" with a wealthy banker the next and maintain a level of respect for who I am and who they are (i.e. without becoming snooty, snobbish, etc.) is a real mark of freedom to me. It also allows me to learn more about how the "real world" works (or at least gain some insight into it). Enjoy!
F.M. Sperry
PSCI100
Class politics is occurring everyday in the United States. The boundaries between the upper, middle, and lower still exists today and will continue to expand I believe. In my eyes, most people who wear nice clothes, have a nice car, or nice home are usually the ones that are deemed as the upper class. When it comes to voting, there should be probably be various aspects of diversity. But with various aspects of diversity, comes different opinions with politics in society. The more diverse you are, the more the public opinion is different. It's more of a bad thing I believe because we need to work together as a nation to solve our problems before it is too late. Sadly, there are people who are looked down upon because they are less wealthy or have less materialistic things. In politics today, the majority of the politicians in some type of political office wear fancy suits, have nice cars, and some kind of estate you could say.
ReplyDeleteI believe that yes, class politics still exist in the world today. You have your upper, middle, and lower class today. You even hear comments from other people that represent the upper class making smart remarks about the lower class. It is degrading, yes, but it has been in our system for hundreds of years. However, I do believe it is wrong and it is not fair to stereotype people in classes. With much of what other people have said, it has a great deal to do with how much money one has, not much on what kind of person you are. I cannot say that I have ever been insulted or placed in situations where I am placed in a specific class, but I have seen others and I feel bad for them. No one deserves to be placed in a certain category. In a weird way it is like high school with the "popular kids" or the "nerds". It is not right, plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteTess Hyre
PSCI 100
9:10-10:00
Class politics are alive and well in America. Just consider all of the rhetoric concerning the "Middle Class". When I was young, my family was considered "working poor" and living in Shanondale. Whenever a national election came around, politicians never targeted us, never called or sent people by to pass out flyers. After hard work and smart choices, my parents were able to raise us to the Middle Class and we never had any peace from politicians near an election.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe class politics are important, but I've yet to see a politician that can actually relate to someone making less than $200,000 per year.
I believe the main reason that class politics haven't impacted American life as much as they could have is the fact that the Middle class seems to be growing to include nearly everyone except those on the extreme fringes.
Tim Graham
PSCI 100.04
MWF 0910-1000
Class politics do exists in America. I have personally never been affected by them. I don't think I have ever seen class politics happen to other. I also don't think that is that important. I think there are more important things to worry about than class politics.
ReplyDeleteShawn Dunford
PSCI 100.05
10:10-11:00
I suspect the reason that you have never been affected by them is because you haven't realized exactly how "class politics" does affect you. It's the wealthy who decide what goes on within our society and they generally don't care about the poor or the middle class and even if they do, they (most likely but more often than not I'd say - it's easier to create excuses / reasons to disassociate themselves from others than to come up with solutions) probably don't know how to relate since they don't know what that lifestyle is like (there are always exceptions to every rule though too - those are the smartest individuals because their depth of knowledge is great enough to be able to understand these differences and see how to resolve them).
DeleteF.M. Sperry
PSCI100
I do believe that there are different classes that exist in our lives today. There are people who make up the upper class, middle class, and the lower class. As we said in class, many people want to be considered the “middle class” when in reality they are actually considered the lower class. I haven’t really been affected by class politics and I think that is because of the area that I have grown up in. But I have seen many people who don’t necessarily fit it with the crowd get harassed and it isn’t right. The class they happen to fall into should degrade no human.
ReplyDeleteChris Grove
ReplyDeletePSCI 100:05
10:10-11:00
I do believe that class politics do exist in America. We mentioned in class that you can tell the different classes of people by what they own or how they dress.I did a fun little experiment and on Google and I looked up " Lower Class in America" and if you scroll through the images you see people who all look sad and angry. Then when you put in "Middle Class in America" You get happier groups of people with like the average 2.2 kids in front of their nice home. Then finally when you look up "Upper class in America" You see piles of money and people in suits and dresses with a wine class in their hand. its just funny to see that there is an extinction between classes in America. I personally have not been effected by class politics. Class politics is important, When you are voting you do not want to vote for someone who does not have the same issues or opinion as you. You want someone who is like you and believe that they might actually be able to understand and help you with the struggles you face in your life. In class we talked about how most people in our politics are rich, white males and how there is only a small percent of rich people and therefore do they really understand our needs and how to help?
ReplyDeleteKirstyn Greenwalt
DeletePSCI100:05
10:10-11:00
I absolutely believe class politics exist in America. They have always existed and will most likely continue to exist. I thought it was interesting when in class you can be wealthy but still be of a lower class. It is one thing to be wealthy and influential but it matters just as much if not more what you actually spend your money on. People of great wealth have a great opportunity to make an impact on the world. Hopefully, they would choose to exhibit a higher class behavior that comes with their wealth. It is unfortunate that this does not always happen and rich people don't take advantage of their wealth to make a positive impact.
ReplyDeleteClass politics is the natural separation that occurs between those who have more privilege ("money") and those who do not. What concerns me more is the difference in the justice levels related to "class". I grew up quite poor and have seen how the judicial and law enforcement systems take advantage of the ignorance of these individuals, but the business community does so as well (though the business community's reputation isn't built upon fair and just treatment).
ReplyDeleteI've had the opportunity to speak with numerous wealthy businessman (who had no desire or self-interest in deceiving me - for the most part) and gain their perspective on the world, which is a nice thing to be able to have. One of the things that I'll always remember was the fact that you had to make $100,000 per year (in 1990's dollars), just to be able to afford to retire. The reason being that the amount of money you spent not working (called "retirement") would deplete your savings (not to mention healthcare costs associated with older age) and depending upon how long you lived would really depend on how much you needed to save (who can predict the future?). I've worked with 80 year old grandmothers in slop-shop restaurants (which I saw as temporary employment) because they could not afford, to not work, and I've seen businessmen who made more money in one hour than a city lawyer made in an entire year (and had the privilege to listen to their point of view too). There's really no difference between these people, other than the fact that some saw / understood the opportunities available to them, worked hard and took them and the others didn't or had "fiscal interuptions" or "bad luck", and so on, but fundamentally they're no different than you or I, so why then do they get preferential treatment in our society? I've heard the reason (or excuse?) was due to the amount of lost prestige that occurred to them because of their fall from grace.
To me, that's what is fundamentally wrong with our country today, the ease of corruption, manipulation and general rewardment of evil behavior that allows the wicked to rule the meek, weak and the ignorant within the country. These people will use whatever means at their disposal to remain in power, in control and on top of others. I do believe in the separation of church and state, but I do not believe in the separation of the good and the state (if we want to really prosper), which is always the goal of the corrupt. Remember, the "Devil's" greatest trick was to make people believe that he was "God" and you "better listen to him". So in whatever religion you happen to practice, keep this concept in mind.
Here's some web addresses to some interesting articles supporting some of what I have said:
The Retirement Gamble:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/retirement-gamble/
The Untouchables:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/untouchables/
Life & Death in Assisted Living:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/life-and-death-in-assisted-living/
Post Mortem:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/post-mortem/
The Real CSI:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/real-csi/
F.M. Sperry
PSCI100
Class politics are very important as they rely so heavily on social norms. Class politics are seen heavily in the government but also in the daily lives of individuals. I remember being bullied as a little kid about the way I dressed because my parents were poor. I didn’t fit into the social norm of nice clothes, so I was put down as a result. As the gap between the rich and poor is becoming larger, the opportunity and the means to rise up into a higher class is becoming less likely. But I still believe it is possible to move up in society. There is a great deal of scholarships offered for minority and lower class students to encourage higher education. The downfall is that those social norms tend to follow a person. But, proving people wrong is the quickest way to prove social norms wrong. Class politics don’t influence my voting behavior because the candidates are all involved in the same class.
ReplyDeleteChristiana Hess
PSCI: 100:04
9:10-10:00am
class politics do exist and affect almost everyone in some way. i dont really think that they are important but that is just the way society is and i dont think they will ever go away.
ReplyDeleteTre Anderson
PSCI:100
9:10-10
I also believe they are not important at all but will always exist. We dont know how to get rid of them unless we have economic equality then everyone would have a fair chance but other than that, nothing.
DeleteIn my opinion politics are not as important in America as it once was. I am reminded of when websites such as Google, Wikipedia, and Reddit blacked out to protest against SOPA and PIPA back in 2011. I had heard it for weeks before the event. However the majority of campus had not heard of it until they tried Googling something or do a report with Wikipedia. Personally class politics have not affected me especially not as much as someone such as Michael Faraday. I haven’t really seen any evidence of class politics in play; I believe that this is because we actually try and live “that all men are created equal,” and not just speak it. I don’t think they are important, so they do not really affect my voting habits. I think class politics is not a significant factor, because I have never seen anyone say, “you’re not good enough to be in this office because you were not born in these conditions,” or “since you were not born into money you cannot take this office.” I may be completely wrong to this, however until someone can show actual evidence to the contrary this is what I believe. I believe the fact that history repeats shows that class politics are not as much of an impacting factor as they were. This is to say that people can change classes, not to say that the government isn’t divided by to similar types of classes.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Blosser
PSCI 100
9:10-10
I think that it is not about how or where one born, but what you make of the situation. If you are born into money and make nothing of yourself or if you are born into lower class and become a wealthy professional, you are treated differently.
DeleteThere are class politics all around us. From the situation of who will get hired, the guy who could afford to go to college and get an education, or the guy that can not afford to go get a college education, to the situation of calling a part of your town the "bad part" because of their tax bracket. Both of these situations state that due to class and income levels, one is looked upon differently and will receive different treatment.
ReplyDeleteThis can be compared to if a regular average Joe ran for office of presidency, would anyone even know about him due to him not being born into money or having money to campaign for the election. This man may be better fit to represent the 99% of the non-wealthy people, but will never be heard of due to his competition.
We vote for who is represented better on TV commercials, and who is portrayed to be "just like us".
i completely agree. That average guy would definitely represent the population better but because he doesnt have a big last name that nobody recognizes or cant pay for advertising, he will lose which is ridiculous.
DeletePSCI 100
MWF 1010-11
I personally believe that class conflicts in the US are a major factor in not only a political presence, but socially as well. From a political stance we as a nation primarily vote for people of a higher class than us, and that is a major issue. How can a multi-million dollar CEO compare to his employers? The answer is simple; he can't, and this is because of the principles of many conflict theorists. The employer of a company will never be in the best interest of the employer Will never be the same as the employee. In fact it is primarily the exact opposite, hence the development of unions and other types of equal opportunity groups. I believe that there is personally nothing to be done about class politics other than strengthen the unions and trying to equalize the power balance between owners and workers. Working class people will never be able to enter the realm of big politics, because they "we" simply do not have the monetary means. Social and economic stratification are every bit evident in the US and movement up and down the social and economic ladders is something that I believe is essential for the type of political and social theme that America portrays. To achieve the "American dream" one must be mobile in this way.
ReplyDeleteClass politics are stronger than ever in American society and I believe this is a problem. All of the people that run for office to represent what we want, are nowhere near where we are. These politicians are so much wealthier and have no idea what it is like to be struggling in today's economy. Take the president for example: These people running are millionaires, some even billionaires and you expect those people to represent everyone equally. Those people have no idea what it is like to be broke, in trouble, or without a job so how do you expect those people to represent you when they have no idea what you are going through and cant help at all. I think it is just a joke. Lower class people should be able to run for president but they simply cant because they cant raise the money they need to do so. They would better represent the population but the wealthy people in america are the only ones with the resources to run for anything like that.
ReplyDeletePSCI 100
DeleteMWF 1010-11
I feel like class politics in America are overrated. Why should politicians create the system that decides whether we're poor or not? Maybe someone doesn't have a house but they know when and where to get food and how to take care of themselves to make life worth living. Try to place one of our fancy rich politicians in that situation and they wouldn't know what to do. Maybe lower class people don't have the luxuries that higher class people do but I feel like they know the ropes because they have had to go through the hardships. But noooo those politicians preach that they are "just like us." AND WE BELIEVE IT. Because we've never been taught to question it. I've personally never been effected by these class politics, probably because I've never paid attention. One thing is for sure, we need to stop voting for these so called people who run our country who say they are middle class. They are just feeding us bullshit. But like we talked about in class, we vote for those people who we think best represent us. Turns out they're rich and have no clue what the middle class social life is like. Anyway, America will keep doing their thing.
ReplyDeleteClass politics are alive in America, and I do not believe class politics are going to vanish anytime soon. Class politics are very important to America. Many people in this country judge people by the clothes they wear or the amount of money they have. I am in no means saying that judging people and putting people in classes is the right thing to do. But I do believe this happens everyday and most likely it has happened to you. Yes, my life has been impacted by class politics. For example, I can't afford to spend five thousand dollars on one single outfit. Another example, is when I was at a tennis club in Miami, people at the club gave me weird looks. The looks were for that I didn't belong in the same tennis club as them, because I was not as wealthy as them. It is not uncommon for me to see class politics happening to others. Class politics does effect my voting. I usually only vote for the local elections. (people who closer relate to me) These elections strongly have a better direct effect on me. I honestly don't see class politics leaving America anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteGrant Davis
DeletePSCI 100:05
MWF 10:10-11
I think class politics is an important factor in the United States government even today, but I also think that many individuals are quick to think class is virtually non-existent when politics are concerned. There are clear distinctions between class that continue to affect our everyday lives as well as the politics that govern the country. As I said in class the other day, I think people are truly hesitant to acknowledge the lines that separate the classes in America because there are ways for it to become hidden--like the flat screen television example we mentioned in class. I was reading one of the personal stories, and I found it interesting that one of the women talked about wearing uniforms to school. I think that is a really important example to bring up, because then class is much more difficult to detect among peers. If you choose to vote, I think class politics are important because how can politicians, who are rich beyond belief, have our true interests in mind? I think it's interesting to ponder.
ReplyDeleteEmily Daniels
PSCI 100:04
MWF 9:10 - 10:00
I believe class politics exist in America. People are constantly judged by how they dress, what kind of house they live in, what kind of car they drive, and many other things. One thing I find interesting in this day and age is that no matter what your class is, almost everyone now has a cell phone, and most people have smart phones. At the same time, however, these same people struggle with paying rent or putting food on the table.
ReplyDeleteIt is also apparent that class politics exist because the people who run our country are of the higher class. Money is power. It is impossible for our government to fully represent the views of all Americans when the people in power are vastly more wealthy than the majority of everyone else.
Jessica Adkins
PSCI 100:04
MWF 9:10-10:00
I live in Northern Virginia and to be honest I cant distinguish between the poor, rich and middle class. Mostly everyone has "nice" things, mostly everyone has the latest technology and almost everyone dresses nicely. I do not remember the last time i saw a flip phone. However just because i cant distinguish the difference between classes doesnt mean they dont exist. They do exist. Obviously there is that top 1% of the wealthiest and then there are homeless poor people and lastly everyone in between who consider themselves "middle class." In econ class we were talking about middle class people and how some "middle class" are so well off they can afford yachts and jetskis and other really nice luxurious things and when asked what they did for a living they would say they're gardeners or other average jobs. That just proves that although there are classes its becoming more vague and starting to diminish because more things that usually would be available only to the "rich" are now in the palms of anyone who desire them.
ReplyDeleteMost of my classmates above are saying how they dont think the people who run our country are fit to run our country because they dont know what it is like to feel poor or go through struggles, but to be honest most of us dont know what its like to feel poor or truly go through struggles. And not ALL politicians are born millionaires. But just like Obama he was born into a middle class family just like the majority of us are.
Oumayma Driouche
PSCI 100
MWF 10:10-11
Class politics still exist in America and the reason is because everyone is still judged by the clothes they wear, amount of money they have, the type of car they drive, and much more. As of voting, you should vote towards who represents you the most. The people that rule of government are the wealthy ones and the middle class is struggling because we can't keep up. When it comes to voting, we need to elect someone who is of the lower class or represents the lower classes because their point of views will go towards the general public and not the wealthy.
ReplyDeleteLavonte Hights
PSCI 100
MWF 10:10-11
I do believe class politics exist in America today. You can see this when presidential candidates roll up their sleeves and play baseball or have a beer. They want to seem like a middle class person. They want you to think you can have a drink with them at the local pub. That alone makes me believe, at least to the more wealthy people running for office, that class politics do exist and do play a role in politics today. Education does play a huge role, one must be conscience of the fact that they do belong to a socioeconomic class. If one is aware, than they can vote locally and federally for those that truly have their well-being as top priority.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty funny when the rich politicians pretend to be a normal "middle class" American just hanging out, when the fact of the matter is that we could never get anywhere near them if we wanted to, let alone voice one of our "middle class" opinions to them.
DeleteI think that class politics in america are constantly dominated by the rich and who donates the as t money. The rich are leading forces due to their ability to influence a candidate by using money and other rich things to influence them there is no way a poorer person can possibly deal with that and there is no possible way for the class politics to be equal in America
ReplyDeleteI have seen class politics many times in my family. I grew up in a middle class family, but that doesn't mean that I have not seen members of my family struggle financially. I have seen my family members make too much money to get government assistance, but barely enough to survive. This separated my family members from those who would be considered "lower class" when they themselves could be considered "lower class" because of the amount of money (or lack of) that they had.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the same thing happen in my family and I'm pretty sure there are many other people that have as well, but I really don't think that anything will change that issue.
DeleteI don't believe that class politics are "openly" important in America. They're more of unspoken mindsets that sneak into society and influence aspects of people's lives. I'm sure many would try to pretend that they are not important, but in truth they are probably still bias. My life has definitely been influenced by social classes, but I can't say that class politics have made a massive influence on my life. I suppose that the fact I receive grants are a product of class politics, unless I'm misunderstanding what the term itself means.
ReplyDeleteIf we're talking about social class politics then I've definitely noticed people around me be impacted by them. I've seen many people (even within my family) treated poorly because they were "less" successful financially.Class politics should, in theory, influence your voting. But realistically, whoever you vote for is never going to change any policies to your benefit. But I'm not sure what would prevent class politics from influencing American society, to be honest.
Nanette Yessler
PSCI 100:04
9:10-10:00
I believe that class politics is something that has a huge impact on everyone whether they are completely aware of it or not. I have grown up in a family that has never really been "rich" but I've never been on the streets, so according to most Americans I think that makes me "middle class", which is a pretty broad term. I think that class politics really screw people over. For example, when you try to get financial aid for school, if you are poor school is basically free. If you are rich you don't have to worry about it. But if you are anywhere in between in the so called "middle class" you don't have enough money to pay for school out of pocket but you make too much to get any help. So that leaves you to either one, apply for a million scholarships and cross your fingers, two work your butt off in order to pay out of pocket and have no money for anything else, or three, get student loans and be in debt forever. None of which are particularly good options. Another example of class politics can be seen in the documentary "Park Avenue" it describes how "740 Park Avenue, Manhattan, is one of the most exclusive addresses in the world, home to some of the richest Americans, the 1% of the 1%. Ten minutes to the north, across the Harlem River, is the other Park Avenue, in the South Bronx. Here, unemployment runs at 19% and half the population need food stamps." It is absolutely insane how the richest and poorest people in NY live only 10 minutes apart, with the poorest people having a slim to none chance at moving up at all on the class ladder, especially not high enough to live only 10 minutes down the street. Rich people run the world. If you are "middle class" or below, why in the world would you vote for some rich guy to represent you? They most likely have never even been close to living in poverty and have absolutely no idea what people need. They have no way to relate. Voting for them does nothing for the poor, but there is no way for someone without money to run so nothing will ever change.
ReplyDeleteClass politics play a huge part, or I might even say EVERY part in American politics. Just about every real player in politics is well off or just plain rich. You'll never see a poor man as president in this country as it stands. It says all men are equal, but it should say all men with large quantities of money are equal. We trust in a system that is controlled by rich people that only care about policies and laws that benefit themselves and other rich people of the same class.
ReplyDeleteI would say everyone here has been affected by class politics in the sense that none of us would actually be able to get into high enough positions to make a difference, in our current monetary states. Voting doesn't really do much when every candidate is actually against most of your needs and benefits.
Nathan Lewellyn
PSCI 100.04
Class politics are a very real part of every day life, but I feel like it's more on the minds of those in the working and lower class. Maybe it is from my personal point of perspective, but my family has always been in the working class and the recent economic problems have made money a source of trouble, and I feel as if the working and lower class look to the rich with contempt and envy. I feel like these things should be considered when voting, as the gap between upper class and the lower/working classes is extraordinarily wide. It is difficult to decipher which politicians truly have these issues on their minds, but since the upper class controls elections, a lot of this might be based on wishful thinking and hope.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Gesford
PSCI 100:05
MWF 1010-11
Class politics absolutely exist. I've never been personally effected by them, but growing up I've witnessed it through other people. People get placed in a category which they may not belong in times based on physical appearance. Even our government holds a basic standard such as typical men in office as older white males with a lot of money. So although I've never personally experienced class politics I've witnessed it around me.
ReplyDeleteErin Phelan
POLISCI 100
MWF 9:10-10