I apologize for the delay in posting- suffice it to say, there really is no good excuse. 
I just finished a most interesting book, somewhat different from my typical reading, called A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Ruby Payne. It is written mainly for educators in underprivileged areas. We are working on a project at my job to help support a low-income school in the city, so I figured this would be helpful for me in getting a better grasp on the topic. Basically, it threw me into a spiral of self-discovery. I knew this all along, but now it has taken on a new meaning:
I AM MIDDLE CLASS.
“Bourgeoisie”, if you will.
Now, it seems to me that I, like most people, tend to go along through life observing things- cultural trends, people, etc. However, there come certain moments where you realize that you are a PRODUCT of those trends, or a certain mindset, and it is like having some kind of out-of-body experience. For example, the first time I saw the movie Jesus Camp. I basically watched, in shock, as the scenes that were being so dramatically played out on the screen (with obvious befuddlement/shock from the filmmakers and general audience) reminded me of exact moments that I had at my own church camp growing up. That was when I realized: “Hilary, no matter how much you think you are “outside” of this and can criticize it like anyone else, I’m sorry sister, but this is where you came from. Deal with it.”
So, back to me being middle class. There is a questionnaire section in this book, which asks if you could survive in poverty, middle class, and wealth. Some of the checklist items for poverty are: “I know how to get someone out of jail. I know how to live without a checking account. I know how to move in half a day. I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record.” Looks like I could last, errr about 2.5 seconds in poverty. Some of the middle class questions are: “I know how to properly set a table. I know how to get a library card. I know how to order in a nice restaurant. I know how to use a credit card… and get the best interest rates on my new car loan.” So, you get the idea. It never occurred to me that those things didn’t just come naturally to everyone. And it also never occurred to me that just as there are skill sets in the middle class, there are survival skills in poverty that most of us don’t even know exist. They are “hidden rules”.
As I looked into this further, I learned that the middle class places high value on work and achievement, including a very high value on education. There is an emphasis on self-sufficiency, and conformity to certain standards. (no wonder I got sneers in high school when all my clothes weren’t from J. Crew and Abercrombie! I knew there was a reason.) Climbing the “ladder of success” is crucial, because although you may not be “poor”, mom and dad don’t have a trust fund waiting for you at the end of the rainbow. I’m sure I could have learned all this much sooner if I would have actually taken Intro to Sociology in college, but for now, suffice it to say, I am definitely more aware of how my status in society has shaped my life and my thinking.
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It’s really funny. I was just thinking about this lastnight. I was watching this show on A&E called, “The First 48 Hours” which basically is about homicide units trying to gather as much evidence on a case within the first 48 hours of the crime. The majority of the murders on the show are drug/money related, involve a botched robbery attempt, and occur in a bad area of town. I was thinking about how this is what people grow up in. This is a way of life, and I actually asked myself if I could even last a day in the shoes of some of these people. The answer was most definitely no. It’s hard to remove yourself from the bubble you group up in, whether rich or poor, and truly understand that your life experiences might be drastically different from others, causing very contrasting perspectives on life. Good read. Thanks for sharing!
I might have to see if my local library has this book. I’ll read it (which means I have a library card–I’m middle class too, then!).
Ooh, I read this book TWICE in college for an education class and for a class on justice issues.
Great stuff…glad you liked it!