Class Diary: Student Loan Debt

In the article "We are the Median: Burdened by Student Loan Debt" on MSNBC.com, the story of Megan and Sam Moss is told. This couple recently had a daughter, and are "living" on a combined salary of $50,000 a year. They have $110,000 in student loan debt, and wish to have another child, but know they will not be able to afford college for two children in the future. They talk about how the rising cost of living affects them as their wages are not increasing; a mirror image of the issues we learned in class. They have the median American salary, but still worry what they are going to do if their cars break down or if one of them becomes sick or unemployed. They pay an outrageous $550 a month towards student loan debt and $800 a month towards daycare; something people in other countries never have to worry about.

Luckily, Megan's grandfather was able to pay for her college education, something most middle, working, and lower class people will never be able to do. They also have debt from when Megan was on maternity leave for three months. Something is seriously wrong with our country when families receive no support for having a child. Poverty is a vicious cycle, and is a vicious cycle even for those who are "making it" in our country. There should be no reason why we pay as much as we do to better our minds and families. It is such a shame that in 2011 so many Americans are being forced to live in poor standards and yet they are deemed "well off".

Class Diary: Matrimony Suffers Slump

In the article "Where is Mr. or Mrs. Right? Matrimony Suffers Slump, Report Shows" on MSNBC.com, it is clear that marriage in the United States is taking a dive. In 1960, 72 percent of the population 18 and over were married, today it has dropped 21 percent to 51 percent of the population being married. The reasons to this are quite clear: a rise in variety of households and an economic decline. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular to have a family outside of the nuclear values. Marriage no longer holds the stigma it once did, especially with the rise of women in the workforce. People are accepting of single parenting or do not feel rushed t0 get married. LGBTQ couples still cannot marry in most states, yet account for a large percentage of couples. In addition, couples tend to get married when they are financially stable, and with the economy the way it is now, few can afford the wedding they always imagined and therefore, put it off for better times. People have different priorities now, why would one spend $5,000 towards their wedding when their car desperately needs to be fixed and the bills are behind.

"Strong marriages and strong families flourish in a healthy economic and community context. Those contexts have weakened particularly in working class and poor communities in the last 30-40 years," Wilcox said. "People are less likely to be engaged in stable fulltime work, their church community, the Jaycees." With the rise in the working and lower class, people are more stressed than ever and therefore, do not want to start a family in the tough times since they know it will add more stress to the family. The last thing a couple wants to worry about is whether they will be able to put a meal on the table for their children. If the economy was not as bad as it is, the most of our worries would be that we may have forgotten to iron our children's clothes. What a nice life that would be.

Class Diary: Massachusetts Teachers Take a Hit

As of November 15th, Massachusetts lawmakers approved a bill to "reform" pensions of state employees. Under this bill, the minimum age of retirement was increased from 55 years old to 60 years old. It is ironic how this bill was voted on by Senators and House Representatives who make upwards of $174,000 a year, not the actual state employees. It is easy to cut salaries or to increase pension age of others when it does not directly affect those voting on the bill. It is sickening that our nation is hurting the lives of our educators, construction workers, and law enforcement professionals in order to save $5 billion in THIRTY years. However, it is completely "reasonable" to spend $803 BILLION on the war in Iraq and $475 BILLION on the war in Afghanistan equaling $1 TRILLION according to costofwar.com This means that if we didn't have the war, we would save 200 times the cost of what we would save in the thirty years of pension reform for Massachusetts. With 50 states, each state could have $20 billion each. Seems like we should be cutting other areas than those of government employees... We can cut from those in the working and middle class, but not from those holding the majority of our nations money or from the war that is draining our economy. Talk about cycling class!

Living and Crossing Class

In "Coming to Class Consciousness", Hooks tells a personal story in order to show how people become conscious of their class. In the story, Bell Hooks writes of how she always wanted nice things such as a pretty dress or a good college education, but how she was denied these opportunities from her own family. Her desires were always diminished by her mother. Although her mother may have been trying to not set Hooks up for disappointment, she did it in a very harsh way. Bell started to believe the problem was that she was undeserving of nice things, not that they simply could not afford these nice things.

She talks of the racism she experienced, and how she recognized that the white girls had life much easier. She bonded with other girls of the working class, and her thoughts were expressed how whenever an opportunity came about, she would question how her parents would feel negatively about the opportunity. Like Jensen, Hooks shows how families and communities seem to encircle the same class through generations. Hooks had many opportunities to change classes, but her parents somehow always held her back. This may come from an ultimate respect for the family or an underlying shame for improvement as reflected in "Some General Values of Working Class Culture".

Hooks stories can be seen in the working class today and students may feel like they will only ever be as good as their parents are. Many working class students seem to be forced into the higher education they are in. They may have gotten into better schools, but feared disappointing their family. They may feel like they are leaving their family behind if they move far away or feel as if they should not go to a good school because their family members did not get the opportunity, and therefore, the student does not go as well. I believe that students of all classes seem to be entrapped in this way in their given class. Those of the upper class often remain in the upper class because because their family may always have the means to do so. If their child chooses a career of the middle class such as secretarial work, their parents may still give them the tools to remain in the upper class such as how to choose a proper fitting suit or how to show authority over others even if in a lower scale job. Therefore, opportunities for advancement seem to fall into the laps of those who were born into the upper class while these opportunities are not given to those of other classes. In the most minimal ways, class is encircled.

Class Diary: Engage RI

Upon reading the article "Unions spotlight salaries, contracts of opponents in RI pension war", many issues discussed in class became quite clear. The largest state employees union is currently taking a stance against an organization called Engage RI which has been raising awareness to the issue and pushing pension reform. Upon further examination into this pension reform debate, Engage RI's website seems promising. The website addresses issues such as Rhode Island's retirement system having a deficit of seven billion dollars. In fact, Rhode Island has the least funded retirement system per capita in the United States. It seems that Engage RI would be great leaders for the reform; giving higher pensions to state employees such as teachers and construction workers who deserve retirement benefits for the work they put into making our state a better place. However, the website is vague and states that Engage RI "has a plan", but does not state their plan anywhere in the website.

I then decided to look up some more information about the pension reform and Engage RI as it seemed that the Projo article "Unions spotlight salaries, contracts of opponents in RI pension war" was pointing out flaws in the organization. "Ed Cooney, the Nortek vice-president who co-chairs EngageRI, earned $595,000 in total compensation last year, co-chair Margaret Holland McDuff, the CEO of Family Service of Rhode Island, $187,000, and Crossroads Rhode Island president Anne Nolan, $150,033" (Gregg, Projo). It is no wonder why we have a deficit in pensions if the co-chair of the organization makes well over half a million dollars a year, and the president of a homeless shelter is making the salary of about seventeen teachers.

The Projo article "At the hearing: RI teachers say their pensions have been 'targeted'" states that Engage RI has been pushing for an increase in teachers' retirement to the age of 67. This is an absurd age to retire! While many teachers do teach up to 67, it should not be a requirement. Teaching may seem like an easy job to an outsider, but the duties consist of long hours, hard labor, and dedication to every student. When teachers are off the clock, they are still grading papers, creating curriculums, or coaching sports teams.

We are not a nation where we encourage "working til the death" as that is not a free nation. Engage RI's reforms seem to go against everything this country stands for, although their purpose is cloudy. It is a crisis of our nation when those protecting the working, lower, and middle class are those of the upper class. This is why the rich keep getting richer, and the poor, poorer. We need to protect the citizens who protect us. The teachers who enable us to see the light in learning; the construction workers who pave the roads at 4am so we do not have to dodge potholes on our morning commutes.

Occupy the World

As Occupy is advancing, it is becoming quite clear that this is a movement bigger than most had originally imaged. Occupies are in nearly every city with protesters camping out in places such as Kennedy Plaza. Occupy is now a movement across the world. Everywhere from Hong Kong to Sydney now have protesters, and can be compared to the beginning of the civil rights movement with the protests and race riots.


However, it is not the protesters this time who are seen as violent. Police seem to be more corrupt than ever.

Videos can be seen of protesters being herded like cattle with orange nets, maced, or tackled. "Curfews" are being enforced in many cities where people are not allowed outside after a certain time. Riot police have been organizing raids in the middle of the night; ripping down tents and throwing away all supplies. The media has been blocked from witnessing many of these riot police attacks; showing clear corruption in our system. When the government is supporting the 1 percent, and trashing the belongings of the 99 percent; there is clear tyranny. The protesters see this as a battle between classes; however, when the class system is a majority of the lower and middle class and a tiny minority of upper class; this become an issue for democracy. Those who are in the top 1 percent not only hold the majority of wealth, but if we don't do anything; the majority of power. When this happens, class is reproduced as it makes it quite difficult for anyone to change classes. We can no longer "pull ourselves up from the boot straps" as the "All American Dream" entails.

I believe the solution is in what Occupy has been doing this whole movement; raising awareness. Very few people knew of the shocking statistics of the growing poor and working classes. People did not know that majority of wealth is in the hands of a few people. Now that it is becoming clear, more people are joining the movement. Through the rise of awareness, will come justice. These protesters are the voice of our citizens.

Equalizing or Reproducing Class: Education

“Regardless of whether a child living in poverty wants to learn, regardless of whether she’s determined to make the best life for herself, she must first overcome barriers to life’s basic needs- the kinds of needs that the middle-class people, including most professional educators, usually take for granted: access to healthcare; sufficient food and lodging; reasonable safe living conditions” (Gorski 1). Upon reading Gorski, I started to remember a time in my life when I first started to recognize how many lives are changed because of class. When I was in eighth grade, my sister who was in seventh grade had a best friend who my family grew to love. She would come over for the day, but her mother would never come to pick her up. My parents would ask her when her mother was coming, and after seeing the girl frantically trying to reach her mother, they offered to bring her home.

We lived in a nice suburban town with only a few homes of obvious low income. Her house's porch had half-fallen off, the roof was covered in moss, and the driveway looked like a junkyard. We later found out her white mother was a prostitute at the nearby casinos and her black father had been incarcerated since she was an infant. She had dreams of going to college and becoming much more than what she was born into. My parents took her and her younger sister in for about a year after the mother signed away custody as her addictions and threatening life prevented her from taking care of herself, let alone her children. They each owned less than three outfits; their eyes widened at the glance of a home cooked meal.

These things seem so far fetched to even the middle-class, but are all around us. How could we as a society let this happen to our future? We always think that these scenarios are not happening in our neighborhood; they would never happen to a child. Gorski argues that we need to stop blaming those in poverty, and try to get an understanding of what it is like to be poor. When children of poverty see these negative views towards poverty, they may start to feel like they are the problem, and that they are stuck in poverty, giving up their motivation. Both girls are now attending college, but without the their inner drive and my parents' encouragement and support, who knows if they too would have fallen into the vicious cycle of poverty.

Our friend had fallen through the cracks. She had never heard of financial aid or scholarships. She loved to read, but never had books, and was to embarrassed to ask for help finding the ones she wanted at the school library. We all went to the same school; how could this be? I had learned these things at school. My parents told me to find scholarship opportunities, and I did through utilizing the school's career center. The librarians taught me how to find a book with the Dewey decimal system then I was taught how to use the computer generated system multiple times in my education. Was I taught a hidden curriculum as Anyon suggests?

“Bowles and Gintls (1967), for example, have argued that students from different social backgrounds are rewarded for classroom behaviors that correspond to personality traits allegedly rewarded in different occupational strata- the working classes for docility and obedience, the managerial classes for initiative and personal assertiveness” (Anyon 67). This made me wonder what were the class giveaways? Was it the difference in our skin tones, clothing, or confidence? It could even be all of these, or something completely different. Somehow I was privileged and so was my family, but her family spiraled downwards from the start. Her black father seemed to never have been given a chance as the United States is quick to lock up black males once they are seen as "problematic". Her single mother was on her own with two infants and little opportunity. She tried all that she could, but the employment she was forced into consumed her. I was always encouraged to ask questions; to voice my opinion. The other girl was shy and timid when it came to seeking assistance. I know she paid attention in school; were these aspects of cultural capital given to me, but not to her? It seems as if her teachers had assumed she would never go to college, and did not bother to teach her these skills. How could this happen in a "land of equal opportunity"?

Individualism or Socioeconomic Structures?

I greatly believe that class position originates from socioeconomic structures. If one is born into wealth, chances are that wealth will always remain, and they will be able to go to any school they wish, and opportunities will be gift-wrapped and placed on their laps. The prime example being Paris Hilton who is an heiress of her father; and has been thrown television show after modeling gig after makeup line. These types of people will never have to worry about money. On the contrary, one who is born into a poor family will have a very hard time to even maintain anything but the underclass. Their family may not speak English, and therefore, have to figure out everyday tasks we take for granted, on their own, unless they can translate effectively. These children cannot ask their parents for help on homework if their parents do not know English. Even something as simple as filling out the Census may seem complicated if one cannot read the language. This is not to say the parents are to blame, however, it is simply how structures maintain society to be the way it is. How easy would it be to teach our students both English and Spanish as our predominate languages? After all, more people speak Spanish as a first language in the United States than English.

From policies on language to corporations to drugs to taxation; the United States makes it very hard for one to have mobility in the classes. Policies may seem to benefit society, but it is all a mask. For example, the crack versus cocaine scandal. It may seem beneficial to "put away the bad guys", but is it bad if it is the last resort from being homeless? Is it bad if it is all someone may know? Those who get caught with crack get more jail time than those who get caught with cocaine. However, when compared, the two drugs are practically the same, one is just used by rich people, and the other happens to be used by poor people. Well when racism exists, and young black men are prevented from getting stable jobs, they fall into a cycle of poverty. They may then resort to selling crack or be raised in a lifestyle of crack, and are then incarcerated. This leaves black families without their male roles, encircling the women into poverty as well. It may seem like an extreme example, but it is not, and is how we have societal structures that enforce those who are not white to make up the lower class. Unfortunately, even those with willpower, dedication, and hope may never see a transition in upward class mobility. “Therefore, "underclass" did not "connote moral or ethical unworthi­ness" or "any other pejorative meaning." Rather, it described a new population, "not necessarily culturally deprived, lacking in aspirations, or un­motivated to achieve," but the static poor, trapped in their situation by a variety of forces, primarily constricted opportunities and "limited alternatives provided by socialization patterns” (Katz 4).

Why Do We Need a Class Analysis?

History is important because it shows us the mistakes we have made in the past, pointing out how we can prevent repeating them in the future. If we were to forget about slavery, racism would make little sense today. The power structure is the same as it was in the days of plantations; it is just under a new light. These capitalistic ways enable one people to be the power, victimizing the powerless. New Orleans has faced the same issues time and time again. However, few are putting together how the events are all connected: race. In Morris' article, following the Civil War, white leaders wanted barriers built so that water would not flood New Orleans if disaster were to strike. However, they needed a means of labor to build these walls, requesting the government to step back from protecting former slaves. Their requests were met, but the floods of 1927 showed racial tension as blacks were poor due to being abandoned by the plantation owners. Since there were no more plantations, there was no more protection of the blacks by default. The government then forgot about New Orleans. Under George W. Bush, flood walls were requested again, but due to his lack of class analysis, their requests were ignored. Disaster struck again through Katrina. If the Bush administry had looked further into the history of New Orleans, they would have seen the devastation of having no levees and how it affected society. "Speaker of the House Denni Hastert questioned the wisdom and worth of rebuilding New Orleans. No doubt many around the nation share his sentiments. It is hard to imagine he or anyone else would make similar remarks about San Francisco or Los Angeles, were they devastated by earthquake or fire" (Morris 3). Well of course not, these cities are not predominately black, with a history of racism and slavery. Ironically we were quick to help the 9/11 attacks when it was an “other” people to blame, the other being not white, who were killing our nation's whites, But when it’s our own citizens who are the “others”, and out citizens are black, we do not act quickly. We let them suffer, and blame the problems on them, the victim. “Sure they’re black, but the reason they didn’t get out in time is because they’re poor, not skin color” (Lavelle). Lavelle concludes that it is an issue of both race and class, as they are intertwined. They may have not gotten out in time because they were poor, but they’re poor because they’re black. We need to connect how class, race, and power are all intertwined.

Today's News

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kynL9Ev7NhU

I am not sure how to embed the video, but this video is about how a modern day slave camp was found in England on September 12th. Although this story takes place in England, not the United States, I believe both cultures greatly mirror each other. For slavery to still be going on in a modern society, it shows a striking difference of class. It does not say what type of people these slaves were; just that they were being held captive for about fifteen years in poor conditions. It does not say their original class, their race, or gender. I find it very sad that some people feel they have so much power over another human being, that they could make another person do something against their will. Until we are all seen as equals, I am afraid we will always have a separation of social status.

Introduction

Hello!
My name is Kelsey Morris, and I am a women's studies/philosophy major in my junior year. I am from Ledyard, CT but RIC brings me to Providence. I currently share an apartment with my younger sister and our cat. When I am not in school, I am usually at work. I also play for the RIC golf team. I took this class because I am very interested in societal structures and why things are the way they are. I want to know why there are even classes to begin with! How come so many people do not know which class they truly fall under? Why do the rich get richer and the poor, poorer?