1

Classism

Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.

2

Understanding and experiencing class privilege The social construction of social class in the

U.S. is controversial.

3

The definition of classism

The institutional, cultural and individual set of practices and beliefs that assign differential value to people according to their socio-economic class, and an economic system that creates inequality and causes basic human needs to go unmet.

4

The wealth of our country is not equally distributed In the last decades of the 20th C, production

and worker productivity increased dramatically, but real wages for working class people feel, and both income and wealth shifted away from workers to capitalists.

5

The relationship between class and power Analyzing class allows us a better

understanding of power. The economic trends reflect shifts in the

relative power of workers and their bosses.

6

The family link

Children who grow up in privileged families are more likely to become professionals than those raised in a working-class family.

However, one point to be made, education still matters.

7

Loewen, JamesThe Land of Opportunity James Loewen laments that many students

dk understand the social structure of America. They hold the following ideas: The poor are poor b/c they have done nothing to

be successful. They dk understand that the social structure of

America influences what opportunities people can have, what ideas we hold, and how we live.

8

What is classism?

Many feel that all of the isms are rooted in classism.

Classism is the parent – the common seed.

9

The stereotype of the poor and working class The stereotype of the poor and working class

are: unintelligent, inarticulate, and overly emotional.

10

Teachers’ responses

Most teachers dk talk about class. They will talk about the injustices of being a person of color; gender; sexual orientation – but they avoid the discussion of class.

11

Storck, 2002

Children’s first knowledge of class differences

12

Vocabulary words

Direct discrimination: a person who is denied a benefit or treated unfairly b/c of his or her class (or other grounds for discrimination).

Indirect or constructive discrimination: a person who experiences a negative impact b/c of a rule or policy impose by an individual or institution.

Systemic discrimination: a person who is affected by subtle and unsubtle barriers imposed through the existing structure, policies, and/or practices.

13

The unintentional consequences of classism Children’s issues Richard Sennett and Jonathan Cobb – The

hidden injuries of class

14

Vocabulary

Direct discrimination Indirect or constructive discrimination Systemic discrimination

15

Vocabulary

Harassment Poisoned environment

16

Culturally not prepared

Class markers – even when someone has made it big and moved out of poverty, the class markers remain.

17

Has the poor become offensive to us? Wealthy nations are greedier than ever. Poverty is a real issue. Whether it’s the right to life or the right to an

education, people’s human rights are being violated b/c they are poor.

18

Dehumanization

Freire: “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” Dehuminization: humanity has been stolen, but it

also says something about those who have stolen it.

Who suffers the effects of oppression more than the oppressed? Who is better at understanding the necessity of liberation?

As long as the oppressed remain unaware of the causes of their condition, they fatalistically “accept” their exploitation.

19

Important Dates

1997-2006 International decade of the Eradication of poverty.

October 17th – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (began in 1993).

20

Exercise

What kinds of things do we mean when we say people are in one economic class or another?

21

Exercise

I was in a private school before my folks broke up. They had money when they were together. He left us and now my mom has a job and gets some help from my grandparents to help raise my family.

22

Exercise

My mom and dad both work, and dad has two jobs. We’ve wanted to move to a bigger house out of our neighborhood for a longtime, but can’t afford to right now.

23

Exercise

When we were in grade school, my little sister and I qualified for free lunches; but a lot of times I took a pass because of some of the jokes that people made.

24

Exercise

My parents inherited some money and I have a trust fund for college. We don’t take big vacations or have a lot of cars or anything, but we are doing okay.

25

Exercise

I’ve got a job, and I’m helping out with money at home. I’d like to buy clothes and shoes with what I earn, but the fashions cost more. I always have an argument with my folks about what I can buy.

26

Exercise

I was living on the street; I made a lot of money selling drugs before I got picked up. I’m in a group home now, but I know what I’m going to do to make it when I get out of here. I don’t talk about it at school.

27

Exercise directions

What reasons did you use to classify these people?

28

Pyramid Project

Each group will receive one of the following institutions: School/education system Real estate/housing/land ownership Business/jobs/corporations Criminal justice/prison system Organized sports History books Government Banks/financial institutions

29

Pyramid Project

Questions: Who is at the top in this pyramid? This can

include those people or organizations who have the most wealth within the institution (e.g. the highest paid people who work in the institution), as well as whom the institution most supports, most protects and keeps wealthy (e.g. who the institution benefits or works for most). Write names at the apex of the pyramid.

30

Pyramid Project

Who is at the bottom of this pyramid? This can include both who is poorest (lowest paid or non-paid people who work in the institution), as well as whom the institution most excludes or keeps poor or makes invisible. Write the names on the bottom of the pyramid.

31

Pyramid Project

How are the people who are lower in the pyramid “exploited” by or made to work for or serve or provide profit for those who are higher? Write answers across he middle of the pyramid.

32

Pyramid Project

What ways does the institution work to hide or cover up class differences, or “distract” people from seeing class differences that we’re not all on a “level playing field” Write answers along right and left sides of the pyramids.

33

Pyramid Project

What are possible ways this institution could (and sometimes does) work against classism to promote equality?

34

Getting Together Exercise

Living on the Pyramid People can decide in various ways to live in the

pyramid by getting ahead Getting by getting back at Getting out.

35

Brainstorm

If people decide to “get” in this particular way, what do they do?

How might they relate to other people “above” them in the pyramid? Below them? Side by side, like family members and friends?

Given the structure of the pyramid, what is likely to happen to them?

36

Upsetting the set-up: Getting Together If people decide to get together, what can they do?

What would they do to get more and more people together?

How could people resist classism? How could they be allies against classism?

Why might they want to get together? Housing: how should housing be organized so that

everyone can live with some privacy and safety while not excluding some people? Think about cities, suburbs, rural areas, as well as group and family living, people being able to live together and apart, or differently at different ages.

37

Upsetting the set-up: Getting Together

Food: How would the community produce and obtain its food? How would it make sure everyone was fed, and that all kinds of different foods could be produced so that people could have variety and balance in what they ate?

Safety: How would the community organize to keep its children safe but not afraid? So that adults would not hurt each other? If someone did hurt someone else, how would it be handled fairly?

38

Upsetting the set-up: Getting Together Work: What kinds of work are needed to

make a community happen? Who would do what work? How would people share community tasks like garbage, housekeeping, cleaning, and so forth?

School: How would he community provide for children and adults being educated? Who would teach? Who would be taught? How would the community ensure that all of its members had time to play, create, relax?

39

Upsetting the set-up: Getting Together Children and Elders: How would the

community operate to make sure that its children and elders are cared for?

Voice of the people: What should the community government look like, to enable everyone to participate in decisions affecting the entire community?

40

To begin to undo the damage… To begin to undo the damage caused by

classism, it is useful for everyone to examine their own feelings about money, education, privilege, power, relationships, culture, ethnicity.