Linh Lam
Professor Schmeer
Honors Comp II
29 Febuary 2015
Classism
is a Hierarchy of Money and Power
Racism
and sexism has been fought for since the early 1960s and even earlier on but there
is one inequality that has been neglected. Classism, the division of social
classes based on assets. Classism is not thought of often since society accepts
it as a social norm that is decided by destiny. Classism is prejudice based upon
access to money.
The
American dream usually depicts a family of two to three children to a set of heterosexual
parents with a nice house and car(s). The lower class is always working towards
the American dream, whether it is the equivalent to that or a lower standard
due to circumstances. Too many people of the lower working class are working
themselves to death with multiple jobs and long hours while wealthy people, who
are consumed with materialistic matters, isolate themselves. Human resources,
such as creativity and energy - which are abundant - go wasted along with sense
of community that could have been developed.
Picking individuals out use to be easy because they could
be separated into different groups based on their appearance such as clothes
and assets such as house and car. Nowadays it is more difficult to segregate them
due to credit cards and loans. “Illusionism is something that people have
enjoyed for centuries.” (Keller 155). An individual may appear upper middle
class or wealthy due to their brand name clothes and the Mercedes Benz they
drive but it is illusions they have built upon loans to try and live a fantasy
they cannot supplement, a life in achieve accreditation. The false eyelashes,
heavy make-up from Sephora, and Jimmy Choos are donned to impress no one
important in particular but to impersonate as someone from a different social
class. “I am also a bit of a fraud. I probably shouldn’t have a Mercedes, but I’m
happy to wear a Mercedes. It’s a way I have of making myself feel important, to
have someone look at the best car on the road and know I’m in it.” (Keller
156). Everyone wants to be envied. Everyone wants to be complimented and
envied. Everyone is working hard towards becoming that, or even someone that
could be admired. There are others who have achieved the multimillion dollar
dream but it lives in their bank accounts. “There are a lot of millionaires
next door who may have a high net worth but don’t look any different than their
working-class neighbors” (Class). They do not wish to join the association of
people who live lavishly and artificially. They prefer to enjoy life’s simple
joys and surround themselves with people who will appreciate themselves for who
they are – not for what they have sitting in their bank accounts.
Classism
keeps individuals separated in their own bubble instead of engaging people
together. At an early age, kids are able to recognize differences in their
environment. “Classism can manifest itself as teasing other children because
they dress funny” (Liu). The abashed child often walks away dejected, promising
to themselves that they’ll show the other kids – they’ll show up one day and
have all the nifty things the other kids will be jealous of. The human desire
to be praised and adorned is encrypted deeply in everyone. Classism brings upon
doubt and self-doubt which “can include feelings of inferiority to higher-class
people, shame about one’s traditional class or ethnic heritage, and superior
attitudes toward people lower on the class spectrum” (Class). Rather than
looking down and envying others, which create harm to one’s own happiness,
people should be open and encouraged by others to engage and strive and enjoy
simple pleasures. Everyone is rich in different areas, whether it is in
talents, materialistic matters, or experiences.
Just
as society thinks they’re catching up, the rich are slipping even further away.
Nowadays, the wealthy do not indulge in flashy clothes or famous brands instead
they isolate themselves. They invest in “hair, nail, skin care services […and]
other personal services” (Keller 144). The wealthy no longer don showy items;
instead they consume services ranging from personal services and experiences. They
invest in private lessons and tutors for their children and travel to different
areas. They are always busy whether it is with piano lessons or with golf. “[T]here
is an expectation that he has certain kinds of cultural capital, such as knowing
the finer restaurants in which to eat, attending shows and museums, and proper
attire” (Liu). The wealthy have to keep up with themselves as well. They
constantly have to match up with their neighbors, often times trying to outdo
them per say. If they are to slip behind, they will get classified as sinking
to the class below them.
Money
speaks in our society. What is deemed as proper education is at least a
bachelor’s degree but that is quickly switching to a master’s or possibly a
PHD. Experiences and skills are not regarded as much unless it is written out
upon paper accrediting it from a constitution. “Our democracy is suffering from
the undue influence of those with big bucks. People who are marginalized are
not heard. Their ideas go unheeded in a time when we need new approaches to our
societal challenges. Class divisions and classism, the institutional and
internalized rulebooks of class, diminish our capacity as a nation to live into
our legacy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Class). Those who
do not have excess money are ignored because they are deemed ignorant, vulgar,
and linguistically deficient. Society does not realize that they are anything
but those. They are as capable and intelligent as those who have access to
large sums of money. Those who do not have the financial stability, as compared
to the wealthier individuals, are mistaken as unmotivated and weak hence their
voices go unheard. Their intelligence are questioned and often scoffed at. “Just
because you can go to Chanel and buy a dress does not mean you have class. A
person who just pays their bills on time can have class.” (Keller 181). Class
should not require a diploma or fancy items. Class is a social rank but it has
spilled over to stereotype individuals from certain groups. Class has taken on
multiple definitions ranging from income and assets to a person’s intellect
based on their possessions and social standing. Society has forgotten the
simple traits that should be appreciated but is now deemed as unimportant.
Classism
is discrimination based on wealth. Society stereotypes wealth with intelligence
and personality. The working poor are deemed as red-necks and uneducated based
on their possessions while the upper class is classified as elegant, classy,
and respectable. People try to fit in and pass off as being well-off to avoid
the speculation of being daft and obtuse, to be respected and well liked. What
they do not realize is that they are only supporting that stereotype. It is
okay to splurge and to want to have nice things but do not indulge simply to
try and pass off as another class because they feel inferior. Living a life on
credit cards and loans, juggling multiple jobs to finance a ridiculous lifestyle
is foolish. Having class should not be based on whether they can afford
expensive items but if their word can be trusted and if their personality is
genuine and true then they have class.
Classism
will always exist to an extent but rather than living as a society primarily focused
upon impersonating and possessing more assets than the other, it should be kept
a minimum. Life is short and to focus it entirely on pleasing and harvesting
praises is foolish. Live as lavish or as simple as desired, but never make it
to impress others. Everyone has strengths as well as limitations from their
class position but because of the intense class segregation in the United
States no one will benefit from each other’s strengths and overcome their limitations.
Class division is keeping the United States from functioning to its full
potential.
Works
Cited
"About
Class." Class Action. N.p., 21 May 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.classism.org/about-class/>.
Keller,
Bill. Class Matters: Correspondents of the New York times. New York: Times,
2005. Print.
Liu,
William Ming, Geoffrey Soleck, Joshua Hopps, Kwesi Dunston, and Theodore
Pickett. A New Framework to Understand Social Class in Counseling: The Social
Class Worldview Model and Modern Classism Theory. Thesis. Harvard, 2004. N.p.:
Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
