i) Socioeconomic status is a way to measure how much wealth or financial status within a community. Based on their status people will be sorted into a class system where they are viewed as above, below, or average otherwise known as middle class. People typically want to fit in with the mean and as a result of this, most people identify their socioeconomic class as middle class. There are certain connationations that apply to being upper or lower class such as being snobby, narcissistic as a wealthy human and the latter being seen as a lesser being, unfortunate, or struggling. Identifying in the middle class works as a shield from any sort of potential judgement from others because you would fit in with everyone else’s identification, even if someone was better or worse off than others.
It is not necessarily as important to be able to identify your own socioeconomic status because you won’t be judging yourself but, it is important to be able to understand others’ financial situations and be able to relate to their struggle or success. Money is usually a sensitive subject and by observing or listening to others you can learn how to interact with them. I compared my self story to Riley’s story. Riley talks about how he learned his status to be in the upper middle class. He came to this realization from his everyday life at school. “I got driven to school everyday. It did not matter if it was -30 outside, I had a ride. I didn’t have to worry about food. There has always been more food than I can eat at my house. Last but not least I had more clothes than I ever needed, and could have a different outfit everyday.” As an upper to middle class person, he never had to worry about eating enough or having clothes suitable for the weather. He also talks about the division of the school with the two sides being academy and non academy kids, with the academy kids being typically from less wealthy backgrounds. In my self story, I came to the realization of classes at the hockey rink. Hockey is already an expensive sport to play before the costs of all of the equipment required add on. Throughout my many years in the sport I have seen people playing with all sorts of equipment. Teams from rich neighborhoods always have brand new or top of the line equipment and often the people from lower classes will be playing with old hand me down equipment. I realized that I would consider myself to be upper middle class. I always had decent equipment, my family could always afford the fees for me to play season after season, and I always had a ride to and from the rink. Recognizing your own fortune is a great way to realize what others do not always have. In our stories we realize that we often take our privileged lives for granted and other people get by with a lot less.
I also found Jordelle’s story to have a similar message to mine. Jordelle’s story takes place after a team practice in the gym when the coach announces that the team will be ordering new clothes. “One of our teammates asked the coach if it would be okay if she can leave next practice early to pick up another shift at work. Little did we know that the reason for that was to be able to pay for these extra accessories we were getting.”. Although she had never considered herself to be wealthy, Jordelle came to the realization that she should be more appreciative of the life she has. She had never had to be worried about the fees of sports and any additional costs that may come with it. Similar to my realization, I never was worried about money until I noticed that some people do not have as much of it. Although having nice things isn’t essential, it is important to some people to try to fit in with what seems to be the norm. I have become a lot more grateful for the expenses my parents paid for me growing up and I am not a lot more aware of how lucky I am.
ii) It was very interesting to see how many people had different experiences regarding their socioeconomic status. Many people were about middle class such as myself, while some lived in a less fortunate class. It was quite eye opening to see people’s lives from the other side of the classes. As a kid, my family did use a fair amount of hand me down clothes and equipment but family members still did get brand new things just for them. Most of the clothes I wore through elementary school belonged to my brother who outgrew them, but I would still get new things if I asked for them enough. I never really had a financial struggle in my life as I am very fortunate to have both of my parents working good jobs to provide for me and my siblings. I am lucky I never had to endure the hardships some of my classmates had to go through.
I found Nichol’s story to be a great perspective from a different economic class. Nichol’s story takes place prior to the first girls volleyball game of their season. Her excited atmosphere to play is extinguished when she begins to notice her teammates new equipment. “When we come out of the change room and head to the gym, I am very aware of the fact that all of my friends’ moms are sitting in the bleachers ready to give them a dollar or two to buy a snack… I looked around for my mom, even though I already knew she wouldn’t be there. She worked the day shift at a pharmacy, and then a night shift at the town bar so that she could support my four sisters and I on her own.”. Nichol was not as wealthy as her teammates as her mother had to support five children on her own. When the game starts, Nichol forgets all about her socioeconomic status and plays the game. On the court, social class doesn’t matter and everyone is equal. I thought that Nichol’s story is very opposite to mine in which we basically are seeing the world from mirror perspectives. My story was about receiving equipment that felt above my class and made me feel like I stood out, and Nichol’s story was about using older hand me down equipment and trying to fit in with her teammates.
In the article “Debunking the ‘Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps’ Myth”, it says “People feel comfortable prying into the lives of the poor to judge and blame them for their own situation and often, that’s because people see poverty as a punishment, and they see the poor as people who are punished for just not trying hard enough. They’re not studying hard enough at school. They’re not grinding hard enough at work. They’re not applying for enough jobs. Our culture sees the poor as a lazy breed. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”. Poor people are often seen as lazy or unmotivated when in reality, the most motivated people are those who are working to get by. In Nichol’s story, her mother rarely can make it to her volleyball games because of her multiple jobs. Other people may see this and think that the parent doesn’t care, or can’t be bothered to show up. When in reality, her mother was doing her very best to provide for her. It seems that the town Nichol was living in was much more understanding and aware of her family’s situation as they seem to want to help in any subtle way they can. I thought this article was a good read regarding the socioeconomic status topic as it clears the confusion regarding the less fortunate as well as busts a few myths about poor people and opportunity. Not everyone has the same opportunities as the last and there is very rarely equal opportunity. Poor people are not lazy. Poor people have to work very hard to get by and people judge them without ever knowing what situation they are in, whether it be the job search, overdue bills, multiple jobs at once, or just trying to provide so their children can play sports with their friends.
Trevor Price 