C
C.O.P (Cow On Parole)
Guest
Social Class Action Research
What social class is in America? The great thing about being born an American citizen, is all men and women are born with the opportunity of freedom and equality. Not everyone, however, is given the same change to live out their American Dream because of the social identity he or she may possess. All Americans are not born into families having equal opportunities. Gollnick and Chinn defines classes as under, working, middle, upper middle, and upper.
I will give you a brief definition of each type of class stated by Gollnick and Chinn. “Underclass is the population who suffers the most from lack of stable income or other economic resources. They include the hardcore unemployed-those whom seldom work, if ever, and they lack the skills to find and maintain a job. The working class are those who require manual work for which income can vary widely. These people do not give orders; they generally take orders from a higher authority known as the middle class. The middle class Americans income can range from $20,000 to $50,000 putting them into two different groups: white collar workers and professional managers. The upper middle class includes professionals, managers, and administrators. They are known as the elite for the middle class. Out of all the classes studied, the upper middle class holRAB the greatest power. Finally, the upper class in which is made up of two groups. The first group involves families who have inherited great wealth; the second group involves top level administrators and professionals.” (Gollnick and Chinn, 1998, p.45-53)
In our society, we are labeled as a specific class according to one’s education, speech, manners, dress, tastes, and other cultural characteristics. As I have pointed out, the main social importance of differential distribution of income, wealth, and occupation lies in the fact that it results in inequalities of opportunity. This may affect people in different ways as one may try to obtain certain values. A perfect example of this is given in the Jean Anyon article on Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. The article deals with different social class schools ranging from the working class, middle class, affluent professional school and executive elite. The article is a good example of the types of social classes. I felt the students in the working class schools are not given near the opportunity as the students in the professional and executive elite schools. The teachers seem to be more like drill sergeants in the working class schools, whereas, the teachers in the elite schools gave the students an opportunity to challenge themselves. “School experience in the sample of schools differed qualitatively by social class. These differences may not only contribute to the development in the children in each social class of certain types of economically significant relationships and not others but would thereby help to reproduce this system of relations in society.” (Anyon, 1980, p.225)
After studying the different types of social classes from lectures and readings, I chose to do a comparative analysis on the grocery store, Food Town in two different income areas. Food Town is a Toledo based grocery store with their main office in Maumee, Ohio. The two Food Town stores I had the opportunity to evaluate are located at 6750 Sylvania Avenue, Sylvania, Ohio (high income neigrabroadorhood) and 1703 East Airport Highway, Toledo, Ohio (low income neigrabroadorhood). Attached are demographics and average income levels of these two areas. I currently live in Sylvania, and I have the opportunity to shop at the Sylvania branch store, so I am familiar with the services provided. As one would expect, the Food Town Stores share several similarities in the services available. These include:
1) Western Union Money Transfer
2) Money Order Sales
3) Photo Developing
4) Instant Lottery Tickets
5) Super Lotto Sales
The Sylvania store offered additional services not provided in the Toledo store. These included:
1) Video Department
2) Seafood Department
3) ATM
4) Floral Department
Another major contrast was the environment and surroundings of the stores. The appearance from the outside was remarkably different. The Toledo store appears extremely run-down. The shopping carts are old and covered with rust. Unlike, the Sylvania store, where the storefront was clean and the carts new.
With Food Town being a local chain store, I found the prices on items such as meats, produce, and dairy to be the same. It surprised me that there was no variance in prices relative to income between these two stores. Even though the prices were comparable, the quality of the food was of major difference between the two stores. For example, the produce in the Toledo store appeared to be older and some things were even rotting, unlike the Sylvania store where everything looked fresh and crisp. Another example is the difference in the meat departments.
The Toledo store had packages of browning meat with “sell by” dates expiring on the day I observed the store. The Sylvania had red and fresh meat with “sell by” dates of four to five days ahead.
I feel this is a good example of what Gollnick and Chinn comment on difference of inequality. “Children born in low-income families will be disadvantaged in developing their adult earning power by inferior schooling, an oppressive financial environment and poor health” (Gollnick and Chinn, 1998, p.62). My analysis demonstrates both the oppressive financial environment and poor health portions of this comment. For example a mother from a low income district decides to shop at the high income district and realizes the quality of food and services provided are remarkably different. The psychological impact could become very troubling to the mother because she may feel she is getting cheated or robbed of her money, especially with the prices being the same but having different quality. As Golden states, “Being “low income” does not mean simply being without money. It means having to struggle continuously without the time to solve one problem before the next one arrives. Such continual battle makes it hard to remeraber that you have any power or control over your life” (Golden, 1996, p.156). With respect to health, a child living in a low income district, most likely, will not receive the same quality of food as a child living in a higher income district. In addition, the poor flavor of partially spoiled food will reduce a child’s appetite. Both these items can equate to poor health through reduction of nutrient intake and poor eating habits.
6
In conclusion, I have discussed social class in our American society and defined the different types of social class. I have given you a comparative analysis on the Food Town stores to demonstrate the inequalities associated with social class. From this analysis, a child growing up in a lower income neigrabroadorhood versus an upper income neigrabroadorhood will not have the same opportunities. Few of us are taught through formal education to know and understand the American social classes. I feel most of us learn our own social class from family and peers. It is clear that social class enters into almost every aspect of our lives, school, marriage, business, and even government.
References
Anyon, J. (1980, Winter). Social class and the hidden curriculum of work. Journal of education, 162, No. 1, p. 225.
Golden, M. (1996). The big connection. In J. Andrzejewski (Ed.), Oppression and Social Justice: Critical Frameworks (5th ed. p. 156). Needham Heights, MA: Simon and Schuster.
Gollnick, D. And Chinn, P. (1995). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society (5th edition). New York: Merrill/MacMillan.
Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc.
What social class is in America? The great thing about being born an American citizen, is all men and women are born with the opportunity of freedom and equality. Not everyone, however, is given the same change to live out their American Dream because of the social identity he or she may possess. All Americans are not born into families having equal opportunities. Gollnick and Chinn defines classes as under, working, middle, upper middle, and upper.
I will give you a brief definition of each type of class stated by Gollnick and Chinn. “Underclass is the population who suffers the most from lack of stable income or other economic resources. They include the hardcore unemployed-those whom seldom work, if ever, and they lack the skills to find and maintain a job. The working class are those who require manual work for which income can vary widely. These people do not give orders; they generally take orders from a higher authority known as the middle class. The middle class Americans income can range from $20,000 to $50,000 putting them into two different groups: white collar workers and professional managers. The upper middle class includes professionals, managers, and administrators. They are known as the elite for the middle class. Out of all the classes studied, the upper middle class holRAB the greatest power. Finally, the upper class in which is made up of two groups. The first group involves families who have inherited great wealth; the second group involves top level administrators and professionals.” (Gollnick and Chinn, 1998, p.45-53)
In our society, we are labeled as a specific class according to one’s education, speech, manners, dress, tastes, and other cultural characteristics. As I have pointed out, the main social importance of differential distribution of income, wealth, and occupation lies in the fact that it results in inequalities of opportunity. This may affect people in different ways as one may try to obtain certain values. A perfect example of this is given in the Jean Anyon article on Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. The article deals with different social class schools ranging from the working class, middle class, affluent professional school and executive elite. The article is a good example of the types of social classes. I felt the students in the working class schools are not given near the opportunity as the students in the professional and executive elite schools. The teachers seem to be more like drill sergeants in the working class schools, whereas, the teachers in the elite schools gave the students an opportunity to challenge themselves. “School experience in the sample of schools differed qualitatively by social class. These differences may not only contribute to the development in the children in each social class of certain types of economically significant relationships and not others but would thereby help to reproduce this system of relations in society.” (Anyon, 1980, p.225)
After studying the different types of social classes from lectures and readings, I chose to do a comparative analysis on the grocery store, Food Town in two different income areas. Food Town is a Toledo based grocery store with their main office in Maumee, Ohio. The two Food Town stores I had the opportunity to evaluate are located at 6750 Sylvania Avenue, Sylvania, Ohio (high income neigrabroadorhood) and 1703 East Airport Highway, Toledo, Ohio (low income neigrabroadorhood). Attached are demographics and average income levels of these two areas. I currently live in Sylvania, and I have the opportunity to shop at the Sylvania branch store, so I am familiar with the services provided. As one would expect, the Food Town Stores share several similarities in the services available. These include:
1) Western Union Money Transfer
2) Money Order Sales
3) Photo Developing
4) Instant Lottery Tickets
5) Super Lotto Sales
The Sylvania store offered additional services not provided in the Toledo store. These included:
1) Video Department
2) Seafood Department
3) ATM
4) Floral Department
Another major contrast was the environment and surroundings of the stores. The appearance from the outside was remarkably different. The Toledo store appears extremely run-down. The shopping carts are old and covered with rust. Unlike, the Sylvania store, where the storefront was clean and the carts new.
With Food Town being a local chain store, I found the prices on items such as meats, produce, and dairy to be the same. It surprised me that there was no variance in prices relative to income between these two stores. Even though the prices were comparable, the quality of the food was of major difference between the two stores. For example, the produce in the Toledo store appeared to be older and some things were even rotting, unlike the Sylvania store where everything looked fresh and crisp. Another example is the difference in the meat departments.
The Toledo store had packages of browning meat with “sell by” dates expiring on the day I observed the store. The Sylvania had red and fresh meat with “sell by” dates of four to five days ahead.
I feel this is a good example of what Gollnick and Chinn comment on difference of inequality. “Children born in low-income families will be disadvantaged in developing their adult earning power by inferior schooling, an oppressive financial environment and poor health” (Gollnick and Chinn, 1998, p.62). My analysis demonstrates both the oppressive financial environment and poor health portions of this comment. For example a mother from a low income district decides to shop at the high income district and realizes the quality of food and services provided are remarkably different. The psychological impact could become very troubling to the mother because she may feel she is getting cheated or robbed of her money, especially with the prices being the same but having different quality. As Golden states, “Being “low income” does not mean simply being without money. It means having to struggle continuously without the time to solve one problem before the next one arrives. Such continual battle makes it hard to remeraber that you have any power or control over your life” (Golden, 1996, p.156). With respect to health, a child living in a low income district, most likely, will not receive the same quality of food as a child living in a higher income district. In addition, the poor flavor of partially spoiled food will reduce a child’s appetite. Both these items can equate to poor health through reduction of nutrient intake and poor eating habits.
6
In conclusion, I have discussed social class in our American society and defined the different types of social class. I have given you a comparative analysis on the Food Town stores to demonstrate the inequalities associated with social class. From this analysis, a child growing up in a lower income neigrabroadorhood versus an upper income neigrabroadorhood will not have the same opportunities. Few of us are taught through formal education to know and understand the American social classes. I feel most of us learn our own social class from family and peers. It is clear that social class enters into almost every aspect of our lives, school, marriage, business, and even government.
References
Anyon, J. (1980, Winter). Social class and the hidden curriculum of work. Journal of education, 162, No. 1, p. 225.
Golden, M. (1996). The big connection. In J. Andrzejewski (Ed.), Oppression and Social Justice: Critical Frameworks (5th ed. p. 156). Needham Heights, MA: Simon and Schuster.
Gollnick, D. And Chinn, P. (1995). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society (5th edition). New York: Merrill/MacMillan.
Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc.