Class Matters

[Lex]

The New York Times did this a year or so ago and it was a fascinatin read. Interesting stuff in there.

Class Matters

ABOUT THE SERIES
A team of reporters spent more than a year exploring ways that class - defined as a combination of income, education, wealth and occupation - influences destiny in a society that likes to think of itself as a land of unbounded opportunity.

• Day 1: Overview
• Day 2: Health
• Day 3: Marriage
• Day 4: Religion
• Day 5: Education
• Day 6: Immigration
• Day 7: New Status Markers
• Day 8: The 'Relo' Class
• Day 9: The Hyper-Rich
• Day 10: Class and Culture
• Day 11: Up From the Projects

 

[nudeyorker]

This was an interesting series;however they did not really address the "dirty" or "new" money! But it was a good read!

 

[Lex]

True. However, the focus was really on ther following question (and various sub-questions):

How much opportunity is there in America? Seems the ability to move between classes is not as great as like to think.

Why do people think they are lower, middle, upper class? Seems it has to do with more than just money.

How much intergenerational elasticity is there in America?

How does Class intersect with Education, Health Care, Marriage, etc.? Seems in does in some fairly ugly ways.

I like the site because there are many interactive features. The series is definitely worth a read.

 

[whatireallywant]

I'm interested in this topic as well. I think there is some difference between "new money" and "old money" too. I haven't known a lot of wealthy people, but most I have have been "new money". I do think I had a friend who was "old money" once though. I'm actually surprised that I could even have a friend who was "old money", since I am from a working-class (blue-collar) family. As for my class, I actually go back and forth between middle class and lower class. When I have a job in my field, I'm middle class but right now I'm unemployed so I'm lower class. My attitudes about things seem to fit more with middle class though, and most of my friends are middle class, although some are lower class as well (and a few are rich but not many).

I don't think it's easy to move upward in class. I DO think it's easy to move DOWNward, from middle class to lower class. It has happened to me, and it has happened to several people I know.

 

[bigboy9239]

Thanks for the Links...it made for some fascinating reading...

WOW...If there is another reason I'm happy to be here....it is because occasionaly, there a flashes of brilliance on these pages. I read these articles and I have to say that my eyes were opened in a lot of ways. As a black man, I have seen the poor side of life..and even though I make pretty good money as a trucker...I realize that a truck driver..even a Teamsters Union driver doens't have as much "class" as I had hoped. It's funny, a lot of people think that the amount of money you make puts you into a different class..but as the article says....this is only partially true..whats the old saying.."you can take the boy out of the ghetto, but you can't the ghetto out of the boy". I personally hope that this isnt true...because like the woman in the article....I have never had the ghetto lifestyle or outlook in me..I guess that why I leaned towards always learning... and the middle cless values. If I've learned anything...it is that we are all so diverse...and this IS the land of opportunity...for some. But some others Just don't want the middle class lifestyle..for whatever reason. I know this for a fact because my son is a gangster wannabe..and my daughter has masters degree and is a psycologist..same household...same education...he went to college like her....same values..different outcome..go figure.