Blog Assignment #2

1. Although America may not have as scrutinizing of a class system as many other countries, a great deal of rigidity is still present concerning the division of its social classes. For the most part, it’s easy to identify whether a person is from an upper class background, as opposed to a middle or low one. This is probably because many upper class individuals wish to be identified in just that way. Aulette describes the steps these families seem to take in order to secure their wealth and identity. An important step in achieving this is to create a positive image for your family by volunteering in the community, sending your children to private schools, and encouraging them to participate in athletics. From my experience, this desire to create a well off image seems to be an accurate depiction of many upper class families. Living in a middle class family in a primarily wealthy, upper class suburb allowed me to witness this division of classes first hand. When reading this excerpt, I also felt the description of this lifestyle was extremely reminiscent of the lives of the characters on one of my favorite TV shows, The OC. Constantly the women on the show, similar to the women Aulette describes as gatekeepers, organize charity balls and other socialite events. While these events represent volunteerism and generosity, they are often more vital to maintaining the social statuses of those planning the event than to helping the poor.

2. I feel that Aulette makes many conclusions which accurately portray the middle class, but they also come across as extremely broad generalizations. Not every middle class individual can be identified by the four main factors Aulette describes. The family of a close childhood friend is a perfect example of geographic mobility. In the time I’ve known her, her family has moved three times due to her father’s employment promotions. I, too, have experienced the mobility effects of employment changes among my parents four times. On the other friend, my best friend, who also comes from a middle class family, has lived in the same home her entire life. Due to the fact that they haven’t moved around, they also still greatly rely on kin for economic, social, and emotional support. I feel that while these characteristics may hold true among some middle class families, it is not always the case.