- Thus, I might write: My British education (private school, senior year @ the American School in London; M.Phil. in Social Anthropology @ University of Cambridge) might associate me with the upper class, and certainly I associated with elite teenagers and college students @ both London and Cambridge. So my outside of my "letter" from ASL (basketball, of course, and band) would denote the elite class of the St. Johns Wood area. But, inside, my Harrods' pay-stub would denote that I worked first Summers and then a whole year while living on my own as first a "packer" employee at Harrods and then for an agency--mainly cleaning. I liked my fellow workers and adjusted my accent accordingly (dropping aitches--ask Jeff & Matthew what that means). I have a different view of the upper class having been a servant for them at different times. (Newton K)
Friday, May 11, 2007
pre-departure query one (culture chest revisited)
We all should be reading Cannadine by now. I'd like to re-visit the Culture Chest we did at the dinner party at my house with a view towards exploring social class. (And, for Jeff, Allison, Andrew, this will be the first time we have heard anything about your culture chests.) That is, pick one item/subject (on the outside) and note how that relates to how others situate you with regard to class, social relations, social status. Then pick a similar (or even the same) item (on the inside) and note how this helps you situate yourself with regard to class, social relations, or social status. One paragraph should be fine. Again sign with last name and first initial.
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The thing on the outside of my chest are tickest to the theatre. These are tickets to plays and musicals very big in Chicago. People would see these and thinkk that i am from a higher class i would think. The theatre throughout history as been for the upper class. Even though it is much easier and affordable for all races and classes to attend the theatre now, I think people would see them and associate me with an upper class. One item that was inside of my culture chest was a Kairos cross. This was a cross given to people that attended a kairos retreat. This is a tough item to determine what people would relate to social class. That is because religion has no price tag really. It is just a wood cross so it doesnt look like it is expensive but it doesnt really look like it is cheap either. So i guess by looking at it people would assume middle class. But it is not the type of item tht the first thing they thought of when they saw it is middle class, they would think christian or catholic when they saw it.
Well, the outside of my chest contained many pictures the best being of my puppy Mao Tse Tung. Toy dogs, Chinese Cresteds in particular, are very expensive. So I would say in that aspect people might perceive me as being more upper maybe upper middle class. The inside contained a picture of Parkersburg (my current living situation). From that I would say people would consider it more rural working class because P'burg houses a population of about 200 (including the cows). So I would say I'm quite the contradiction when I take Mao for a walk in rural American P'burg!
On the outside I had pictures of the Dallas Cowboys' emblem, the blue star. Generally I think most people, especially people from my home town, see me as a guy who likes football and a lower middle class jock. In high school football was really the only extra-curricular I was involved in and I am from a lower to middle middle class family. But on the inside I have my name tag for student government. I think that may pertain to me being adleast somewhat intelligent, although not all politicians are, and having the capacity to care about issues. It also I think categorizes me in a different class of people who can move their way up through society. I don't think by any means it says that I am upperclass, but I do believe it puts me in a much different class than that of a jock.
Cole Rogers
My chest was actually the VHS box set for Rocky I-IV (Rocky V sucked). These were super cheap at a resale shop and used. I buy alot of clothes at thrift stores and I hate throwing out good clothes that can be patched. So, I guess looking at my box and at me, people might assume that I don't have much money. Overall, I'm pretty cheap.
My family, however, is upper middle class (oh, the distinctions!) and have plenty of money to buy nicer clothes. I choose not to invest much money in what I wear.
Inside my box, I had my iPod headphones, which show my family has at least some disposable. income. I also had a Kurt Vonnegut book, and some pictures from home. So, even though I look like a bum sometimes, I am being college educated, and come from a well-to-do family.
On the outside of my bag I had written my fraternity letters of Lambda Chi Alpha. I think this would cause most people to associate me with the upper class. This is not always the case however in greek life. Inside my bag I had a picture of George Meany, the president of the AFL-CIO from 1955-1979. The AFL-CIO is a union of labor unions. I think this would cause most people to associate me with the middle class because of my interest in labor unions. This interest stems from the fact that my father has been in a labor union for going on 33 years. Although I am very involved with greek life, which has many stereotypes of its own including I think upperclass, the inside would affiliate me with that of a middle class working family.
Well on the outside I think the thing that would most define me by my class would be the Modern Life is War/hardcore punk images. Punk, and especially hardcore, are seen as working class music. In this respect one might feel that I am either of the working class or sympathetic to working class issues.
On the inside I have an ipod which immediately places me in the middle or upper middle class. It is a rather expensive piece of electronic wonder, and an older one meaning that I got it in the early days of the ipod. Indicating a rather disposable income, especially for a college student.
What I had on the outside of my chest are all of the organizations that I am/have been involved in, as well as images of things I am interested in (books for reading, music notes, a mountain for the outdoors, an island to symbolize exploration as well as where I've been). I can imagine that people would perceive me extremely involved, having many friends/aquaintances, as well as being in a high social status. THough, that is not really the case. Even though I know many people, I have a select group of friends.
On the inside of the Culture Chest, was a picture of half of my mom's side of the family (63 people total). My family is important because they helped me find my position in reguards to class, social realations and social status. This photograph shows how I came to be, where I am in my class, and social relations. (Pietraszewski L.)
On the outside of my box, I have a picture of corn (husked and pre-husked) with the tagline "Farm Life." In many ways, farmers waver on the brink of class; however, the natural images and phrases conjured up of farmers as a class is that of "hick," "lower middle-class," "hayseed," "uncouth," and "naive." These are just a few of the assumptions that have surrounded me as an individual when people discover I spend much of my childhood on a small, productive, family owned farm.
To combat this image, inside my box I have my student ID from undergrad--a private, liberal arts college in Waukesha, WI (a place I hold near and dear to my heart). This ID (as well as my diploma) dispels many images people had about farmers being stupid, uncouth and naive (at least I hope I have dispelled that image surrounding myself).
My chest itself is a cigar box. Cigars are associated with middle to upper class individuals given that the craftsmanship, time, and price of a good cigar is really open to those in an upper income bracket. On the inside of the box is a guitar pick. Usually playing an instrument means that you have leisure time to do so, and normally this would be reserved for the middle to upper classes as well seeing as they have the time to practice and write songs.
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