Class Differences

In this course we have talked on a couple occasions about socioeconomic class and how it relates to communication. We have determined that most in American society don't really like to talk about class or like to acknowledge that there are drastic differences in how people are treated based on class status. Class usually refers to the amount of money a person makes or has access to and people tend to not discuss their financial status publically. This is fine, but when the differences in class begin to cause discrimination and stereotyping a problem begins to occur.

As I have said before, I work in a suburban school district as a classroom nurse in the medical impairments program. This year we got two new students that had previously been in a more inner city school district. This is a family that I guess would be considered "low class" compared to most others in the school. Their clothes are not as nice, they receive free lunches and they talk with some slang and "city"talk as I have heard others say. They are two of maybe a handful of African American kids in this school. As the year has progressed I have noticed the different ways both students and staff have acted around these kids. At first I thought it may have been curiosity and getting adjusted to someone new, but now I am beginning to realize that it is also "class" stereotyping as well. The parents of these kids don't have a car all the time, are unable to pay for them to participate in school activities and field trips, and are not involved in the school as most other parents are. I have heard other staff members say "how can they live?", and kids ask them why they are never at any extracurricular activities. The kids are honest and say "We don't have a car" or " My mom ain't got not money." The other kids are shocked and then shy away and snicker back and forth. I get quite frustrated that instead of coming up with ways to help these kids out people tend to just step away and talk about them and their parents behind their backs. I do understand to some point that the parents could be a little more active with their children, try and find a job to get extra money, and so on but the kids should not have to suffer from this either. I think if people were just more open-minded and stepped outside their own safety zone to try and help others they may realize there is a whole lot more going on that they could help with. If the other parents would follow their kids would then realize that not everyone is quite as fortunate as they may be.