Week 10 - Class and Classism

10a. What is Class and Classism?

Economic status and differential access to resources form significant differences between members of a society as well as people across the globe. These differences are of course not natural, but are constructed and built throughout history. The division that results from wealth can affect all aspects of our lives — education, health, housing, profession, socialization, and so on. Sensoy and DiAngelo remind us that class is not just about economics, wealth, or income, because these categories are enmeshed in power. They write,

 

Focusing on the section “Examples of Everyday Class Privilege”, the authors make a list that details some experiences of class privilege:

• You can readily find accurate (not caricatured) representations of members of your class depicted in films, television, and other media.
• Experts appearing on mass media are from your social class.
• New consumer products are designed and marketed with your social class in mind.
• If you find yourself involved in a police situation, you can easily hire an attorney to ensure your perspective is heard justly.
• You can choose to eat healthy food if you wish, and it is readily available.
• Your eyesight, smile, and general health aren’t inhibited by your income.
• If you become sick, you can seek medical care immediately and not just “hope it goes away.”
• As a child, you were able to participate in organized sports, clubs, music, and other extracurricular activities.
• Your decision to pursue postsecondary education, and the type of institution you chose, wasn’t based entirely on financial determinants.

(Adapted from Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, pp. 177-178)

 

10b. The Occupy Movement

The Occupy Movement is a global justice movement that challenges and resists economic and social inequality. Wielding the slogan “We Are the 99%,” the movement sought to expose the gaps in wealth that structure national and global economies and societies — that the richest 1% control most of the world’s wealth and resources. Inspired by other global protest movements, Occupy Wall Street began in September of 2011. Their official website states,

The following videos give you a quick summary about the Occupy movement. As you watch them, please pay attention to the following questions:

• What are the main issues that concern protesters?
• Why and how are they making these issues known?
• What is behind slogans like “We Are the 99%”?
• What is the extent of the economic inequality in the U.S.?
• What’s the distribution of wealth?

Watch the following video by CNN:

Watch the following video by The Guardian: 

In the following articles, note the global dimensions, as well as the national Canadian context of social and economic injustice. This form of injustice is something that has structured both international and more local societies. The issues that animate protests in different parts of the world range from jobs to food, and from housing to childcare.

Pay attention to how these issues are related to class:

• In Canada, what is the profile of the top 1%? Think about how they were able to benefit from their positions in order to become some of the top income earners.
• What does the demographics of this group (gender, geography, age, occupation) tell us about Canada as a whole?
• What statistics are missing?