Social Class &Cultural Diversity

Social Class& Cultural Diversity

“Due to the sheer mass of social groups, however, it is easier to be influenced than it is to influence. An understanding of these influences allows us greater awareness of our challenges as well as our opportunities and the choices which lie before us.” (FML 160, 2017). The family social class has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Growing up in Gilbert Arizona, there was a diversity of cultures. The high school I attended varied in terms of social class. I attended one of the wealthier schools in the area. The parking lot would consist of BMW’s, Mustangs, Merced’s, etc. Naturally when one would turn 16 a car would be granted… right? I told my parents I knew what car I desired.  I was going to add to the collection of the shiny new sport cars. Oh boy, was I uneducated, better yet I had no concept of money at the time. I just knew that I wanted to “fit in” with the culture I was surrounded in.

I can remember visiting several friend’s homes, some were elegant and mansion like, others were humble and exquisite. I always liked visiting other homes as I felt that mine was, well smaller and not as grand! I truly did not comprehend how blessed I was. Now looking back as an adult, I realized that my childish perceptions of home sizes were misconstrued. The influence of wealthy peers creates challenges that I think society faces today, where do I rank in the social class system? Large homes and fancy cars equal power, they a lot “High class”. Now I’m not saying that if you own a large home and drive a fancy car, then you are a high-class snob.  It is the “understanding” or mentality that is being undermined by society. Many individuals work very hard through, blood, sweat and tears, to achieve their success. It is all in the “greater awareness” that allows the thinking patterns to shape society. I have met many successful individuals whose humble outlooks have taught me what it’s like to be “in the world and not of the world”.

Living in Texas I was introduced to a melting pot of cultures. I met some of the most humble and loving individuals. Something that I really admired was their ability to continue to plug along in their circumstances. They, like many of us, had hopes and dreams they were working on, some longer than others. Some knew that they were going to be working on that goal for the rest of their lives because of their misconception of society’s rank of social class.

Let me share a story of a family that I met while living in Texas. Let’s call them the Smith’s. We met the Smith’s in Rowlett Texas, the lucky family lived underneath our family of five! At the time we were living in a cozy 700sqft apartment, we had just moved to Dallas in hopes to find our new home. You see, my children often behaved like wild monkeys during their children’s nap time. The husband would utilize the broom stick method, hitting the celling hoping we would get the hint to quiet down. That was a stressful six months, and I would literally have my children tiptoe as quietly as possible. I decided after the second broom stick approach I would go meet the family below us. I’m glad that I did, it has forever changed my outlook on the way society classifies individuals.

 I learned that Mrs. Smith received her degree in medicine in her country. She was a well know and a highly esteemed individual. I learned that her family which consisted of her husband, mother and two children, had moved to the U.S in hopes for a better life for her children. She expressed they were learning to assimilate to their new country. They were being submerged into the new ideas, customs, and beliefs which were very different from their country back at home. She had recently finished her nursing degree and was working evenings to provide for her family. I was floored, she had her degree in medicine, though she still was required to start from fresh here in the United States. She expressed to me her concerns of never being able to leave their quaint apartment. Mrs. Smith was worried about the cost of living elsewhere. She didn’t know where to look in comparing the cost of living. Since I was in the market, I gave her a few resources to research in the home buying process. We were both shocked when we found out how much we were over paying in rent. We figured out that if we were to purchase a home in the east Dallas area, the cost of living per month would significantly reduce, to almost half the amount we were paying in rent.  Mrs. Smith didn’t not think that they would ever qualify for a loan, and just wanted to a lot her children the best things that America had to offer. The Smiths taught me two important lessons, that and individual can choose to aspire even in difficult circumstances. Society still deems the power to classify each being, due to the environmental or family social class one is brought up in.

I want you to view this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ZpauS5Doo.  Tammy’s story was an eye opener for me. It may be hard for one to see the changes that Tammy made. Her hopes and dreams were to simply get an education and become a school teacher. She was the sole provider for her family and she did not give up on her family. Though, she felt that society had given up on her. Tammy wanted the validity of her hard work, and her efforts. Tammy wanted to feel on “top of the world”. We as human beings are influenced by society. We live in a challenging world where the choices and decisions we make will shape us and allow us to reach our full potentials. Society will tell you differently, it can easily persuade us, and present the challenges of being “good enough”. We have the ability to choose who will have influence over us.