Cultural Pluralism-Classism PDF

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1 CLASSISM

Classism Essay Kristi Barilone West Coast University

2 CLASSISM “As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue” (Immortal Technique, 2001). Classism is defined as “an attitude, action or institutional structure that subordinates or limits an individual based in their low socioeconomic status”; elements such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, and schooling contribute to the uncompromising class structure that makes it almost impossible for people to move out of their classes (Koppelman, 2020). Classist attitudes in public policy can lead to poverty, disease, hunger, and other systems of oppression; primarily affecting our most vulnerable citizens. Classism is not willingly addressed, the discussion of money is a very important basis for class, which makes it a taboo subject within our society. In “The Hidden Reasons for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now”, Gary Haugen tells the story of a woman living in Oregon who was home alone and called 9-1-1 to report a break in, but was told that due to budget cuts, police were not available in her area. Tragically, the woman was assaulted, choked and raped “because this is what it means to live outside the rule of law” (Haugen, 2015). Haugen emphasizes the lack and need of law enforcement, but also states “the thing with law enforcement, it starts with police, they are the front end of the pipeline of justice, but they hand it off to the prosecutors, and the prosecutor’s hand it off to the courts, and the survivors of violence have to be supported by social services all the way through that. So, you must create an approach that pulls that all together” (Haugen, 2015). The investment in resources, policy change and reform would help in the fight against poverty. Effective working law enforcement is a basic human right that should not be defined by an individual’s socioeconomic class. Importantly, class privilege is set out to perpetuate classism in our communities, which result in negative stereotypes and attitudes concerning poor individuals and families, and encourage and motivate racism, ageism, and sexism. A person’s race, age, gender, and education

3 CLASSISM level are contributing factors which may lead to discriminatory repercussions. Minorities such as Latinos, Native Americans, and African Americans, could be prevented from obtaining employment, as opposed to White/Caucasian applicants, which can impede employment and economic growth. Ageism affects individuals of all ages; young individuals are seen as inexperienced, irresponsible, not valuing education, and lacking ambition; while those older individuals could be seen as frail, lonely, depressed, and with a loss of cognitive ability, which lead to economic consequences, such as employment, retirement, pensions, and health bias (Koppelman, 2020). Women are typically paid less than their male counterparts; with women of color making even less than White women. For a one income household or single mothers and women, this could be a contributing factor in the inability to advance in class, and possibly out of poverty. Additionally, American schools are designed for middle- and upper-class children, therefore, children from low-income households are less likely to graduate from high school, college, or universities, making it difficult and at times almost impossible for underprivileged children to grow up and obtain a suitable paying wage (Koppelman, 2020). Institutional classism is established by laws, customs, and practices in our society that enable systematic discrimination against low-income individuals, which benefit middle-or upper-class individuals (Koppelman, 2020). In summary, oppression will remain an unavoidable outcome when power and resources are focused in one group (Koppelman, 2020). Law and policy changes that focus on increasing minimum wage, offer tax incentives, restructure public school funding, increase subsidies for affordable housing, and offer tax relief to low-income people, will help reduce poverty statistics and create a more inclusive society. As a collective society, we should be committed in creating, implementing, and expanding effective services for those in working and lower classes.

4 CLASSISM References

Gary Haugen: The hidden reason for poverty the world needs to address now. (2015). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofsncCF

Immortal Technique - The Poverty of Philosophy Lyrics. (n.d.). MusiXmatch. Retrieved December 15, 2020, from https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/ImmortalTechnique/The-Poverty-of-Philosophy

Koppelman, K. L. (2020). Understanding human differences : multicultural education for a diverse America. Pearson Education....