As this class has made clear, oppression doesn’t live in isolation. Every form of oppression intersects and melds together in the mainstream, creating subsets and building traits that both make them similar and set them apart from the others. All forms of oppression affect one another, but during the class I saw particular correlation between classism and racism. These forms of oppression have a great deal in common, but also have aspects that make them distinctive. Among many things, I noticed their similar structures, a certain veneer about them, and how they both disguise themselves in society but in different ways. One of the main similarities between racism and classism is their structure. Both forms of oppression are
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Unfortunately, these notions frequently align with violent or criminal behavior. Part of the reason for this was discussed earlier, that minority classes and races are located in poorer, inner city areas where drug and crime rates are higher. Therefore, racial minorities and lower class individuals are typically associated with poverty, drugs and crime. According to George Lipsitz, there are different, often negative, ethnic relationships with the criminal justice system, such as more arrests and longer prison sentences (81). Much like the earlier example, this system forms a vicious cycle. As Gregory Mantsios’s lays out in his article “Class in America- 2006,” the lower class or minority standing, “the more difficult it is to secure appropriate housing, the more time is spent on the routine tasks of everyday life, the greater is the percentage of income that goes to pay for food and other basic necessities, and the greater is the likelihood of crime victimization” …show more content…
In many ways classism is more concealed because it is deceptive and supported by the capitalistic economy. As mentioned earlier, appearance is typically used to denote membership to certain groups, but looks can be misleading. Michael Harrington interestingly points out in Gregory Mantsios’s that “America has the best dressed poverty the world had ever known” which “may explain, in part, its middle-class image” (152). He explains that the “increased mass marketing of ‘designer’ clothing and shifts in the nation’s economy” make it more and more difficult to use appearance as a tell-all for class (Mantsios 152). Classism also hides in the capitalist economy, leading society to the perception that classes are a simple fact of life. For generations the U.S. has had classes, and despite some economic hard times, the system says it follows the ideas of “meritocracy” by rewarding hard work and opportunity (Adams 143). In reality, though, this isn’t the case. Historically, many ethnic groups have suffered in the name of progress to build this economy, and today the differences between the upper and lower classes are often ignored and the upper class suffers the least when hard times come (Adams 143). As a society we can talk about the middle class and assume they represent our society with a certain image (Mantsios 152), when in fact, they don’t truly represent society and they don’t
Unfortunately, these notions frequently align with violent or criminal behavior. Part of the reason for this was discussed earlier, that minority classes and races are located in poorer, inner city areas where drug and crime rates are higher. Therefore, racial minorities and lower class individuals are typically associated with poverty, drugs and crime. According to George Lipsitz, there are different, often negative, ethnic relationships with the criminal justice system, such as more arrests and longer prison sentences (81). Much like the earlier example, this system forms a vicious cycle. As Gregory Mantsios’s lays out in his article “Class in America- 2006,” the lower class or minority standing, “the more difficult it is to secure appropriate housing, the more time is spent on the routine tasks of everyday life, the greater is the percentage of income that goes to pay for food and other basic necessities, and the greater is the likelihood of crime victimization” …show more content…
In many ways classism is more concealed because it is deceptive and supported by the capitalistic economy. As mentioned earlier, appearance is typically used to denote membership to certain groups, but looks can be misleading. Michael Harrington interestingly points out in Gregory Mantsios’s that “America has the best dressed poverty the world had ever known” which “may explain, in part, its middle-class image” (152). He explains that the “increased mass marketing of ‘designer’ clothing and shifts in the nation’s economy” make it more and more difficult to use appearance as a tell-all for class (Mantsios 152). Classism also hides in the capitalist economy, leading society to the perception that classes are a simple fact of life. For generations the U.S. has had classes, and despite some economic hard times, the system says it follows the ideas of “meritocracy” by rewarding hard work and opportunity (Adams 143). In reality, though, this isn’t the case. Historically, many ethnic groups have suffered in the name of progress to build this economy, and today the differences between the upper and lower classes are often ignored and the upper class suffers the least when hard times come (Adams 143). As a society we can talk about the middle class and assume they represent our society with a certain image (Mantsios 152), when in fact, they don’t truly represent society and they don’t