America Has Class
Economic class, that is. I know, America was founded as the great classless society, where all can rise or fall according to their efforts. To her great credit, America shed the bondage of institutionalized class found elsewhere across the globe. No person may claim nobility, no babe must take the merchant’s station, no child must live as a beggarly untouchable. Royalty does not exist.
Yet…
America does break down into classes. What serves as the distinguishing factor? Economics (ethnicity as well, but that factor has diminished over the past generation). And the fascinating part — each economic class speaks a different hidden language. Have you ever felt perplexed by the behavior or appearance of someone in obvious generational poverty? Generational wealth? How about from generational middle class? Like as not, that person was acting upon their hidden rules of economic class, and you did not possess the translation.
I’m going to give it to you.
Dr. Ruby Payne (site here) pioneered the subject of generational poverty research; the table below comes from her work. Now realize it refers to the hidden rules of generational poverty, middle class, and wealth, not situational poverty etc. It also describes general patterns, not absolutes, so please don’t share your anecdote about how the such-and-such category does not apply because your Aunt Ethel’s situation blah blah blah. Just read and enjoy the social science of it all! And yes, Mr. Byrd, I recall your objection to that term.
Now y’all speak the language.
Hidden Rules of Economic Class
| POVERTY | MIDDLE CLASS | WEALTH | |
| DRIVING FORCES | Survival, relationships, entertainment. | Work, achievement. | Financial, political, social connections. |
| POSSESSIONS | People | Things | One-of-a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees. |
| MONEY | To be used, spent. | To be managed. | To be conserved, invested. |
| PERSONALITY | Is for entertainment. Sense of humor is highly valued. | Is for acquisition and stability. Achievement is highly valued. | Is for connections. Financial, political, social connections are highly valued. |
| SOCIAL EMPHASIS | Social inclusion of people he/she likes. | Emphasis is on self-governance and self-sufficiency. | Emphasis is on social exclusion. |
| FOOD | Key question: Did you have enough? Quantity important. | Key question: Did you like it? Quality important. | Key question: Was it presented well? Presentation important. |
| CLOTHING | Clothing valued for individual and expression of personality. | Clothing valued for its quality and acceptance into norm of middle class. Label important. | Clothing valued for its artistic sense and expression. Designer important. |
| TIME ORIENTATION | Present most important. Decisions made for moment based on feelings or survival. | Future most important. Decisions made against future ramifications. | Traditions and history most important. Decisions made partially on basis of tradition or decorum. |
| EDUCATION | Valued and revered as abstract but not as reality. | Crucial for climbing success ladder and making money. | Necessary tradition for making and maintaining connections. |
| DESTINY | Believes in fate. Cannot do much to mitigate chance. | Believes in choice. Can change future with good choices now. | Noblesse oblige (the moral obligation of those of high birth, powerful social position to act with honor, kindliness, generosity, etc.) |
| LANGUAGE* | Casual register. Language is about survival. | Formal register. Language is about negotiation. | Formal register. Language is about networking. |
| FAMILY STRUCTURE | Tends to be matriarchal. | Tends to be patriarchal. | Depends on who has/controls money. |
| WORLD VIEW | See world in terms of local setting. | See world in terms of national setting. | Sees world in terms of international view. |
| LOVE | Love and acceptance conditional, based upon whether individual is liked. | Love and acceptance conditional and based largely upon achievement. | Love and acceptance conditional and related to social standing and connections. |
| HUMOR | About people and sex. | About situations. | About social faux pas. |
| CONFLICT | Physical fighting is how conflict is resolved. If you only know casual register, you do not have the words to negotiate a resolution. Respect is accorded to those who can physically defend themselves. | Fighting is done verbally. Physical fighting is viewed with distaste. | Fighting is done through social inclusion or exclusion and through lawyers. |
*Frozen Register: always the same (Lord’s Prayer, wedding vows, etc.)
Formal Register: standard sentence syntax and word choice of work and school (complete sentences and specific word choice)
Casual Register: language between friends and is characterized by a 400-800 word vocabulary (non-verbal communication is often used)
I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood, Dave Barry
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #1), Rick Riordan
The Book of General Ignorance, John Lloyd
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1), Cassandra Clare
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1), Suzanne Collins
Lord of the Flies, William Golding
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2), George R.R. Martin
Holes, Louis Sachar
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1), George R.R. Martin
Specials (Uglies, #3), Scott Westerfeld
Recovering Charles, Jason F. Wright
The Hourglass Door (Hourglass Door Trilogy, #1), Lisa Mangum
Pretties (Uglies, #2), Scott Westerfeld
July 27th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I won’t pick any of that apart, but I will say that for once I’m really, really glad not to be wealthy.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
This is fabulous as a help for character building and motivation. I do believe I shall link to you.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Hmmmm. I seem to be in two classes, though hanging out more in the lower class. Ew.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:07 am
What’s fascinating to me here is that much of American popular culture seems to fall into the “poverty” class in most of these categories. Makes me wonder about chickens and eggs.
July 29th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Ryker, that’s because of their entertainment orientation (see the first table row). They’re a market to cater to, and producers of popular culture oblige them. And btw, have you ever noticed how so many desperately poor have large TVs and movie collections?
August 6th, 2009 at 10:10 am
for the record, I do read CBDC even though I am an infrequent (at best) commenter.
i like thinking about social systems and how smug it makes me feel to neither be rich or poor! ha! wait, is that a characteristic of middle class?…
October 16th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
and now there is a test to determine your social class:
http://www.ryanbyrd.net/rambleon/2009/10/16/upper-crust-lower-crust-or-somewhere-in-between/