Social Class. What Does It Really Mean?

At the beginning of this week, we were asked to watch a series of videos about social class and what different people's attitudes were about the different classes. These videos were a little dated as far as when they were filmed but the message is still the same.
I thought it was so crazy how stereotypical the people they interviewed were about lower classes. For instance, I kid you not, one woman said "I would never own a Ford, it's probably stolen." She was a high class woman and with a comment like this, I really wondered how exactly she got to that point with such little intelligence. Now, that comment is harsh, I'm sure she's a nice person. But it's ignorant.
There were lots of comments such as this. In one video the comment actually came from a the son of a 'low class' woman. He was quite insulting to her and his family, saying he was embarrassed at the fact that they don't do anything and that his mother never does herself up, always in her Burger King uniform. Now stereotypically this woman was very low class and financially, she was low class. But what really does class mean? What does it honestly say about anybody? This woman walked ten miles to get to work every day. She worked so hard every day, at work and as a single mother; she has dreams and goals. In her situation is she able to achieve them? Perhaps not. But this woman was certainly a class above the treatment she received from her supposed superior son.

So what is social class? Is it just money? Or is it character too? I have a little list of things that sort of give social class a definition, but I think you'll find just as I did, that it's not so easy.

-education
-financial status
-culture
-where you live
-accomplishments
-societal involvement
-this is just off the top of my head but there's a thousand others, but you catch my drift and I'm sure you can think of more.


So what happens when a person is lacking in some of these areas, but very strong in others? What happens when you compare them with someone who is in the same situation but a different mix of categories? Are they in the same class still?

I think it's really interesting and thought provoking to think that we, as regular people have pre-programmed thoughts about what a low-class or a high-class person looks like, never mind what actually qualifies them to be in a certain class. I think that as a society we should be more weary about how we judge things like this.
In my opinion, our split second judgement can be hindering to society. If we automatically assume that someone living in the projects/ghetto is low-class and a nuisance, or is probably into drugs (I'm being extreme of course.) and that attitude becomes too generalized, those people may not receive the opportunities they are capable of taking, or may even begin to believe that they're not capable.

Being stuck in a class is a vicious cycle and we do not help when we take it upon ourselves to determine that classes of others. And trust me, I do not exempt myself from this.

If you wish to view the same videos that I did, here is a link that will get you started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MtVM_zFs&feature=PlayList&p=C6D871A2A8C3C8EF&index=0

also search Tammy's Story.

Thanks for reading guys, sorry this one turned into a bit of a venting session. :)