Chapter 4
Up from the Holler
This chapter was about one girl who was able to move up social ladder from a poor unhappy life to a middle class life style. Now this was not easy, and it didn't turn out quit how she wanted but it shows that with hard work it is possible. The main points are how a girl grows up with a really poor sick mom and dad who wasn't around and in her teens she was put in to foster care, which is the worst thing that could happen in these town. She was luck to have a middle class cousin who took her in and helped her out. He being middle class was able to offer her a better education and a new life style, she went to a college for liberal arts met her husband and got married. She became a lawyer after graduating top of her class and internship, they were able to live a nice life in a good part of town and a nice house. She was part of the middle class and she worked long hard hours to get there. But even with all of this she still didn't feel like she belong she didn't know the same things the middle class new, she wasn't raised the same way, she went to a poor college and felt so unsure of her self. She than later ended up moving back to her home town taking over her cousin law firm and adopting her niece and nephew out of foster care, and promised to raise them so they fit in to the middle class life style. What I found most interesting about this chapter was how at the end she talked about what makes the difference in middle class kids and poor kids and its how involved the parents are in the life, that is so true its not money its the involvement.
You asked about a situation where I ever felt awkward or different based on social class and I could say yes but noting that is over traumatizing. I hate going into small town shops, you know the ones that are really expensive and the girls just stare at you, and once you look at the prices you know you cant afford to even be in the same room with them. Those moments when you feel like your less than them cause you cant waist money on 100 dollars shirts. Also when you go into parts of town that is poorer than you and you see situations that make you feel uncomfortable or even scared because these people are talking about things you never think of doing. Social class are different all over and when you intertwine them you are going to feel awkward unless you really know how to act or pull off the situation.
Sources.
These are just some of the sources I will be using on my bigger project paper, I went on the the school library cite and looked up journal articles that way. By putting in ideas i wanted to write about, and than skimming the sections and finding out they will be helpful in building a wrong paper. I also will be using class matters chapter 2 and 4 are both going to very helpful in me proving my point. I am still looking for more source but all the one I find will most likely be from the library's page because I know I can trust those articles to be scholarly and reliable sources. They even have graphs and statistics so I can find my logos information to help support my idea. My main focus is going to be on the fact that the American Dream is not ment to be look at as a whole but for each individual in general and that social classes make it impossible for America to view it as a whole.
"Saving The American Idea." Vital Speeches Of The Day 77.12 (2011): 431-435. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Feb. 2012.
Peck, Don. "Can The Middle Class Be Saved? (Cover Story)." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 308.2 (2011): 60-78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Feb. 2012.
http://www.sesdweb.net/3757201013142825680/lib/3757201013142825680/John_Woodens_pyramid_of_success.pdf
Yes how involved parents are is very important. I think money plays a bit of a role in this too though--the more money a person has the more time they actually have to invest in their kids--many lower class parents are so busy trying to put food on the table they can't always be there to take their children to museums or help them with homework.
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