I'm not saying it ISN'T classist and maybe that's the source of our miscommunication. I just acknowledge that classism exists BECAUSE classes exist.
My father's family didn't give two figs for education and they were the ones who were truly privileged (boarding school in Switzerland privileged). My mother's working class family were the ones who saw education as a gateway to a better life. However, they also think it's kind of a frivolous pursuit. It's an interesting dichotomy.
I'm now the only person on either side of my family to have a college degree. That goes for my cousins on both sides as well. I'm also surrounded by two distinct groups of people - those who are pursuing post-grad degrees and those who disdain college. Then there's my husband who is returning to college at 33 to get his A.A.. And he gets the same reaction - because he is incredibly well-read and creative and he comes from a family where education and creativity were highly, HIGHLY valued.
So it isn't just my personal experience - after all, the plural of anecdote is not data! I'm not using my experience to trump yours. But there is a general cultural trend. It might be that this list doesn't apply specifically to YOU but that doesn't make the list any less of an interesting tool for encouraging people to examine class privilege.
no subject
My father's family didn't give two figs for education and they were the ones who were truly privileged (boarding school in Switzerland privileged). My mother's working class family were the ones who saw education as a gateway to a better life. However, they also think it's kind of a frivolous pursuit. It's an interesting dichotomy.
I'm now the only person on either side of my family to have a college degree. That goes for my cousins on both sides as well. I'm also surrounded by two distinct groups of people - those who are pursuing post-grad degrees and those who disdain college. Then there's my husband who is returning to college at 33 to get his A.A.. And he gets the same reaction - because he is incredibly well-read and creative and he comes from a family where education and creativity were highly, HIGHLY valued.
So it isn't just my personal experience - after all, the plural of anecdote is not data! I'm not using my experience to trump yours. But there is a general cultural trend. It might be that this list doesn't apply specifically to YOU but that doesn't make the list any less of an interesting tool for encouraging people to examine class privilege.