Class Stratification in the US

"Mom, can we go shopping this weekend?" my daughter asked me out of the blue one day.

"Kiddo, I just bought you new clothes for school, not long ago.  What's wrong with those?" I inquired.

"I want nice clothes like (friends' name here).  They are more fashionable than my clothes."

Since then, we've had several conversations about the differences between her friend's family and ours.  Although, her friend's father is of the same rank as my husband, her friend's mother has remarried and she lives with her mother and stepfather most of the year.  Her friend is also an only child, and my daughter is the oldest of three children.  In her friend's home, there are just more resources available, a concept that my twelve year old daughter isn't ready to accept.

I remember when I was younger, my fellow classmates took part in similiar class races, like this one.  I watched as some of the kids around me wanted the same shoes as a celebrity or the most popular kid in school.  From time to time, although rarely fortunately, I was told that I needed to "upgrade" my clothes.  I didn't care.  My clothes were not worn or faded, I looked nice in them, and although might not have been designer, weren't "rags" like some would have me believe.

Even now as adults, we engage in seemingly silly competition with our neighbors.  As embarrassed as I am to admit this, a few weeks back when I heard that one of my neighbors had a 72" flatscreen, suddenly my 60" flatscreen, that was fairly new seemed mediocre.  At the time I couldn't understand why that little green monster was rearing his ugly head.  Afterall, we don't have the furniture to accomodate a bigger television.

These are just personal examples of how there are still class stratification in our society.  Children, unfortunately, are taught from an early age that if they do not have the newest fads, then they won't be welcome in the "in" crowds.  And it doesn't stop there, "keeping up with the Jones's" is not just a phrase.  But it's evident on a much larger scale as well.

The recent federal budget issue was a very clear example of how the classes are separated in this country, and personally, the way the possible government shut down played out, angered many of my associates.  It was obvious that those on capital hill, who certainly live a lifestyle indicative of a higher class, have no idea what it is like for those of us who would be classified as lower middle class and working class.  Holding the military's pay hostage in order to force an agenda to be passed is simply unforgivable.  Withholding the pay of people who live from paycheck to paycheck, who make their bills, but with very little discretionary funds left over, if any, while those on capital hill, who enjoy the lifestyle of the upper middle class or higher, do not have their pay or livelihood jeopardized.

There's even a class separation in the military; between the enlisted and the officers.  For good reasons, there is no fraternization between these two groups.  Afterall, the integrity of the mission is always first priority.  But, the officers have historically had larger, nicer homes; a larger, nicer place to gather (the officer's club); wives of officers were expected to carry themselves differently, with more "class", than enlisted wives. 

But then you look around the community off post, and even the lowest ranking in the military realize that they are not the lowest class.  The Route 1 corridor has long been known as the seedier part of the area, particularly around post.  The minute you go out one of the gates onto Rt 1, especially the main Tulley gate, you see the kinds of living conditions that the lower class and poor live in.  In any given day you will see atleast one or two homeless men walking along the roads outside post.

There is obviously a class structure in our country, and unfortunately often times the higher classes do not look fondly upon those in lower classes.

Drawbacks to Technology?

The past twenty years has brought about an influx of new ways to expand our social networks, particularly through the internet.  We can now gain information and communicate with our loved ones from afar quicker than ever before.  But with the new age of dating networks like Match.com, social networks like Facebook, not to mention online shopping, what damage, if any, is being done to our society?

I think we certainly should be concerned about WHO we are talking to and how far we go.  The Craiglist killer is a recent and perfect example of the dangers of not truly knowing what kind of person is on the other side of the screen.  Also, more and more prospective employeers and universities are looking at what an individual posts online, and making decisions on whether to hire or fire.  More and more people are putting more personal information out there for the world to have access to, myself included, and it is certainly something that many people should be cautious about.

But there are so many advantages to having social networking via internet.  As long as we are smart and careful, the world has literally opened up to us, whereas the generations before us did not have that.  We've been talking about the importance of globalization and common markets worldwide, as well as higher tolerance and understanding of differing cultures and societies in order to stamp out prejudice.  The internet gives us the means necessary to do this.

I think the concern is making sure younger people know how to use the resources now available to us, wisely and safely.  Afterall, we are social animals.  The majority of us are still going to seek the face to face company from our "primary groups".

The Criminal Justice System

There is a problem with the justice system today, we all know this.  The prisons are over crowded, but yet only a fraction of known crimes end in arrest and conviction.  Meanwhile, the price to house and feed the criminals who are imprisoned is enormous, totally nearly $25.5K a year per inmate.  So what can we do about it?  There are several proposals out there.

The first thing that comes to mind is that many deviants do not believe that anything will happen.  They think they are either smarter than the law enforcement agencies and will not get caught, or have a belief that if they are caught, they will get the minimal punishment and be free soon after.  I think this starts at an early age, honestly.  As a mother of three young children, I see it everyday.  The school systems and even daycares are not allowed to punish our children. 

The most recent example that I can think of is one of my friend's preschoolers.  The teachers at the preschool are not allowed to punish the child when he misbehaves, and instead must call the parents.  Obviously the parents need to be involved in the process, but the fact that the child knows nothing will happen to him while he's in the classroom is not helping his behavior.  He spends the majority of his time in the school.  Once he gets home, it's dinner, bath and bed due to the parent's work schedule.  This hasn't changed from before the child started preschool, so where's the consequence for his behavior in the classroom?  Calling dad at work?  What's dad going to do at that time? 

I'm not saying abuse the children, by no means.  But our society has gone so far to the extreme as far as protecting our children's psychie that we are raising children who do not know responsibility and accountability for their own actions.  And then we wonder why those same children, as adults, act the same way?  Children need to understand that if they do something that is against the established rules there will be a consequence because they are expected to behave within the limits of the rules.

This will take time to fix.  We didn't go from spanking our children to "sparring the rod and spoiling the child" overnight, and so we can't move to the happy medium over night either.  So meanwhile, what do we do with those individuals who have committed crimes?  I'm not against prison.  Yes, it is expensive, so how can we fix that?

First of all, harsher consequences for murderers and rapists.  I'm not against an "eye for an eye" as far as this goes.  I think that all murderers should have the death penalty.  And they shouldn't necessarily be on death row for years and years.  Let's only give them one appeal, and give them a time limit on that.  Once they have lost their appeal, because they are obviously guilty, within a week or two, after they have had a chance to say their goodbyes to their loved ones, instigate that death penalty. 

Secondly, for those who are doing a shorter term in prison, and will eventually be out, make them pay a portion of their "room and board" back once they are out.  This proposal is problematic because many released convicts do not acclimate back into society as productive citizens quickly.  But once an ex-con does establish him/herself with a job, garnish a portion of his wages to pay back some of the expenses.  Afterall, we've already established that the worst criminals should not get free room and board, and should have the death penalty.  Why should the "lesser" crimes have it "easy"?  What about those who do not acclimate?  If the ex-con hasn't become employed in society after a given amount of time, perhaps a year, then what about employing them in the prison system?  Instead of paying a salary to the food service personnel or the janitorial service, have ex-cons who cannot find a job on the outside do those jobs, perhaps even at a cut rate, but at the least garnish the wages to pay back some of what was spent on them while they were imprisoned.